New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-12
SPAIN AND MOROCCO.
SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL MOVEMENT IN
THE PENINSULA
Paris. November |.

'sh general and the fitting out of an extensive
.ui,arv expedition. have excited general inter
,s, in the relations of Spain with Morocco 1t
:; probable that November will have passed
before the entire significance of the present con-
sict can be known The people of Spain nave
i,eady made it National question. while the
t.uropcan press has very generally warned the
cn.nish Government than any independent
ourse of action on its part toward Morocco
u.oud I've full of international complications
what the English and American press have
hitherto failed to recognize in the matter IS
,h. existence Of a vital factor in Spanish poll
tbs which is now manifesting itself clearly.
This is in the line of national aspiration. and
has 10 do with the advance of republicanlsn
in Spain. with the union of Spain ana Portugal
with the predominance of England in the Medl-
,erranean, and with the slow but sure parceing
out Of Northern and Western Africa among the
ruropean nations 1t corresponds with the
equally slow but sure breaking up of The En-
pre Of Moghreb- al Aksa-"the Farthest west
az the Arab followers of Mahomei
Taken by itself. the actual difficulty would
no purely local The inhabitants or the KIN,
who have created It, are neither Arabs proper
nor even Kabyes of the same Kind as their
nejchbors in the French territory of Algiers
They are pure Berbers in type. if not in blood;
and they pass half their lives in tribal wars
scarcely recognizing the authority Of the Sui
tan apart from a certain religious prestige
which he retains over them They are full OF
energy and far more willing 10 work than the
lazy Algerian Arabs. For this reason their help
is agery sought by the French roadmakers
ard wine growers across the frontier. 1t is said
they return home exulting ir their own freedom
from control on the part of either Sultan or
Europeans; and until now, the Spanish military
posts along the coast have not been able TO
lower their pretcnsors An ex-commandant OF
the few Moroccan soldiers who are kept facing
the Spanish lines is supposed to be responsible
for much of the present agitation among them.
In 1890 the Riffans had already created an in
cident which the Sultan had all the difficulty
in the world to compound with the Spanish Gov
eminent. This year. after taking possession of
a little fort belonging to the Spanish post Of
Melilla they have stationed sentinels along all
the roads leading from the interior 10 prevent
any provisioning of the garrison This long
since became so effective that an appeal had to
be made to the French Governor-General of
Algiers who has allowed cattle TO be shipped
over from Oran. Meanwhile. from successive
skirmishes the excitement has spread until 1t
has become general among the Moors of the
whole northern coast.
EUROPEAN INTEREST IN THE CASE
- the trouble were as easy OF settlement as
some of the press dispatches would indicate
there would have been no need Of the re-
cent visit of an English Lord Of the Adj
n,iraity to Tangiers, and of the present wait
ing of an English squadron at convenient
point of the Mediterranean. nor Of the French
expedition of 1000 camel-mounted troops. which
IL is next TO certain will be sent to the frontier
separating Algiers from Morocco The sudden
stationing of a Russian squadron at A1accio
may also be not unconnected with these events.
which would thus be the first to try the friend
ship of Russia for France. All this lends lu-
dicrous significance 10 dispatch now ten days
old declaring that "tho forces OF the sultan OF
Morocco have surrounded the hostile kabyes
who made the recent attack on the Spanish gar
,isor at Mel:lla. between Taflalet and the At
las Mountains which is about as accurate and
posstle as would have been n flank movement
Of Grant on the Southern Confederacy by way OF
California But even if the geography of Mo-
rocco is little worth knowing. the present situa-
ton Of affairs is certainly we'll worthy Of atten-
ton even from the point Of view of American
commerce. This was stated clearly by an Eng
lsb authority more than a year ago C"Nine-
tenth Century" August. 1922; There are GER
tain civilized Powers-the United States for in
stance-whose interests in Morocco are purely
commercial and who are particularly anxious
TO preserve existing arrangements against
the possible intervention Of some Power with a
political stake in the destiny Of this corner Of
the Dark Continent"
II is difficult TO believe that Europe will ever
go TO war about this corner Of Africa. and
vet without such war it is difficult TO see
how any one Power can secure its political in
terests in the country. This is the real meaning
of Lord Sasburys utterance far back as
MAY. 1891 when he expressed the opinion that
Morocco would one day carry with it a men
ace TO the peace Of Europe
THE SPANISH PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
There would be two ways of settling the actual
difficulty without setting half Europe by the
ears. Spain might send a military expedition
large enough 10 punish the tribes Of the Riff.
to secure the free intercourse OF Melilla with
the interior and to finish the Notifications which
have been interrupted Or the burden of action
might be thrown on the Sultan Of Morocco,
with whom Spain would treat i'll ordinary
diplomatic routine. Now Spain has chosen 10
do both these things, and probably TO excess.
Popular enthusiasm has made the matter a
national question at home; hence all these
preparations for military expedition that seems
far beyond the needs Of the case The interna-
tional complication demands some diplomatic
action and Spain is almost certainly taking adj
vantage Of this TO exact not only a money
indemnity from the Sultan. but also consider
able concession of territory. There some signs
that this policy has been made acceptable to
France, whose interests lie chiefly in the Touat
along the southeastern frontier OF Morocco
How far France and her friends can make this
LAT To a
Mediterranean depends on the neutrality OF
Tangier, time alone will tell.
Spain has taken so little part Of late years
IN the decisive politics OF the world that out
siders find II hard TO conceive of her otherwise
than as given over 10 national soth and feeble
ness. few days in Madrid and in the lead
ing provincial towns during the late excitement
would have shocked rudely this judgment con.
corning a people which. financially. is not as