Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-09
ErRopE-s EYE on MOROCCO.
Jealousy of Spanish influence In TN
Sultam's Dominion.

Sultam's DOmtn1On.
The attack of the natives upon the Span
ish at Melilla recalls the fact that England
France and Spain are each jealous OF the
influence Of one or the other in Morocco,
according to the Philadelphia Press. Italy.
as WELL covets some portion OF Northern
Africa Within three hours Of Gibraltar
the representatives of nearly every country
In Europe are located. and nearly all are
cooped up within the walls Of Tangier, the
capital Of Morocco. or just outside. Behind
them lies a vast and fertile empire, from,
which they are almost entirely cut off. In
Tangier Itself for nearly forty years the
foreign representatives have been closely
engaged in seeing that no one power gained
any undue advantage.
In January, 1882, Tangier itself was men,
aced by the uprising Of the tribes against
the sultan The district at Anjerah. tnhab-
tied by a sturdy seini-Berber race. had
long groaned under the oppression of the
unsympathetic governors residing at a dis
lance. England, France and Spain at once
took steps for the protection of their re-
spective citizens in the city and neighbor-
hood. and war vessels were dispatched to
Tangier.
About this time 1t was rumored that
Great Britain was anxious to possess Tan
g1er as counterpotse to the strong naval
station established by France at Biserta
which secured to the latter couGtry the mas
terry Of the Mediterranean between Gibral-
tar and Suez. Spain also coveted Morocco
considering that she had better title to 1t
than any other country, but she was not
In position to assert her claim.
A very nice game of diplomacy was be-
gun, and IT Is not at all improbable that
this Melilla affair will see 1T carried on
Spain was backed in her pretensions by the
French foreign office, which had encour-
aged spain for many years to believe that
france would not object to any designs Of
Gh0
territorial cOmpensat ton in the eastern and
southeastern provinces of that country
The attitude of Spain and France encour-
aseo tne sultan OF Morocco in his passive
resistance to English diplomacy and in the
belief that he could, with impunity. NAV
one European power against another wbila
making as little concession as possible in
all On the other hand. the attitude Of the
hadr:d press of all shades of opinion to-
ward England, and their very plain asser
tiCn OF the Spanish pretension to exercise
predominant influence in the affairs of
MOROCCO. were chiefly due to the fact that
all Spaniards were convinced that the pres
ent British government would never go be-
yond threats in Morocco Ell Globo. Fl I'm
parcial Ell Liberal. Ell Diaz and the Snan-
ish military papers frankly said Spain had
nothing to fear as Mr.. Gladstone and the
British radicals would never encroach upon
the ancient rights of Spain in Morocco. and
would not object to the Spanish contention
that no other European power has SO much
right as Spain to intervene in Morocco. and
to occupy Tangiers some day. IL the state of
AFFAIRS in that country should require a
foreign Intervention
Later in the year the French had trouble
with the natives. They claimed that their
mission had been ill-used by the Kaid of
FL Arash and demanded that the sultan
punish him.
England succeeded last year in getting
the sultan to sign a treaty which oIIowaS
free commercial intercourse between the
Two countries This gave great offense to
Spain and France. W