, 1894-07-14
DEATH OF THE SULTAN OF MOROCCO.
Times, 18th June.

terry. Thu re are not wanting suspicious that
he may have been poisoned.
The Sultan was c nsciors to the last mo-
meDt, and before dying be gave explesslon
to his desire that Abdul Aziz. his son by his
ClIcasslan wife, wko is now only. IA years Of
age, should succeed him. ABDUL Aziz was
proclaimed Emperor by The Ministers with
the rognizance Of the representatives of for.
elgn Powers, who assembled in Council to
receive notification Of he succesSiA al to the
Throne.
There is some danger If il revolt being or
ganized in favour Of Muddy lsmail. the de-
ceased Snltan's brother, who was the popular
fayonrte for the Succession to the Throne,
ana who At the time Of the Sultan's death
was acting as his Majcsty's representative at
Fez.
The death If the Emperor of Morocco is an
event OF some Importance, because it is
pretty certain to give rise to internal troubles,
and these may possibly exert an influence on
international relations. IN Morocco the
principle embodied in the old motto, lie roi
est mort; vive lie roi is by no means uni
versally recognized. AS no adequate provi-
slons exist for the continuity Of government,
the death Of a ruler necessarily creates a de
Jacto interregnum in which all the conflict
ing elements in the country struggle for
mastery. Though The late Sultan's favourite
son and designated successor Abdul Aziz,
who generally accompanied his father III his
taX-gatherIhg tours and military expeditions,
has been proclaimed Emperor by The Court
and a considerable portion Of the troops, it
would be contrary to ancient tradition and
modern practice that he should be peacefully
accepted by the nation. Possibly he may be
compelled, like his late father, TO effect an
entrance into ms capital by means of artil-
lcly. However this may be, certain it is
that prctenderS from among his near rela-
lions are ready to come forward and contest
his GAINS, if they can only find sufficient
support, and, as a rule, such support is not
wanting.
Muley El Hassan, who has just terminated q
comparatively long reign, succeeded his
father Sldl Mahomed, as Emperor Of Morocco
IN 1873. A European traveller who saw
him about that time describes him as tall and
slender, with large soft eyes, a fine a%qubline
nose, and q perfectly oval face encircled by a
short black beard. People who knew him
SAID that he was o man of mild disposition
and kind heart, that he lived auslerely, that
no had but one wife, that before coming to
the throne he drilled with his soldiers and
was one OF the most active among them, that
he liked work and often did himself what he
might have left to his servants, and that he
was at once beloved and feared by his subjects.
For some years he was animated by the best
intentions, being anxious to reform abuses and
putan end to the e~xactions Of his officials.
AT the same time, he was inclined to esta-
bllsh moro friendly relations with Foreign
Powers and hoped to diminish the religious
tanatlolsm OF his people. Unfortul ately, these
laudable inclinations did not bear much fruit
but it must be admitted that for his want OF
success he was not entirely to blame. Even
II he had been a man of iron will and indomi-
table energy he would have found it impossi-
bic to accomplish very much in the way of
reform. In theory an autocrat, the Emperor
OF Morocco has in reality very little power.
Only q comparatively small part of the
country is under the control of the central
Government, and in this limited area the Sui
tan has to respect the religious prejudices of
the people and follow the advice of the rolf
gious authorities. In spite Of these Difficult
ties tome little progress was made. Travel
ling In Morocco is no longera perilous undeI-
taking, and the handful of Europeans who
were to be found in the Empire in 1873 have
steadily increased, and foreign commerce has
been in some measure developed.
Seen from the outside, the chief events of
the reign of Muley Ell Hassan have been fire.
quent expeditions against refractory tribes,
negotiations with numerous foreign missions,
and occasional complications with foreign