Arizona republican., 1902-01-04
MoROCCo's YOUNG RULER.
AIulai-Aziz Seems to Be open to Ideas
 of Progress.


 of Progress.
 Though the sultan Of Morocco has occupied the throne since the death of his father in 1S94 he has been d ruler i, fact only for year and a half Still -c;.reSly' out of his DoJhood, for he is only twenty years old. the absolute power he has now assuTued was eXer- cised. during his minority. by his grand vizicr sid Ahmed. who kept iu force the national policy or the N.oham- Hredan extremists.
 When Mulai-AziZ came 10 the throne a mere lad, it was said that he had al ready exhibited unusual b-ightness Of intellect and q great desi-c to know about the peoples. customs and gov ernment of foreign countries l. was mentioned as an indication of his ten dencics. that he had be Erie nded g young Fgenchman, Delbrel. who vas a prisoner for no other crime than that he was an uainvited foreigner in cen tral Morocco. Though it is a. grieVous sin for a NIohammedan to m Ike a pie ture Ce any living thing. Ihe young prince secretly took drawing Iessons from the prisoner and had many talks with him about France AS thes boy lteAs tftali III tt Ia fi Atla AA'-' il was thought that h. might have i'm bib-d from Mulai-Hassan the pro gressive tendencies that were mani tested in the last years or his -eigl. and thai the accession of AaHllai-Asiz to power might result i1 S-eat good to his country.
 The reports that have recen-ly come from Morocco seesn to justify the hope that aIuIaj-Aziz may modify or even uproot the fanatical reEiT" that has kept Morocco almost wholly outside the pale Of progressive influences. His father was rarely seen by a European except by diplomatic embaisies. ana then only for a couple Of minvtes. when he received them seated on his horse: but in 1he pasJ few months, HuIai-Azi= has repeatedly conversed with Mir. Walter B. Harris. one oe the leading explorers of Morocco. and al careful and conservative writer, who has outlined the Sultan's scheme of re- forms and says he is diligently look ing among his officials for men whom Ee can trust to help him in carrying them out Mr. Harris describes the young man as whollyunlike other Ori- ental potentates in thc-ghts, habits and manner or life. He is keenly sensitive to public opinion in Europe. is interested in educational systems a broad and in the workings of con s,itutional government. and is anxious to keep on good terms with the pow crs."- Just before his death Mulai- 4assan discussed with his advisers the policy of sending young men oi of Gciai families 90 Europe to be educat-. ed. The present sultan says that when his government is better organized. he hopes to travel abroad and learn what he can for the benefit of his country
 Dr. Cskar Lenz. one Of the mos1 acute observers of affairs in Morocco wrote in 1881 that though the rather of the present sultan had liberal tenden- cies and was man Of independent and energetic character as we'll as an autocrat. he was not in a position tc introduce revolutionary reforms 9 gaiast the will of the official class The fanatical party was too strong be compelled 10 submit to drastic measures of reform. On the other hand, Mir. Harris asserts that through the influence of MulGi-Aziz a great change has come over the court in its ideas of policy toward and treatment of Europeans. Whatever the outcome may be, the present situation in Mo rocco. with q sultan of aVowed libera! principles on the throne. is extremely interesting. IT is q long step from the desire to give Morocco an enlightened government 10 the fulfilment of it: but the whole world will be interested to see q favorable change in the past ap- pareutly hopeless condition of this naturally rich country and will WI come any success the sultan may at tain in his efforts to bring about a better state of things in Morocco.
 Fond Mothcr-Ob am So riad ,-r,r