The National tribune., 1904-06-16
THE EMPIRE OF MOROCCO.
A Great Country Given Up to Rapine and
Disord Ito be Annexed to France.

Morocco. about which the attention or
the world is now centering. Is an extensive
maritime country, situated in the north
western part of Africa, bounded on the
north BY the Mediterranean Sea. on the
east by Algeria, on the south by the Great
Desert, and on the west by the Atlantic
Ocean. 1t has an area Of about 2l9,Oo0
square miles. with a population between
100000 and 6OOO.O0O. The climate is
remarkably fine, being extremely equable,
the mean annual temperature of the city
of Morocco being only 64 degrees. 1t has
few good harbors. as the coast is low and
little broken. The population is composed
OF several distinct races. the Arabs form
ing the principal part of the rural districts,
| and the Moors that of the towns along the
coast. There are besides these many ne
groes and people of mixed descent, with a
considerable number of Jews in all the com
mercial towns.
Copper, iron and lead are found in va
rloJIs parts of the country. and amethystS
OF great beauty and size in the Atlas Noun
tains, which traverse the country from
northeast 10 southwest. In the forests are
many valuable trees such as the oak, Cedar
OF Lebanon, Aleppo pine, date palm, etc.
There is little agriculture. with apparently
no desire to improve this condition of
things. Excellent wheat. poor barley, and
maize are the principal crops, and the peo
pie live mostly on millet, though beans and
canary seed constitute large part of the
food of the poorer classes. The wealth
of the Arab tribes consists in their droyes
herds. and flOcks. Their horses are remark
ably fine, and the wool of their sheep is
famed for its unusual fineness.
There is little attention paid to educa
ton. which does not go beyond the theology
of the Koran. Science is unknown, and
art belongs to the past. Music seems to be
| the only art for which the Moors have any
marked ability.
The Sultan. who claims to be direct
| descendant of Mahomet, is an absolute
| monarch, and the lives and property of his
| He has six Ministers, whom he cOnsults
when he thinks it best to do so otherwise,
| they simply carry out his orders. His
treasury is mysterious and inaccessible
| building, supposed to contain fabulous
| sums, and guarded by 1000 blacks. His
| is composed principally of blacks and Bed
| ouins. The marine force is insignificant.
The Government Of the country has been
weak, incapable and corrupt to the last
degree. The Sultan has not even the re-
straining force of the Ulema or expounders
| of the Koran, a priestly class who exercise
much influence over the Sultan of Turkey
and the Shah of Persia. to keep him with
| in bounds. BY virtue of his claim of being
a direct descendant of Mahomet, he com
bines in his presence both political and
priestly functions. and his word is as final
| in one as the other.
There have been innumerable rebellons
in the country, which have been suppressed
| with difficulty or not suppressed at ALL and
| there IL at present one against which the
| Sultan seems to be unable to make much
| Roadway. The miserable condition of the
| country. lying near as it does to Europe
| and the great centers of commerce and tra-
| vel. has been the subject Of much disquiet
| in Europe. but the mutual jealousies of
the countries have prevented any one of
| them from undertaking TO establish order.
| Now, however. there has been an agree
ment entered into between France and Eng
| land. by which France is allowed free
| hand in Morocco, and she will eventually
annex the territory to Algeria. The con-
| ditlons in Algeria were at one time what
| they are now i'm Morocco, and the result
was constant embroiling with other ma
| tions. Ii will be remembered that we had
two separate wars with Algeria, while
| other countries had many more. At last
|, France took the country, made it prov
ince. and after considerable trouble has
developed. it into high state of prosper
| Ity Spain. OF course, protests against the
| country being dominated by the French,
but her protests avail nothing. as she has
had her opportunity and several times in
| yaded Morocco, only TO meet with defeat
Neither can England look with complacency
upon Spain getting the country which
would give her control on both sides of the
Straits of Gibraltar.
i There has been an attempt to get Ger
many to enter into the controversy and
make common cause with Spain. but so far
she has refused to be embroiled. The un-
derstanding now is that France, profiting
by her experience in Algeria, will gradually
absorb Morocco, extending her influence
over the whole country under the color of
the Sultan's authority, who will be reduced
to mere figurehead. She will gradually
place everywhere officials who have been
trained in the Algerian school and conso.
Quently know best how to deal with the