Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-17
Release of Perdicaris or Pun
ishment of Raisuli.
THE CHIEFS DEMANDS
THEY HAVE GROWN TO RIDICU-
LOUIS PROPORTIONS.
This Government Will Not Give Any
Guarantee-Question of a
Punitive Expedition.

morning from Tangler 10 the Stdte be-
partment was not encouraging. 1t bore out
pretty well the press dispatches and lnol-
Gated that the bandit Raisouli had COM
pletely lost his balance owing to the SUD-
seryiency of the Moorish officials and had
exaggerated his demands to point where
they have become ridiculous. At any rate
it is quite certain that the United states
government will not comply with any OF
the demands that relate to itself and II
cannot consistently require the sultan to
do such things as Raisouli asks. Conse-
quently 1t is admitted that if the bandit
chief means to carry out his threats the
captives, Perdicaris and Varley, are IN
great peril Even their lives, how
ever are not regarded as a sufficient stake
to warrant our government in establishing
such a dangerous precedent would fol-
low the granting of the demands OF Hai-
soul, for strong would be the tempta.
ton offered 10 the lawless tr1besmen OF
Morocco that not for a moment would any
American or other foreigner be safe against
kidnapping. So it is said that all That can
now be done is to await the outcome OF the
present negotiations, hoping that Ralsoun
will come to his senses and abate his de-
mands, and making sure that he learns
through the Moorish government that his
own life will be demanded by the United
States if he executes his captveS
A dispatch was received at the Navy De-
partment today announcing the arrival OF
the flagship Brooklyn at Tangier from a
visit to Gibraltar for coal and supphes.
The entire European and South Atlantic
squadrons. numbering seven vessels are
now at Tangier awaiting the settlement OF
the Perdicars case.
Mr.. Gummere, the United States consul
general at Tangier in cable to the State
Department says second letter has been
received from the grand vizier, repeating
the sutan's regrets at the outrage and
stating that orders have been given to
grant RaiSouliS demands In order 10 Sc
cure the release of the captives. This at
ternoon. to our surprise, he auds, there
appeared two vessels from casa Blanca,
from which were landed force oi soo
men" These men, he says, form part OF
detachment which has been near casa
Blanca for six months. Their appearance
at this time, continues the consul general,
embarrasses the situation, for the troops
here had just been disbanded in compliance
with the demands of Ralsoun.
The Danger of the Situation.
eff ANYBODY thinks Secretary Hay is go
ing TO be caught in an international trap IN
this Perdicaris affair" remarked an ex-
nerienced diplomat today, The Is very much
mistaken No one realizes the dangers OF
the situa ton better than our able Secretary
of State And to know them Is to AVOID
them Secretary Hay, 1 am sure, IS not re-
sponsible for all the buster and bragadoclo
of the position of the United States In this
matter Although not authorized to speak
for him. l am confident that his pr1nclpal
purpose Is to secure the release OF Herol,
carts and secondarily to teach Raisuli ana
his tribe that such kidnapping practices Will
no longer be tolerated in the ease or united
States citizens. In this particular case he
looks solely for redress to the Sultan OF
Morocco as the governing authority. and
will have no dealings with the brigand
chieftain. The United States government
demands the unconditional release OF Perd'-
carts, and is not concerned with the terms
upon which the sultan secures his release
nor is it bound by them in any respect. The
sultan is impressed by the display OF force
at Tangier and Is sincerely DESTROYS of
meeting the demands upon him. He Is will
ing to make almost any concession to Raj
sui. even to the REIMBURSEMENT of the con-
troll of certain of his domains, but Raisuli,
with a certain shrewdness born of long ex-
perience, doubts the sincerity of his prom
Uses, and wants some tangible assurance
that they will be executed He wants other
governments, notably the United States to
guarantee the fulfllment of the sultan's
promises, including immunity from punish
ment at their hands. AS none of the gov
ernments concerned recognize Raisuli In the
matter such a guarantee is out OF the ques-
ton 1t is A matter between the sultan
and the bandit, and they must settle 1T be-
tween them.
In Case Negotiations Fail.
THE serious problem that confronts Sec
rotary Hay is what he shall do In case of
the failure of the sultan's negotiations.
France and Spain have certain political
rights in Morocco and either or both OF
these governments, to say nothing of Mo-
rocco or England, might view with exceed
ing displeasure, even If they did not at
tempt to oppose the landing of punitive
expedition from the United States fleet for
the purpose of capturing and Furnishing
Raisuli and his band for the violence of
fered to citizen of the United States. And
even II the European governments were
willing, how could the capture of the ban
dit be effected? He is far inland. in
trackless and almost uninhabted country
familiar to him and strange to his pur-
suers, and where the few inhabitants, with
their fanatical hostility to foreign bar
barians,' would offer every facility for the
escape of their countrymen. AS is well
known, neither sailors nor marines are
equipped for land operations at any dis
lance from their ships. They have
means of transportation, shelter or SubSiSt-
ence away from their base of operations,
which is necessarily a seaport. Therefore,
as the pursuit of Raisuli and his band in
the far interior in comparative wilder
ness would be matter of weeks If not
! of months before they could possibly be
surrounded or captured, 1t would be neces-
sary to intrust the task to a detachment of
soldiers, suitably armed and equipped and
capable of long marches and all sorts of
hardships and experienced in fighting the
Indians on the plains. How many soldiers
1t would require to effect the capture of the
bandits and how long 1t would take are
matters of the purest speculation.
Like Pursuit of "Moonshiners."
ITO make a comparison, 1t would be like
sending an expedition from Norfolk or some
| other Atlantic seaport to capture some
moonshiners who had fed to their fast
nesses in the mountains of Tennessee or
Kentucky.
I'm the first place, it would take at least
| two weeks to get the soldiers and their
equipment to Tangier and nobody knows
how long 1t would take to secure the con-
| sent of the governments of France and
| Spain, to say nothing of England and Mo-
rocco for the Invasion of the last-named
| country with armed force. OF course,
| the whole thing might be done without re-
| gard to the wishes of the countries named,
| on the ground of necessity. but such
| course would be fraught with serious con-
! sequences to our International relations, and
| might easily prove dangerous precedent
| for foreign invasion of American territory
| to secure redress for alleged outrages on
| the rights of foreign residents. Secretary
| Hays trouble now Is to vindicate American
Il II