Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
ABSORBING MOROCCO
How France is Winning Her
Way in the Desert.
HISTORY OF INVASION
BEGINNING OF THE LONG WAR
BETWEEN FRENCH AND ARABS.
Interesting Incidents of Some Of the
Principal Battles - Story Of
Abd-el-Kader's Campaign.
HISTORY OF INVASION


torate He was on his vacation in Paris;
and he was enthusiastic over the absorb
ton of Morocco by his country.
By the time he had got through I knew
that he was working for the most curious
bank in the world. I think it would lend
money on the prospects of a caravan raid,
if sobery planned by bandits of reputa-
ton. And with all this these Comptoirs-
Generaux, as they are called, are soften
ing and civiliZing and form one of the
strongest secret weapons used by France
in her gentle and successful encroachments
all along the frontier of Morocco Had
they existed in the time of Hussien-Pacha
he would never have struck Consul Cen
eral Derval with his peacock-tailed fly
chaser. But then France would not have
had her pretext to conquer Algiers. There
Is time for everything, says the bank
clerk of the Sahara.
1t was in the spring of 1927. The then
dey Of Algiers had long-standing claim
against some French merchants. When
the French consul general went up to
salute him on his birthday, Hussien asked
with irsolence:
when am l to get my money!
In the dispute which arose the dey struck
his fly-chaser decorated with peacock tails.
Could Not Stand the Insult.
France could not stand her consul being
struck even with feather. Forty thousand
troops left Brest, Rochefort, Bayonne and
Touon. 1t was quick work. On July ).
1890 the French flag floated over the cita-
del of Kasbah, where they took a treasure
of 23,GO0000 francs in gold coin and in
gots and 2i,O0O.00) francs in silver. The
French were established in North Africa.
One remarkable man sprang up to bar
their way. Abd-el-Kader might have been
the George Washington of Algiers and Mo-
rocco had he not failed. He was a wise,
temperate, virtuous, cultivated Arab of an
influential family long established in the
land. and no sooner had the French taken
Algiers than he began to preach the holy
war from Morocco to Tunis. BY 1882 he
was able to besiege Oran with 1900 mount
ed troops.
There was no end to his ingenuity and
energy. He established powder mills in
Morocco. He founded cannon at Tlemcen
and Mascara. To excite the emulation of
his soldiers he established a military deco
ration. Openly or secretly all North Africa
sent him men and money. Thus it was
that, while continually beaten by French
leaders of genius like Marshall Valee and
Gen. Bugeaud he was able during twelve
long years to bob up serenely, always with
new army as great as that which they
had just dispersed destroyed.
The bank clerk of the Sahara said twelve
years, because it was only around 1913
that Gen. Bugeaud's mastery politics
rather than his generalshp-began to weak
en- the patriot Emir's power. Pursuing
<aDu-tl-lAaVeT army mere ana there, the
Frepch general naturally left this tribe
and then tl.at behind his columns, cut off
from the back country and the patriotic
influence. To these he gave new Chiefs
deposing the old. In SO doing he took ad-
vantage of many an ancient blood feud
And the new chiefs naturally depended on
the French. /
This system, perfected by I.amoriciere.
was found to have produced such good re-
suits that from 1S43 on Gen. Bugeaud found
himself able to give all his effort to trying
to capture the great Emir in person. Tribe
after tribe had accepted the "aman" and
Abd-el-Kader wandered with his "smala"
and an army reduced to $1,000 horsemen
Horace Kernel, the famous French Paint
er, made the capture of this ''smala" the
subject of a great historical study-an i'm
mense canvas now in the Gallery of YER
sailles. King Louis Philippe had sent his
gallant young son, the Due d Aumale, to
this war. The "smala" was Abd-el- Kader's
abulatory capital. a city of gorgeous tents,
of massed-up riches and luxury, into which
he had gathered all his last faithful parti-
sans, all his relatives, his treasure arms
and ammunition. From it went out his
instructions. and to it reported overcoming
scouts. And the smala was ever ready to
disappear like a dream-as the old line of
poetry has It, ''They could fold their tents
like the Arabs and as silently steal away"
Routed the Sons Of the Desert.
But there came day when Abd-eI-Kad-
er's smala did not move away. 1t was on
May &c. 1913 The French forces had di-
vided up in order to surround a territory
in which they knew it must be: and it fell
to the troop of the young son of Louis
Philippe to discover and take it, 1t was
flashing. laundering cavalry charge. Then
without giving the Arabs time to recover
from their surprise, the Due d Aumale rap
idly reformed his troops and In spite of
the inferiority of their numbers completely
routed the sons of the desert, taking 5000
prisoners and vast amount of stores and
treasures
For eight years It had been a war of
great ferocity and fabulous bravery and
daring on both sides The French cavalry
were cutting down the Arabs, Moors and
Negroes, who refused to ask for quarter, to
the very center of the smala, intent on
surrounding it and capturing the famous
leader. In the midst of falling tents and
blood-stained carpets, of wounded camels
and pet gazelles, amid the war shouts of
men and the screams of women and chill
dren, the Duo d'Aumale refined up his
charger just in time not to trample lovely
female figure that chung to his coat tails.
1t was blooming maiden, whose rounded
figure was disclosed by her disheyeled gar
ment of white linen trimmed with bands OF
gold brocade-the beautiful daughter of
Sidi-Embarak, the hottest of the mara
bouts.
Mercy she cried. Mercy for women.
children and old men."
Her venerable father IN a big straw hat
and white wooden dressing gown sputtered
and cussed in the midst of his wives ike
an Infatuated chlmpanzee. AS the Due
d Aumale passed him with the girl still
clinging, the hoary holy one found nothing
Deoter than to spit on his sleeve: and a
lieutenant. outraged by the insult to a son
of France, had raised his saber At the
instant when he was bringing 1t down on
the Sidfs straw hat the girl pulled the
young duke to her convulsively, so that 1t
was he who got the blow-fortunately on
his heavy epaulette.
Spare the old mani" he cried convulsve-
ly. They all thought they had in him ADD
ei-Kader himself-such was the row Sidi-
Embarak was making; but Abd-el-Kader
had escaped with his mother and two
wives But 1t was thus that there are
Frenchman today who will tell you how the
Due d'Aumale risked his life to save that
of the famous E-nir
Abd-el-Kader Finally Surrendsrs.
Abd-el-Kader fled to Morocco, where he
preached the holy war with such success
as to arouse the whole population and ac-
tually force the sultan, Mouiey-eu-R ah-
man to declare war on France The army
of Morocco was modified and ready TO
march on Algers when the Prince de Join
vile arrived opportunity to lombard Tan
giers. At the same time General Bugeaud
coa INC