Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-10
CONTROL OF MOROCCO
ThankIess Task Ahead for
Spain and France.
MAY FIGURE IN CONGRESS
United States Senate Must Pass on
The Treaty.
RULE OF RAISULI, THE BANDIT
Attitude of the Moors Toward Euro
pean Interference-only Tie to
the ShereeAan Empire.
RULE OF RA1sULI, THE BANDIT

| Special Cablegram to The Star.
| MADRID, December 1O.-The naval dem
| onstration planned against Morocco is not
because Of the operation of brigand chiefs
| like Rasuli has been intimated but be-
cause of the attitude of that country against
the reforms which France and Spain are
trying to Introduce. Raisuli himself has
sent letter boasting that he will drive the
new Franco-Spanish police out Of every
port from Tangier to Mogador If the sultan
will let him.
1t is even reported here that Moroccan
affairs will figure prominently in the United
States Congress this winter. Diplomats
here say that President Roosevelt is dis
posed to turn the subject-matter over to
the United States Senate. The international
agreement entered into at Algeciras pro-
vides that final action must be reported
| back by each country signatory to the
| treaty by December 81. According to ad-
| vices received here Congress may be ex-
| pected to take its vacation for the holidays
| about December 20, and this will leave only
few days for the discussion and the final
| consideration of the treaty
Although Americas representatives In the
| conference of last winter signed the treaty
| only after the inclusion of special para
| graph relieving the United States OF any
respon sibility, joint otherwise, for en-
| forcing any of the provisions of the agree
ment there is not entire unanimity of opin-
ion as to the advisa bility of the Senate
yielding its adherence to the treaty.
Situation Worse.
Some months have now elapsed since the
representatives of the European powers by
the signature of the Algeciras convention
solemnly undertook not only to respect the
Integrity and independence OF the
Shereefan empire, but also to provide Tor
the policing of the coast towns and to
superintend the introduction of much needed
reforms in the finances and the general ad-
minstration of that country. Since the as
sent of the sultan to the Aigeciras conven-
ton was duly notified some time ago, 1t is
time the diplomats say, to look for some
practical outcome of the grave and pro-
longed deliberations and the definite de-
cisions of the international conference.
1t must be confessed however, that no
outward or visible sign of anything OF the
kind is yet discoverable. On the con-
trary, the situation In Morocco Is TO all ap-
pearances a good deal worse than 1t was
year ago. 1t is true that little has been
heard lately of the activeness OF the pre-
tender who seems to have had the worst
of it in his last trial of strength with the
sultans troops. But the authority OF the
sultan himself or rather of the handful OF
magnates who profess to govern the coun-
try in his name, has well night disappeared
everywhere except in Fee and Its immediate
neighborhood. The hill tribes on the north
ern and western coasts nave never palo
more than nominal allegiance to the CEN
trail government, but whereas former sui
tans were accustomed to remind them by
the primitive method of periodical military
expeditions which carried fire and sword
through the villages, such discipline has
been administered to them since the be-
ginning Of the present reign.
In Tangier itself, the principal port and
business capital of Morocco, all real power
seems to be in the hands of that enterpris-
ing bandit Raisui who was rewarded
year or two ago for the kidnapping of
American and British subjects by the ap-
rounding district, and whose authority even
in the city appears to overshadow that OF
the MaghZen. His notion of. his official
duties has been exemplif1ed in such Incl
dents as the recent attack by a rabble OF
Moorish boatmen on the crew of a boat
belonging to a French cruiser in the har-
Dor and the forcble closing by his agents
of the works Of the Spanish company
which supplies electric light to Tanger, be-
cause it's employees refused to pay him
blackmail. In point of fact, the position Of
the European community Is at the present
time in Tangier itself much less secure
than at any period during the past GEN.
fury.
In southern and eastern Morocco and
especially on the "debatable land adjosn-
ing the Algerian frontier. there is nothing
but confusion and disorder. The tribes in
that region-a notorious hotbed of Ma
homedan fanaticism-are openly planning
an attack on the French frontier outposts;
a "Jehad" Is being preached among them
by kinsman of the sultan, and 1t is be-
lieved by those who are best able to form
an opinion. that a serious collision would
already have taken place II the war-like
ardor of the tribesmen had not been cooled
by the knowledge that the French troops
and the French navies were being prepared
for just such emergencies.
Distrust Europeans.
The plain truth is that the only practi-
cal result hitherto of the European "diplo-
matte Intervention in Morocco has been
the extinction Of the scanty remnant Of
the sunans authority with the inevitable
consequence of something scarcely distin-
guishabie from anarchy in its place. The
Moors a people, cannot be said to have
possessed any national organization for GEN.