Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-29

finished, because a lamentable occurrence
precipitated a storm which aroused the
Moroccan populace Mr. Cooper. a Brit
ish missionary. was murdered, and the as
sassin took refuge in the shrine Of Moroc
cos most revered saint, Moulai Idris one
OF the European advisers urged the sultan
to administer justice as 1t Is known by
them. Abd-el-Aziz had the offender drag
ged from the shadow of the saint house
and forthwith shot. This act of sum-
mary justice suited the Europeans but was
costly to the young monarch. At once
throughout the empire rang cries OF rebel
lion and that Moulai Idris would be
avenged because his sanctuary had been
vllifed. The pretender at once bided his
time, and, with the und!sciplined tribes
men who fiocked by thousands to his stand
ard, routed not only the half hearted cay
airy, but the boasted aaskar, or regulars,
trained for more than twenty years by
French and English officers Fez renamed
in state of siege for practically ten
months. Loans. soon as raised. were
exhausted. and the small imperial army
melted away because OF the lack Of money.
At last a rather pitiful sum was advanced
TO Morocco by France, secured by lien of
90 per cent of the custom dues. which she
is collecting.
Furthermore" continued the diplomat
the Moroccan treasury is again empty and
the army non-existent. Contempt for the
makhzen, or royal cabinet, and for the
rights OF foreigners. is the rule everywhere
In Morocco today. Not a reader today has
forgotten the perdlcaris incident and that
is one of many examples
France Annoyed by the Turbulence.
France was distinctly annoyed by this
turbulence. II is her locus standi for inter-
vention. 1t Is incomprehensibIe, in man
her. that today some eight thousand Eu-
ropeans sojourning permanently In Morocco
should continue to exist in terror for their
lives and for their property. Frances stand
is this: She has the mandate OF the powers
most interested That OF England, who Is
mistress Of the rock beyond the narrow
straits, and who has a voice plainly to be
heard in Mediterranean affairs, cannot very
well be ignored. Spain has some interest
in 1t, as she IS Moroccos neighbor on the
north, not to speak of her sphere OF in
iluence, or Rio de Ouro way. beyond the
empires southern borders. France herself
is tired of the turbulent tribes near the
Algerian frontier.
1.-The attitude of Germany throughout the
Algeciras conference shows that the stand
she takes is one that cannot consistently
bear fruit. France would be Inundated
before herself and the world were she to
give In to German demands. The kaiser
contends that France has designs over
Morocco which are very evident French
men. he claims have quietly taken pos
session Of the Tuat GASES. and have oc-
cupied the MUluya valley, and have crosser
the natural frontier of the Atlas mountains.
Germany believes that she ought now to
speak her mind as she and England ara the
only two powers directly interested In this
move of France, both being colonial powers
whose commercial relations with Morocco
are rather considerable. But since England
has shown herself to sympathize with
France. the latter country has assumed
stand that cannot but cause trouble unless
she mobiles her demands
by acquiring Morocco, according to Ger
man statistics which have already been
figured out, France would add 50, 600 square
miles to her colonial area. She would get
ffai M fhA thsr af,xrt han. TING
French industry at the expense OF German
markets. BY developing the agriculture of
Morocco, under the very favorable eondi-
tions of climate and soil. France would
soon be enabled to food the markets of
northern Europe with high-grade cereals
at low cost. thus becoming q dangerous