Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
MOROCCO POST OFFICES.
Cosmopolitan System Established
Throughout Country.

rom the London Globe.
Not the least interesting of the institu-
tons of the Sultanate of Morocco is the
postal service of that country. As the
government of the reigning Sultan. Mulai-
Abd-el-Aziz. provided neither post offices
nor postage stamps. nor postmen except
In the case of few local services, GER
tain foreign powers having dealings with
Morocco decided to supply the absence OF
such very necessary accommodation by es-
tablishing their own post offices. Thus. in
"The Little Socco." the boulevard of Tan
gier. Breat Britain. France. Spain and
Germany have each its own post office.
which bear the respective titles of Brit
ish Post office" "Poste Franchise" Cor
REQ Espanol" and "Deutsche Rechspost."
The establishment of a post office at Tan
gier. and also that OF a postal service be-
tween Tangter and Fee, the university
town. OF the sacred cities OF Islam.
and the starting point for caravans going
to Timbuctoo and the interior of Africa,
were both due to the energy OF a French
man, who succeeded in obtaining the con-
cession therefor from the government Of
Morocco in 1893 Shortly afterward the
British and Spanish governments obtained
similar concessions to establish their own
post offices in Morocco. and at asst in 1900,
Germany followed their example, for the
enterprislng German traveller was begin
ming to open out trade with Morocco. OF
the four powers thus Interested In throw
ing open Morocco to modern civilization.
Great Britain and Spain have not opened
any post offices in the interior, while France
post offices working at Casablanca. El-Ksar.
Fee, Larache, Marrakeck, Mazagan. NIGGA
dor, Robbat. Sam and TetuaA
Every day the "Petago" delivers at the
tributes them at once. the letters arriving
from Great Britain, France, Spain and
Germany. These mails leave Cadiz every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Alge-
otr au1o NhttrC daxy md lot
day. Moreover, Great Britain has a direct
mail service between Gibraltar and Tam
gier. while France has similar service
from Marseille to Tangier. The French
mail service, however accepts for trans
mission only registered letters and letters
of declared value. Letters destined for de-
livery at the French and German post
offices in the interior are dispatched from
Tangier by a service Of ''rakkas." or rum
ming postmen This method Of convey
ance is the only one possible in country
which has no roads and no vehicles to be
used upon them. These 'rakkas'' are
Moors, sinewy. vigorous and capable or
great endurance Their only apparel con-
ssts of an oiled waterproof peaJacket.
similar to q sailors oilskin, and their only
weapon is a knotty stick. Making their
way along beaten tracks which are cut by
swiftly flowing streams quite ignorant or
bridges. these extraordinary postmen take
only four days to carry the mais from
Tangier to Fee, a distance of 156 miles.
However, their pay is generous. for man
receives from e. to three guineas for
every journey thus made.
NJ. Mennevee, writing in the Echo de la
Hydrologic draws attention to the curt
Gus fact that Germany, the latest conner,
has created special staff for dealing with
the postal service in Morocco, while France
has seen fit to leave Its postal service In
the hands of its consular officials. 1t Is
not surprising to learn that German thor
oughness has triumphed over what seems
to be French Indifference, and it happens
freunant1v that lattarS deliyAred In Mo-
rocco by the German post offices are thirty
six and even forty-eight hours ahead OF
those which have been intrusted to the
French postal service. That the methods
of the German post Offices are excellent Is
seen in the fact that, while the French
postoffice carried 1.125, 800 letters during
the ten years of its existence ended with
1903, the German postoff1ce carried no
fewer than 727, 800 letters during the first
three years of its existence, and this would
come out at the rate of Just under 100000
for ten years. Seeing that peaceful pene-
tration' IL the line along which nations
advance nowadays toward the conquest OF
the outlying regions of the world, 1t Is
strange that the French authorities should
have allowed another nation. with certainly
incomparably smaller local interests OF
every kind. to have gained such a strong
foothold in Morocco. Is the old adage
to receive yet another reading In the form
Of 1.-THE flag follows the stampT
Finally, a few words as to the postage
stamps used by the four powers who have
taken into their own hands the postal
service of Morocco. Great Britain has used
in Morocco since 1893 the ordinary stamps
of Gibraltar, surcharged with the words.
Morocco Agencies" in two lines; the first
stamps used by France were the Peace
and Commerce" type, issue OF 1875. bearing
only the value surcharged in centimos or
pesetas; then came the French issue of
10000, with inscription modified for use
in the various French post offices abroad.
such as those of Port Said. Crete, Alex
andria, Levant, Marco, ETC.; In the case
of Morocco the stamps are surcharged in
centimos and pesetas. as before. In 1908
Spain issued only a few surcharged stamps
bearing the words, "Correo Espanol. Mar
ruecos," In two slanting lines. In 1880
Germany began to use the surcharged
stamps of it's issue of 1889 with the value
In centimos and pesetas, and later issues OF
the "Reichspost'' and "Deutsches Reich
types have been surcharged in the same
Way