Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08

TTyHE last Mohammedan empire Oh
North Africa--Al Moghreb Al-Aksa-
| u The beloved "Sunset Land Oh tne
Moors, is tottering to its fall ana % %tnal
| into the expectant arms of France, wnicn
has already "eaten up the neighboring
empires of Algeria and Tunisia.
| Few Americans doing the European
tour and sailing through the straits OIL
Gibraltar and the Mediterranean realize
as they look across to the African coast
at Ceuta that the very land they are look
| ing at--the Riff coast--is a terra incog-
nita, unknown and little trodden of Chris
tian foot.
Ssill more amazing is it to reflect that
within three and a half hours sail OF
the fortress of gibraltar is an empire IN
which the world has stood still for tnou-
sands of years. an empire In whlcn the
shrek of a locomotive has never been
heard: where even roads in the common
acceptance of the term are unknown;
where brigandage is rampant under the
very eyes of the representatives OF the
powers of Europe, and where the only
means of transport and communication
are the camels, horses, mules and asses
the like of which did duty in the days OF
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
A turbulent empire, indeed, with the
the late Moulai Hassan died on his way to
Rabat and his son, the present emperor,
Moulai Abd-el-Aziz was proclaimed at
Fez and Marraksh respectively the
northern and southern capitals of the en-
pire, the Conservative party shook their
heads over the complications they saw
fast settling upon the land of their fore
fathers.
One of the. complications was the
lrx.. 4 Nrnyl
and Spain, the latter nation having had
a hereditary interest in Morocco since the
days when Boabdil surrendered the Keys
of Granada and his caliphate into the
hands of Ferdinand and Isabella.
Other complications lay in the fondness
of the young man for things Christian
and European, not to say American.
Moulai Abd-el-Aziz was always looking
to that adventurous Scotsman, Harry
Maclean, to procure for him toy rail-
roads, automobiles, cameras of gold and
silver, repeating rifles, Mauser pistols
and other denominations of the Nazarene.
And, by the way, this Maclean, who ar
rogated to himself the title of command
er-in- chief of the Shereefian forces" got
the Moorish title of Kaid, and finally re-
ceived recognition from the British gov
ernment, with a X. G. b., was thirty
five odd years ago a lieutenant in the
British army stationed at Gibraltar.
He left the service somewhat abruptly,
crossed the straits, entered the service
of Moulai Hassan, and, like many other
Europeans in the service of savage mon
archs, speedily acquired influence and,
supposedly, profits. His career has a re-
semblance to that of Monsieur Ilg, the
Swiss prime minister of Menelik, emperor
of Ethiopia. Sir Harry Maclean is now
going "home," having bought an estate
near London. He well knows that his
day is done in Fez and Marraksh, and
the "sun' of sunset land has all but
disappeared.
I we'll remember being in Marraksh
when some American and British mag
azines were received at court containing
the first published photograph of the
sultan. The horror Of the viziers knew
no bounds and in these semi-savage
countries news travels in the most mar
velous way. In a. few weeks the de-
grading fact was known from the Riff
to the Soos that the emperor's picture
had been published broadcast in foreign
journals and the ugly word "khelb".
(dog) was heard among the tribesmen
in connection with his majesty.
It may be truly said at this present
moment that all loyalty to Moulai ADD
el-Aziz as temporal sovereign is at-an
END. Inere remains MS spiritual sdnc-
tity as commander of the faithful and
even this has been much undermined
since the disastrous defeat of the
Shereefian forces by Bu Hammara the
pretender who is supposed to be pro-
vided with French money and French
artillery and whose plans of campaign
are known to be directed by French
officers, down l nthe southwestern oases
at Figuig-a region where the border
line between Algeria and Morocco is
ill-deflned.
What is the present condition of the
country? At this moment there is but
one cry from Anjera Hills and the Riff
coast down to the Atlas range and be-
vnnd. and that is. There is no Sultan!"