Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-05
500 MOORS
ARE SLAIN
NATIVES REPULsED IN BLOODY
CONFLICT
TRIBEsMEN MAD WITH DESIRE
FOR BATTLE
Situation In Morocco Becomes More
serlous-France Recognizes That
Conditions IRE Grave--More
Troops May Be Needed
By Associated Press.

by Associated Press.
CASA BLANCA, Sept. 4.--About 5000
Moors participated in Mondays fight.
The Moors, who were repused on all
sides, made a most impressive picture,
as garbed fantastically, mounted on
wild horses and carrying their banners
in the front line they swept down from
the hills in splendid formation and
charged thunderously to within 400 yards
of the French, who for moment
seemed in danger of being overridden.
AS they advanced the Moors chanted
verses from the Koran. The regular
Algerians encountered the first shook
of the Moors' assault without yielding a
foot from the position they occupied
Gen. Drude quickly employed his
forces to the greatest advantage and
the Moors sustained fire of shot and
shell which soon left the ground 'strewn
with corpses.
1t is estimated that in the engagements
of August % and September l about
800 Moors were killed.
PARIS, Sept. 4-The news of Mon
days sanguinary engagement near Casa
Blanca has shocked as well as surprised
France. The fighting demonstrated that
the Moroccan situation is steadily grow
ing more serious and that although
France is constantly victorious the dogged,
fanatical resistance of the Moors, who
appear to be mobilizing in large num-
ment of the allied forces in order to
bring the fighting to an end.
The fierce assaults of the enemy are
| believed to be due to Frances failure
| to annihilate the Moors during the early
stages of the expedition, a result which
France was unable to accomplish on
account of the restrictions imposed on
| her by the Algeciras convention.
| M Reginault, the French minister at
| Tangier, left Paris today for Spain.
where he will confer with the Spanish
| officials on the subject of the enlarge
ment of the action and cooperation OF
Spain and France.
Second Battle Is Reported
! A dispatch was received during the
day from Vice Admiral Philibert at
| Casa Blanca reporting that new en-
gagement occurred Tuesday about seven
miles south of Casa Blanca The French
cruiser Gloire participated In the fight
| ing, firing $50 shells at the Moors, who
were dispersed and fed to the hills
This engagement followed forward
movement on the part of the French
| forces. The admiral added that the 9TH
| er ports of Morocco were quiet
1. The Libre Parole declares that the
4 cabinet has considered a proposition
made to Gen. Drude, commanding the
| French forces at Casa Blanca, by Mulat
| Hafig that If the signatories of the AL
| gericas convention recognize Mulai HafIg
, as sultan he will undertake to restore
order. He asks as pledge of good
faith that the powers permit the Moors
| to have the arms and ammunition
which are retained at Mogador. and
says that if his proposition is not ac-
cepted he will preach holy war.
The cabinet, the Libre Parole says,
has resolved to place the matter before
the powers, but at the same time it was
decided to send Gen. Drude further re-
Inducements of artillery and colonial
troops from Senegal.
CASA BLANCA, Sept. 4.-Eight
Frenchmen were killed and seventeen
wounded in an engagement yesterday
outside the camp. The dead include
Mai Provost of the First battalion of
foreign LEGION and Benizzas of the Sec
ond battalion of Algerian sharpshoot-
ers. The Moors concentrated the larg-
est force they had yet mustered in this
vicinity and returned to the attack
again and again after encountering the
deadly fire of the French artillery and
machine guns. The enemy's losses are
described as enormous. The fighting
was started by an attack made by the
Moors on French scouting party.
TANGIER, Sept 4.-Native advices
received here today say that Raisuh is
camped with the Ben Istian tribe and
has declared to its leaders that he does
not intend to march either on Tangier
or on Tetuan.