The Washington herald., 1907-01-20

Americans cruising in the Mediterran-
can in the springtime. either on yachts
or on board those great ocean liners
which periodically convey large parties
of tourists TO the various points OF inter
est in the Levant. are very apt TO catch
glimpses of disreputable-looking tramp
steamers flying the Turkish flag and
with their noses pointed in the direction
Of Constantlnople. If their gaze could
penetrate the rusty and battered sides Of
these ships they would be Mortified 10
find a condition of affairs below deck
which would recall to them the pictures
of the inferno in the holds Of those yes
sells which in the eighteenth century were
employed in conveying slaves from Africa
70 the New World The general public,
both here and in Europe, fondly imagine
that the frightfuI barbaritles of the traf-
fic in human ebony belong to another
/ age and are 4 thing OF the past. Il is
just as well, therefore. that attention
should be called to the fact that despite
all international congresses and treaties.
slave running continues without let or
hindranCe on the Mediterranean. and that
not a week passes without several boats
arriving at ConstantinopIe and at other
European ports Of the Turkish empire.
heavily freighted with slaves from No
rocco. and in particular from Tripoi.
While a considerable force of British
gunboats and small cruisers is main
tanned all the year round in the Red Sea
and along the northeast coast OF Africa
| for the purpose Of preventing the ship
ping OF slaves from the Dark Continent
/ TO Arabia and to other portions of Tur-
I key and Asia, no attempt whatsoever is
made. either by England or any other
/ Christian power, to interfere with the
slave trade in the Mediterranean. It is
not that they are ignorant Of what is 60
/ ing on under their very noses. and with
| the full cOgnizance Of tie officers in
! charge of their naval forces in the
| Levant But rather than invite trouble
with the sublime porte, resulting in in
/ ternational complications, the great pow
ers prefer to close their eyes, and to
allow the trade TO go on without any In
/ Iterference. The same jealousy among
/ them which has proved an insuperable
obstacle to the inauguration of those re-
/ forms in Morocco called for by humanity
and civilization serve TO prevent any con-
| certed or even isolated action for the
suppression of this relic Of savagery still
| tolerated by Europe and in its waters.
/ Owing to the careful way in which the
Red Sea and the SomaH coast are pa
! trolled by the English, and TO the watch
! fuIness Of the British officials Of the Khe-
divial department for the suppression Of
the slave trade along the Egyptian from
/ tier, no African slaves can reach Turkey
except by the Mediterranean, from the
coast Of Morocco and of TripoH. The
slaves are mostly brought from the him
! teTland Of Morocco. and particularly from
that of Tripou, where slave raiding con-
tinues in it's most appalling form, viii
lages after villages being thus wiped out
Of existence, the older men and women
being invariably put to the sword. while
the young girls and boys, for whom there
is always a demand in excess Of the sup
ply, are brought by caravan to the coast,
numbers Of them perishing on the way.
especially the boys. owing TO the shock
subjected on capture. Slave maTts are
in full swing at Tan6iers and in other
/ Moorish seacoast towns. to ali intents
and purposes within the very sight Of
Europe, and under the very guns of the
great British stronghold of Gibraltar All
efforts to secure the suppression Of these
markets have failed, for the reasons
which I have mentioned above. In Trip
oil they likewise flourish, despite the
/ treaty obligations Of the Sultan prohib-
1 iting the slave trade in the Ottoman en-
/ pire. In fact, the slave marts of TripOli
/ constitute the principal source of supply
/ TO the harems Of COnstantinOpIe and else
( where In European Turkey. and It is for
this reason that the sublime porte re-
/ tains so strong a hold upon this prov
/ ince and displays so much jealousy with
regard TO the admission Of foreigners
/ The latter are not welcome. Boats and
/ vessels arriving at Tripoli are forced TO
land at a quay, at the further end of
which big and ominous looking gate