Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-24
FRANK AND MOOR.
The Opposing Forces In Northern
Africa. e

FRANK AND MOOR.
The Opposing Forces In Northern
Africa.
For years France has been weaving
her political web over the fertile state
of Morocco, and now the invasion to
the southeast and the bombardment
and sacking Of Danel-B -Beida Casa
blanca) have brought warships before
her whitewashed walls and Morocco
again before the public eye, with Raj
suli still in the field to give touch Of
romance to the setting. Little atten-
ton, however, has been called to the
types of men who are doing the fight
ing. t,|
For many years France has been de-
veloping military machine In her
north African colonies comprised Of
troops particularly adapted to pro-
tecting this territory; troops who
would not only be efficient soldiers,
but who would be acclimated to the
rugged, heated mountain regions Of the
coast, and able to Withstand the fierce
sun-scorched plains to the south.
Four years ago she had In Algeria and
Tunisia $4,000 men known as the 18th
Corps d'Armee Of France, under
commander-in-chief with headquar-
ters at Algiers. This CORPS was divid-
ed into three divisions, commanded by
generals Of division. at Algiers, Con-
stantine and oran, the coast town on
the Algeria Morocco boundary. Since
then, by way Of Oran, France has
poured company after company OF
troops from Marseilles, to be sent
south to take rart in border skirmish-
es and to prepare for the eventual In
vasion of Morocco. and 1t is safe to
say that at the present time her mil
itary force In Algeria and Tunisia
probably amounts to nearly 100000
men.
Besides the regular French trooper
there are the notorious Foreign Legion
and the picturesque tirailleurs and
spahis. Detachments from all three
Of these are taking prominent part
in the fighting at Casablanca and In
the skirmishes on the southeast boun-
Diary.
The Foreign Legion is mainly COM
prised Of deserters from foreign arm
les, and one of its companies at Casa
blanca is commanded by a Japanese
captain.
70 The tirailleurs are all infantry and
are noted for their endurance and long
marches A native trooper may rise
to the rank of lieutenant in this force
and to that of second captain In the
spahis. Spahis were originally organ
lied in the fourteenth century by the
Turks as an irregular cavalry on a
feudal basis. The French spahis
started from a nucleus Of Turkish
spahis serving In Algeria at the time
Of the French conquest.
The tirailleurs and spahis through
out Algeria and Tunis are composed
almost entirely OF natives under
French officers. No one will question
their courage or fighting ability, but,
some doubt has arisen IN the minds of
French officers as to the loyalty of
these troops to the tricor6r should It
come to pitting them against an op-
posing force Of Moroccans who are Of
their own race and faith, fearing. per-
haps. an occurrence Of similar ma
ture as the Sepoy (spahD mutiny In
India
But what of those Arabs and Ber-
bers of the hill country about Casa
blanca who are opposing the COM
bined attack Of the French and Span
iards by land and sea? These Moroc-
cans are also picturesque and fear
less people. Many of them have mod
ern rifles, but more have only the old
time flintlock, which is neither pow
erful nor an accurate weapon. With
these and their broadswords. coupled
with courage born OF the sons Of Al
lah, they have rushed to the attack
in the face of a murderous fire, only
to be moved down by q literal rain
Of hail from the machine guns Of the
Frank or to be disorganized by the
tearing, ripping explosives from his
warships long before they were able
to get within reach of the opponents.
The Moroccan cavalry is unorgan-
lied in a military sense, and at the
best can only fight in q primitive way.
The Moroccans as whole would play
a better game along the lines Of de-
fensive guerrilla warfare in their rug
ged mountain Businesses, where IN
fantry alone could work to any advan-
tage and where skirmish formations
would be the order Of the day. Should
a Jehad by any possibility arise, some
hard fought victories might be accred-
tied to the occupants Of Al-Mogreb
Gland of the Evening". However.
this is not the day of the crusades nor
of the Saracen conquest, or there
might be a different story to tell OF
this invasion Of the Frank into the
land of the Moor.-Harpers Weekly.