The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-09
SLAUGHTER AT CASABLANCA
~ RDER. RtPINE, LOOT BEG Az
UHEN WlRSHIP SHIELDED.


clated Incidents il printed by the Daily
Ncil. whose correspondent was apparently
he only English newspaper man there. He
makes clear that il was the haplcss resi-
tents Of the town and not the tribcsmen
that committed the massacre Of July 81
Who we're the main sufferers from the
frsnco-Spanish retributive measures.
With the firing OF the first shot, the
corrcspondent says, Gov. Mulai Amiu's
authority vanished. His soldiers bottled
with their rifles, leaving the town exposed
to rapine and pillsge, in which the soldiers
themselves joined. They and the fierce
,ribesmen rushed hither and thither looting
houses and shops, staggering under their
turdens of plumber.
From the British Consulate, where the
correspondent stayed, we're heard afar
the shrleking and wailing Of Jews who we're
being beaten and murdered by Arabs.
The increasing lumber OF the latter showed
that, attracted by the sounds of the firing,
the tribesmen were galloping in to fulfil
the dream of an Arabs life, to loot a town.
The fierce barbarians, maddened with the
lust Of loot. were let loose upon the timid,
helpless and unarmed townspeopls Con-
inuIne, the writer says:
The horrors that occurred in that part
~ the town which the French and Spanish
iiAes did not cover will never he told !
hope ] never shall know them. saw
from the back Of the consulate Jews being
beaten and shot and their houses being
emptied by the Arab led rsbble. | saw
Moorish women dragged squealing from
their houses. People who know best de-
dine to speak or think Of tho horrors OF
loot and raplne to which the town was
subjected"
The correspondent, while admitting that
the whole story cannot yet be learned,
and while making no direct accusations,
nevertheless implies that there was at
least needless precipitancy in the French
action The Governor had employed his
soldiers to guard the town from Arab at
tack, ma ming the walls, guarding the
gates and patrolling the neighborhood
Of the big English stores. Perfect order
was kept within the town. The Governor.
indeed, ~conscientiously did all he could TO
secure the owns safety.
After describing the landing Of the first
French detachment and the preceding Incl
dents, the correspondent says:
Immediately the first rife shot was
fred ashore the French cruiser Galilee, as
il were the sign Of resistance for which she
was waiting. opened a uriou ~cannonade.
and not until then did the Governor n
soldiery take a hand, although 1t was a poor
resistance they were able to make. The
Moorish fire was silenced in twenty minutes.
but the Galilee began reshelling.'
The despatch is somewhat vague, but i'm
plies that the Governors surrender and APP
neal to the French Consul to get the bonn
hardment stopped was temporarily sue
cessful. but the Smelling began again for
reasons not given.
II seems, according to the story told by
the correspondent, that II the French had
waited for the other ships to Join the Galilee
and landed an imposing force the slaughter
and rspine would have been avoided. for,
he says:
Ever since the Galilee's arrival the British
and other residents with large interests at
stake. and with great knowledge Of the peo-
pie, had impressed upon the French authori-
ties the extreme necessity for avoiding any
premature action with an insufficient force.
This view with some difficulty the French
~ bctl DAOukub W aOSCPt' ~ VIM W
stood that nothing would be done until
more ships arrived and were able to land
enough men TO take immediate and COM
plete possession Of the town and replace
The Governors policing arrangements.
which had hitherto been so suocessful in
The preservation Of life and property from
the Arabs.
Even the night before. in announcing
The iptanfinn m aOrrxnv thu fnun In thu
morning. the French apparently believed
that the feet would arrive in the meantime.
and that it would be able to land an imposing
force and resistance need not be expected.
As II afterward appeared. the Governor had
declared his willingness to surrender pos
session OF the town. II having been repre-
scented TO him that resistance would be futile.
Whether the resistance actually offered
Was the result Of some bungle or of indi-
vidual action by a subordinate or whether
II vas considered that eighty men could be
safely resisted we must wait to learn"
The correspondent tells the following
Incident.
An elderly American, Capt. Cobb. who
had been for many years a resident Of the
iown. was invited by The British Consul
Early in the morning prior to the French
landing to come to the consulate for safety.
Capt. Cobb declined. saying that only a few
Arabs would be shot and IL would serve
hem right. The Consul thereupon sent
the legation guard to protect Capt. Cobb's
house, keeping only two servants for his
own protection.
PARIS, Aug. s.-The Tsngier corre-
spondent Of the Mdtin nays that most Of
he foreign Consuls at Cssablapca, includ-
ing the representative Of the United States,
have taken refuge in the British Consulate.
The Moors OF Wednesday. realizing the
small number OF ~dofesdsrs at the French
Consulate. began firing on IL from a minaret.
A gun mounted on the Consulate terrace
demolished the minaret and scattered
the attackers.
sixty thousand pesetas were stolen from
N" State bank. The Governor OF tho
town asked to be allowed to embark on a
vessel in the harbor. but his request was
refused.
Natives say that Ma-el-Aimin 10 march
lnE on MoRador nj the head of 200 fanatics.