The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-17
%PRESENT-DAY MOROCCO.
Country Has a Rich Soil, but Is Thous-
ands of Years Behind the Times.

what e. tho present condition of Mos
COW? At this moment there Is out one
cry from Anjera Hills and the Rim coas.
down to the Atlas range and beyond, anu
that is. There is nc Sultanl' writes ".
G. Fitzgerald to the Evening Post. me
tribes, If not in open rebellion. are taxing
to pillage and brigandage in the most dar-
ing manner, and there is a general refusal
to pay taxes. Foreigners are hated more
than ever before. and it has been for some
time as much as life and liberty are worm
for q Christian man or woman 10 venture
outside the walls of coast towns.
Amazing as it may seem. the highest OF
fcers are not above accepting the most
paltry brides of a dollar or two; ana the
only attempt at policing 10 the gnastly ar
ray OF human heads stuck on spikes apcVe
the OF the walled cities. l have
seen baskets of these heads come INTO the
city to be sailed for exhibition: NO CnTls-
tian can travel many miles from a CITY
without an armed escort, and even then
he Is frequently turned back by some arDl-
trary local chieftain. Travel Is altogether
impossible in the country at the back OF
Rabat. and in the Rahamna tribe. general
ly; and. at this moment even the we'll trou-
den mule-track between Tangier ana Te-
tuan is closed. Even In more quiet times
the harmless Christian traveller is Insulted,
spit at, and even stoned by Arabs and their
slaves. who may be minding grazing cameis
in the fields or argan forests.
Alphabetically the country is
rich, but one only has to bear In mind the
bent stick used as a plough and the oxen
treadlng out the grain-Bihlical sights
which one may see at every turn in AL
Moghreb. 1t is notorious that Morocco is
rich in iron. coal, silver, lead, and. particu-
larry copper in the Atlas Mountains. Yet
so great Is the fear and terror OF the Gov
eminent lest Christians should get d hold
on the country that even the brass and
copper trays, the iron for horseshoes, and
other primitive materials are imported in
sheets from industrial centres like the Eng
lash Birmingham and the American Pitts
burg. +,
Missionary work has been attempted
chiefly by American societies without even
the beginnings of success. In fact, mis-
~slonaries have been hailed with bitter
hatred ever since the Rev. Mr.. Cooper was
shot dead by a fanatic in one of the sokos
of Fee. Such pressure was brought to
bear on the Sultan Yer this event that
he was compelled to drag the murderer
out Of the refuge shrine or Saint House
Of Moulai Idri, to the unutterable scandal
of the faithful. Later on, SO deep-seated
the people. that the weak and vacillating
young Emperor caused an immense holo-
caust of forty heifers to be offered at the
door of the shrine as atonement for the
Slavery is still rampant throughout the
empire, the boys and girls being brought
round by their owners, led by. the ear from
door to door. Slave caravans, organized by
Arab traders, come up periodically from
Central Africa, the slaves being used en-
route for current coin to pay expenses. The
price of a boy of II or 10 years ranges from
$50 to $40 Moorish. while a girls value may
run all the way up to $500 or $500, according
to her beauty. The Moors are, however,
extremely averse to discussing the slave
trade with Christians, well knowing the
detestation Of the "Nazarene7 for this
odious traffic. 1t would be extremely un-
wise for an American or European to stoI
in the slave markets of Fee or Marraksh
and watch the auctioneer and his tostline
bidders. these last examining the "speci.
mems In precisely the same manner thai
a Kentucky horse buyer would investigate
a possible purchase.
Practically all the Christians within the
Moorish empire reside in the coast towns.
None but consuls and other officers live II
such cities as Marraksh, Fee, Wazan anc
E-K'sar. These traders and residents are
now in grave peril. Such of them as are
indiscreet enough to spend money on
houses and property (and Messrs. Harris
I and Perdicaris are by no means alone II
this respect, have only the most preca-
rious tenure. and may at anytime be COM
PEELED to run for their lives. French spies
abound everywhere. and French police II
the guise Of tourists parade the streets oil
Tangier. This is what France calls hei
program of pacific penetration II may
be pacific but 1t Is doubtful whether 1t
al be effected without a massacre Of
Christians.