Evening star., 1907-09-02
TROUBLE IN MOROCCO
WeII-Founded Belief That 1t
Cannot Be Averted.
CASA BLANCA SLAUGHTER
More Than 800 Dead Bodies Taken
From Dwellings.
OVER 20 CARLOADS OF CORPsEs
Story of Outbreak - Savagery and
Bravery of Natives-Tribesmen and
Their Lives-Distrust.
OVER 20 CARLOADS OF CoRPsEs


the well founded fears of international COM
pliCatiDns can avert trouble in Morocco.
Events in this disordered country, dis
tracted as it is between the conflicting
claims of three native potentates, cannot
fail to force the hands of the powers con-
Cerned Bankrupt in finance and prey to
anarchy. the country is powerless to help
itself. and is a menace to the peace and
order Of Africa, as we'll as of Europe. Its
position at first glance seems at once to
demand and to forbid energetic European
Intervention. Without Intervention the an
archy must endure and grow perpetual,y
more dangerous. Yet so soon as interven-
ton becomes a fact, European jealousy
must break out.
Probably the only effective remedy in alf
the circumstances is immediate and eff
fective intervention. and the strong action
of France and Spain In bombarding Casa
Blanca deserves praise. French honor was
at stake The repeated murders OF French
subjects called for retribution. and the
fears generally expressed by Europeans in
CASA Blanca and Tangier that France
would not act firmly were damaging to
French prestige Consequently, France was
compelled to act, and to act most de-
cisiveiy.
The claims and interests of France in
Morocco are undisputed. The special inter
ests OF Spain are also obvious. But the
claims of Germany in Morocco are no more
than her claims in Asia Minor or Persia
they are not important and tangible inter
national interests. but mere demands.
Whether the French act at Casa Blanca
cuts the GOrdian knot of the Moroccan
problem or not. there need be no hesita-
tion in saying that any strengthening of
the German position on any portion of the
African continent would be a public mis-
fortune France and Great Britain are, and
must remain, the paramount powers In Al
TiCa, and it Is therefore wholly to the interest
OF England to support France with energy
in the measures she is now taking. Ihe
most effective way OF doing so would be to
dispatch strong naval force to the spot
and to second the French forces with cor
dial good will and active assistance In es-
tabishing order in Morocco.
Desolation at Casa Blanca.
Refugees who have arrived here from
Casta Blanca describe the town as DESC
late waste the majority of the dwellings,
both European and Moorish having been
destroyed, while the few houses spared
have been completely pillaged by the Moors
and Jews 1t having been found impossible
to carry of the sacks of grain from the
large depots immense heaps of grain sever
al feet deep lying in the streets
Over 800 corpses of Moors and Jews were
withdrawn from the dwellings in decom-
posed condition, and more than twenty
carloads of corpses were collected in the
streets and carried outside the town for
cremation, an epidemic being feared
ton having been discovered in the dwell
ings OF the richer Moors, several of these
latter have been seized by order of the
French commander and imprisoned. The
Spanish monastery has been piliaged, and
the four priests in the convent only es-
capped by hiding and remaining in absolute
silence in the roof for two hours. After
the arrival of the Spanish detachment at
the Spanish consulate, an officer and four
men were dispatched to reconnoiter the
convent. and discovered the priests. who
are now in safety, distributed among the
consulates The state bank has been Pill
laged and 10000 pesetas have been stolen.
the safe having been broken into. Many
drafts were also abstracted. The locks or
two other safes were tampered win. but
the Moors did not succeed in opening the
safes The Moors have brought In many
stolen jewels for sale here.
Governor Was Slow to Act.
II appears that the governor of Casa
Blanca had at first declared himself power
less to assure the safe embarkation of the
French colony on the English trading
steamers lying in the bay. but that, on
being pressed by the consular body. he
promised the required escort on condition
that the consuls should guarantee that
France would not attack the town with
armed force. In this emergency the agree
ment was made the governor providing an
escort OF 300 soldiers. and the French col
ony was safely embarked. The gates OF the
town were then closed and no further
F-uropeans were allowed to leave. The gov
ernor appealed TO those who remained to
keep calm and aid him in maintaining or
der.
The following day fifty horsemen of the
Chauias came into the town TO parley with
the chief Of the sultans troops, Muley
Amin. They threatened that II the governor
did not stop the harbor works and the
French control of customs within five days
they would come in in numbers and not
only destroy the works, but kill all Euro
peans and completely loot the town The
chief of the troops hesitated, saying that
there were instructions from Fee to allow
the introduction of both reforms. The
tribesmen. furious at their failure, with
drew with threats that they would return.
On the following morning neighbor!ng
marabout went through the town with his
symbol OF office. openly preaching holy
war. and advising all native servants to
abandon their dogs of masters" He cruel
~ wounded with a blow from his ak a
young Portuguese who appeared to be de-
riding his counsel The consular body met
and waited upon the governor to claim re-
dress.
Europeans Brutally Murdered.
on the same afternoon the Chauias
turned for their vengeance After blocking
the railway line with stones they threw
the French engine driver to the ground and
savageIy dispatched him with knife thrusts:
stoned and knitted OF the European
ed 10 deal in similar fashion with the other
Europeans on the train. One poor fellow
threw himself into the sea. but an Arab
on horseback followed him and as soon as
he came TO land hewed him down with a
cut OF heavy sword ana atrociously mutt
lated the body. Another. a rather robust
man. was literally ripped open. while some
OF the natives stoned him with small stones
and others thrust their knives into the
quivering flesh. gloauing fendishly. A big
MOoC stuck his sword into the mouth OF
one of the victims and literally cut his
head of.
Five Frenchmen, two Italians two Span
iards and two Jews We're dispatched and
mutilated. The shapeless and deformed re-
mains were piled one OF the trucks the
blood streaming all over the railway track
and the truck was then saturated with ne
troleum and ignited. with the Intention that
nothing should remain by which individuals
could be recognized
The native regulation by which il ia
forbidden 10 bring Corpses into the town"
being pleaded Or. Merle. "A French physt-
clan. with an escort OF ten men, accom-
panied by ten European volunteers went
out to perform. far possible the last
rites over the dead. When he arrived on
the scene his escort" deserted him and
presently began to fire on his European
cOmpa panions. who ran in the direction Of
the town