The new era., 1909-09-16
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II the troubles that beset Spain on
the Mediterranean coast of Morocco
were not OF her own making. there
would be a feeling of considerable
sympathy with country almost the
last of whose foreign possessions Is
SO seriously threatened. Unfortu-
nately, Spain has brought the trou-
BILE upon her own head, or, to be more
accurate, the Ultramontane cabinet
that misgoverns the country has In
fiicted them upon her. Most people
outside the Spanish cabinet do not re-
quire to be told that the Riffians who
inhabit the Moroccan highlands over
looking the Mediterranean are a
fierce, intractable, unconquered peo-
pie. Even Muza's Arabs could not re-
duce them to submission. and the
troops of Cardinal Cisneros were
equally unsuccessful. 1t may be said
that the writ of the sultan himself
does not run far into the Riff coun-
try. where the people follow the life
that was theirs before civilization WIS.,
tied western Europe, having their own
code OF honor, their blood-feuds and
their internecine strife. Great pi-
rates in times past. they have long
given up piracy as profession, and
practice is now merely as pastime.
But they have never ceased to exer-
else themselves in the profession of
arms, and for many years the little
wealth they have acquired by their
labors on the land and in the field.
and >by the sale of the herds and
fiocks they rear, has been devoted to
the purchase of guns.
Guns and guns, and still more guns,
some coming from England, France.
or Germany. many coming from Bel
GUM, large quantities from Spain. and
not few from the sultan's own
troops: for 1t Is no secret that when
. Moor is tired Of serving in the army
in return for pay that is always in
arrears, he deserts. carrying his be-
loved gun with him. and sells 1t to
the nearest tribe that does not ac-
knowledge the sultans authority.
round Ceuta, Tetuan and Melilla. gun
running has been carried on openly.
more than once within view Of the
writer. The guards on the beach have
been squared or tricked, and conveys
have been waiting within mile Of the
handing place to carry the precious
weapons into the mountains. So 1t
happens that the Rifians are we'll
armed, and they are fighting because
their territory has been violated. In
deed, If they had white skins and q
code of western morality. they would
be in serious danger Of being called
patriots instead Of rebels.
The position In which Spain finds
herself is one of extreme difficulty.
Senor Maura, the premier. is an obsti-
nate reactionary. The country Is in
censed against the war party. Span
ish finances are in their chronic state
of weakness. The cost of subduing
the Riffs in money alone, to say moth
ing of blood, will be enormous. If the
government does not fall, If eastern
Spain can be pacified, If $4,000 troops
can be sent to Melilla and the other
presidios of Spain in Morocco, II the
Riffs can be driven of and their noun
tain strongholds can be destroyed. 1t
is hard too see what Spain can hope
to gain beyond measure Of glory and
a bill, that bear the same relation to
one another as the bread to the sack
in Falstan's famous tavern account.
There Is not enough money in all the
country of the Riffs to pay the bill
that Spain has incurred already, and
1kk NJ 1n 40
to saddle the sultan with responsible
ity, it is well known that Mulai ell
Hafd is NO better able than Gen.
Marina to control the tribesmen. Nor
is the country of the Riffs calculated
to tempt sane men to conquer 1t. It
lis wild, rugged. inhospitable. and can
scarcely yield living even to those
who have been brought up in 1t. II
could only be kept at the point of the
bayonet, for even II Spain had sur
plus population, there would be nc
temptation for emigrants to settle in
such a wild and unproductive land
Spain has no colontsts. she needs
more population, and consequently
there Is absolutely no room for an
Imperial policy in Africa.
II Senior Maura were less obstinate
and the rulers of Spain less proud
one and all would see the advisable
ity Of retiring at once from an unten
able position before the wounds in
fiicted upon the nation by the Cuban
troubles and the American war broke
out afresh. Nobody doubts the bravery
of the Spanish troops: they have. AND
deserve splendid reputation. But
mere bravery will do very little In
q campaign carried on under condi
lions WITH which the spaniards ars