The Columbus journal., 1909-09-08
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If 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 a country almost the
last of whose foreign possessions is
SD seriously threatened. Uniortu-
nately, Spain has brought the trou-
BILE upon her own head. or. to be more
accurate, the Ultramontane cabinet
that misScverns the country has III
flicted them upon her. Most people
outside the Spanish cabinet do rot re-
q,iire to be told that the Rifiians who
inhabit the Moroccan highlands over
looking the Mediterranean are Il
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. IL ma 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 biood-feGds and
their internecine strife. Great pi-
rates in times past. they have long
given up piracy as profession. and
stt.,a
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
labcrs on the land and in the field.
and by the sale of the herds and
iiocks 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 suitan's own
troops: for it is no secret that when
a 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 it 10
the nearest tribe that does not ac-
knowledge the Sultan's authority.
Even on the coast beyond Tangier Ind
round Ceuta, Tetuan and Melil'a, 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 a mile OF the
landing-place to carry the precious
weapons into the mountains. So ii
happens that the Riffians are we'll
armed, and they are fighting because
their territory has been violated. In
deed. il they had white skins and a
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.
Senior 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 subdu!Eg
the Riffs in money alone. to say moth
ing OF blood, will be enormous. II the
government does not fall, if eastern
Spain can be pacifled. If $4,000 troops
can be sent to Melilla and the other
presid;os Of Spain in Morocco. If 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 tie sack
in Falstaff'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
though some attempt may be made
TO saddle the sultan with responsible
ity, it is well known that Mulai el
Hafid is no better able than Gen
Marina to contro! the tribeSmen. NOl
is the country Of the Riffs calculated
to tempt sane men to conquer 1t. II
is wild. rugged. inhospitable. and can
scarcely yield living even to those
| who have been brought up in it. II
| could only be kept at the point OF the
tayonet, for even il Spain had sur
| plus population, there would be nc
temptation for emigrants to settle in
such a wild and unproductive land
Spain has no cOlonists. she needs
| more population, and consequently