The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-09-21

premacy. The sultan gave him opening.
You looked worried, commander, when saw
you on parade What is wrong?" he asked
Kaid Belton replied 81 am worried. Are these
French officers going to serve under me. or am |
going to serve under them?
Il cannot give you an answer to any of those
questions tonight" the sultan replied, "but what
ever happens, remember this. that people who are
forced on me will never be my friends"
That very night Belton dispatched a mahalla
against Ait Yussi, who was plundering caravans
and travellers The force held in check by
tribosmen and the sultan ordered Bolton to Con-
duct the campaign against the bandit in person.
He went reluctantly for the court tense with
intrigue and the French were straining every
nerve to get their military mission established
He caught up with Ait Yussi and after five hours
of hard fighting defeated him, compelled him to
surrender and collected heavy indemnities. Then
he hurried back to Fee, wondering what his enc.
mics had been doing in his absence.
Ominous pews awaited his return Germany
had agreed to give France free hand in Morocco
condition that Gormany's commerce not re-
stricted. The French minister had visited Fez.
Bolton went straight to the sultan who said:
you have heard The news?"
THE agreement? Yes. It was a surprise to
me-"
"A greater surprise to me-" the sultan replied
Germany had kept, not only the sultan but her
tiations. While DR.. Vassel was assuring the sultan
that Germany would not desert him In his time
Of need Germany was doing that very thing
Neither knew the thing was going to be done until
after II was done.
The next six weeks Belton spent in studying
French diplomacy. The French officers Stunned
him. cut him, described him renegade. The
sultan replied to these ISLANDERS that Belton had
served him well, The French replied that French
officers would serve him equally we'll
The sultan refused fatty to part with Belton
In the spring there were uprisings, which Bel
ton put down. At Fee the undercurrent of in
trigue continued to flow, and the French were
slowly gaining ground. The treasury empty.
The creditors of Aziz were clamoring to be paid.
France was the chief creditor. and the French
were offering further loans
Belton broke the power of the bandit tribes and
posted back to Fec. He demanded to see the sui
tan. An audience refused. He waited days
and weeks, repeating his demand. He appealed
to the grand vizier. reciting what he had done In
the sultan's service The hardships he had borne
and the exctements and the dangers had turned
his hair white. His health was broken
The sultan would not him, would not
plain. He worried, harrassed and buled by the
French, was ashamed to face the young English
man who had placed him on the throne and con-
fess to him that he had no choice but to let him
60.
He decided 1t would be better to resign at once
than to be kicked out later by the French. He
rendered his resignation to the sultan through the
foreign min.ste-
The resignation accepted, presumably with
regret, and Belton lost time in returning to
London. Since his return the salsan has conferred
on him the insignia of a grand onicer Of the Or
ders Of Moghrebia and Mulai Indrees for distin
guished services to the Moroccan empire.
Two badges and star are all he has to remind
him Of the days when he essayed the role Of king
meker.