The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-16
The Moroccan IrrantIcr.

A year ago when the roar Of Spanish
artillery before Melilla was audible TO
French gArrisOns beyond the Algerian
frontier there arose an interesting de-
bate a. 10 q possible clash between
French and Spanish ambitions in Mo-
rocco, Indeed. ingenious correspond
ents ventured 20 suggest that the Span
ish troops by advancing 10 the Muluya
would interrupt the march Of French
power from OFan and Algiers 10 Fez.
IL Il possible that Spanish troops sta
toned along the Muluya might have
cut this French route. But the Spanish
soldiers never came. For another such
Spanish opportunity, moreover. the
French have not waited. Thus a recent
despatch from Paris announces that the
town 81 Metarka has just been occupied
by French column and will be made a
permanent garrison post.
Metarka. like most other Moorish
towns, is only a collection Of mud and
clay cabins. Il Ia neither large nor
has il hitherto been an important mil
tary town. But at this point the road,
the caravan trace from Melilla n the
Desert. CROSSES the route from Rguig
to Oran. Once the French have pos
session Of Metarka Il Is clear that they
can defleCt the current Of trade from
the spanish 10 tho French port.
The occupation II Metarka. however.
Ia not merely a final blow to spanish
dreams Of expansion southwark from
Melilla. II is alsO the final step in a re-
Arrangement Of the western frontier Of
Algeria. Il was in lSSs. following Mar
shall BUOEAUDs victory at Isly. that the
Moroccan-Algerian boundary was fixed,
and this agreement. the treaty Of the
Tafna, lasted in fact. a. IL survives in
theory still. up to the closing decade Of
the last century.
The boundary thus fixed was an arbi-
trary line drawn without the slightest
reference 20 geographical considera-
tons. From the Mediterranean IL ran
not south and perpendicularly. but
southeast and az an Obtise angle. 40
that Figuig, 800 miles south Of the sea,
although almost a hundred miles fur
ther east than NemOurs. was Moroccan.
Up 20 this time, from Roman days. the
Muluya had been the frontier between
the regions Of Morocco and 81 Algeria.
which once made two Roman provinces.
To this treaty the French agreed. largely
because Of British opposition 20 an in
crease in their North African territory.
From 1850 10 100 the French attention
was directed toward TIInis rather than
Morocco. IL was not until after the
eastern frontier Of Algeria had been
made secure by the occupation Of Tunis
that the French interest in the western
frontier became strong again. When !
this time came. however. the short |
railroad running south from Arzeu
was extended until IL crossed the noun
tains Behind this screen its direction |
was changed abruptly and its extension
was westward. not southwark.
By IpO5 the railroad had reached Co !
lomb Bechar 80 miles from Oran, an
oasis situated west u MelilIa and not
more than three hundred miles due south |
Of the Spanish port. The western eX-
tension 0f the railroad thus made the |
base 81 q triangle one side Of which !
was supplied by tho Algerian frontier. |
The other side Of the triangle was the |
Muluya River. Tho next step was the !
occupation Of the towns between the
two sides Of the angie made by the
railroad and the frontier. In this fash
ion Anal. Berkhent, Ujda and now Ne !
tarka have been occupied and gaFri- /,
sOncd.
BY the occupation Of these towns the |
French IN reality took possession Of ell |
the territory within the TRAN gle We have
described. In effect. after twenty years
devoted 10 iianking operations they have !
carried the Algerian frontier back 20 the
right bank OF the huluya and garTisOned
all the towns along this river frontier.
A. the same time they have pushed
another railroad. which anciently Ger
minated az Tlemcen, westward toward
I.alla Marina, and plan 20 extend this on
20 Uida.
A the Muluya River lows from
southwest 10 northeast, the FrOnch By
occupying its left bank have thus cut |
oil the hinterland Of Melilla. II the
Spanish again take up the march south |
nom this town they viii find themselves
az no long distance from the coast In tho
presence Of a territory occupied by the |
French. OF this advance one French |
has said: -Loccupation % !
prolonge; ellie 50 peTpstue: ello cot
dehnitive
Technically, Of COURSE, ths Frunchl