New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-09
ARABS TO RESIST ITALY
Natives Gather in Little Known
TripoIitan Hinterland.
ORGANIZE GUERILLA BANDS
Nomad Camel and Sheep Breed
ers Always Ready to Fight,
but for Loot Only.

but for Loot Only.
Malta, oct. s.-Professor Artbauer' chief
Of the Austrian scientific mission, who has
arrived here from Tripoli. says that only
one thousand Turkish soldiers remain IN
the binter,and. but the Arabs, he says are
already organizing guerilla bands, and IN
tend to put up logged resistance
Professor Artbauer expresses the opinion
that Il Italy Is content with the occupation
of TripoIi her mission might be consldere'
ended but that II she intends TO embark
unon a campaign in the hinteriand II VIII
take years TO subdue the natives
In view Of the possibility oil ltaS 'a'i
ing her arms into the Tripolitan hinterldnu
the following description OF the region 'S
inhabitants and the means OF access ''eie
10. written from personal observations az
fords an excellent view of the military III
fcultles TO he faced
FROM time to time the Egyptian papers
even now work up a scare or SehusSi
raid. and it is certain that II the Senussi
ever made up their minds to leave tHei
scattered palm groves and take the wal
path they would prove very dlhcuit Gus
toners TO deal with. Right through tle
vast tracks OF Lhya. where the lhhapl-
tants are proud to call themselves Aulau
Au-the sons of Ali-the Senussi influence
is paramount and almost universal me
old Senussi regime was, II not ac'ua"S
friendly TO the European, AZ least beheNo-
lontlv neutral There are many Maltese
and IAvantines Of various professed ma
tionaIities now inhabiting the Trpoitan
ittoraI who could vouCh for this, and VINO
NOW bemoan the departure and death OF
NTohammed- ell Mahdi who Kept ms ldI'hiui
followers so well in hand.
In those days the Senussi who treKhep
about the Iibvan Desert. used to make oc-
casional pilgrimages TO Jaghboob TO ASK
blessing. but latterly these pilgrlmages
have been made In less peaceful spirit ana
between Iaehboob and Lebba there IS
storm brewing which might any day burst
and food Tripou. or even the Egyptian
delta. with great mass OF wild Saharah
Arabs. If such an army ever does collect
insured to wage a Jehad (holy war; against
Europeans. they will take a lot Of beating
and II will be hard to convince them that
they are beaten.
Three Glasses OF Natives.
Roughly speaking. the senIesi can he
considered as belonging 10 three classes.
There is the professional caravan Arab
whose life is spent in trekkinS across the
tracks of the Sahara, now north, now
south. now east now west. lie has what
he il pleased to call his home In one OF
the chain Of cases that stretch from Fe2zan
70 Lake Tchad and from Barca TO Kara
lin the Iibvan deserO. Here he keeps his
wives. children. Camels, horses and re-
tafnere and such other Lares et Penates as
he NAV possess. This home he visits az
IRREGULAR intervals. several years some
times intervening between his visits. He
is the sailor Of the desert. and he goes
about his business. and unless he dies or
gets killed young. ne usually amasses con
siderable wealth before ne retires into pri-
vate life and travels 10 moro.
A visit TO the home of one of these desert
sailors is thus described
IT was in little valley. where there was
a water well. some fifteen miles of the
caravan route south OF Lcbba The whole
settlement OF some thirty souls belonged
absolutely 70 the host. His word was the
only law, and when a servant dlspleaSrd
him he killed him, To save nllnStH lu'
tro,Ibje OF having TO guard against a prob
able revenge He showed mis- armOry,
which contained many excellent modern
freorms-a stand Of some twenty French
Lebel rifies among theln-and ne lhuInaleu
that he had an ample suitciercy Of am
rounition That man could have armed and
mounted on excellent trotung camels ten
lighting mo, and he was only one or
INC that ~ 10 he found by the thousand
~ those REGIONS With an intimate knowl-
ndgo nj every route and water hole I'm
Northeast Africa, an excellent shot, rear
less. vet cunning, he would be a nasty Gus
.l,,,, IN tackle when he was moved TO war
ether bv religious fanaucism or the pos
sihiity Of loot.
The great caravan routes. which run south
from the Tripoli llttoral and the Sahara
10 Lake Tchad and Darfur have attract
ed the notice Of explorers TO considerable
extent. as they offered the easiest means
Of penetrating 10 those distant regions ~
q time when Mahdism rendered the
Egyptian soudan inaccessible, but the
two great caravan routes which lead west
ward out Of Egypt 10 the hinterland afford
little of interest TO tho traveller to compen-
safe him for the dangers, tedum and pri-
vations OF the journey.
The traders who use the route call il n
thirty DAYS journey from. Ghzeh or the
Tayoum 10 Silva. and Mnieh is often
reached in twenty-five days The coast
guard patrols. however. can do the round
trip from Minieh, via silva, to Alexandria.
in less than forty days If their camels are
in good condition.
On Frontier Of Civilization.
IT is from silva onward to Lebba. Jagh-
boob and Abu Main that one touches the
Tripoltan hinterland and gets out Of the
track Of the last Vcsiige Of civilization.
Here. indeed, one is at the frontier. beyond
which there is no law, commerce or right
of way for any traveller save that which
can be fought with "A rifle either IN barter
or in arger When Rohlf travelled along
this route in the late Cos. he was spared
the dificuty Of having 10 deal with the
most powerful organization that 'ow exists
i'm Mauritania. Up 10 1894, when Mo
manned -Mahdi still lived In the Jagh-
boob oasis, his peaceful and great religious
influence kept the wild Bedouin members
of the Senussi sect well In leash. but when
this wise old prophet trckkcd southwark
(to die at Kanem. near Lake Tchad. In
1922. his followers turned their minds TO
more temporal matters, and within few