Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-30
THE SITUATION In MOROCCO

The Moroccan situation resembles a
Chinese drama in that the plot is very
much mixed and the
COnQltl0nS play interminable, with
IN Tor~: exits and entrances that
III Aangler. puzzle the public and
perhaps the actors themselves
A dispatch from Tangier April % an
nounces a new sultan. Mulay-Zin, one Of
the numerous brothers of Sultan Mulay-
Hahd. who had been proclaimed sultan
by the fnsurgent Zemmour tribe 1t Is
comforting to learn that Fec had not
been captured. The report. it will be re-
calieo. was promptly denied as impossible
by Ell Mokri, the Moroccan ambassador at
Paris.
zen. Moinier commanding the French
forces. mad issued a proclamation to the
reoeihous trlbesmen stating that France
ala not propose to occupy new territory,
OUT merely TO assure the safety of for
elsners and re-establsh order under the
authority OF the sultan. The tribes were
toid that If they would end the rebellion
the French troops would stop the march
upon Fec, otherwise France would be
opheed to pacify the country and punish
the leaders. We are left to imagine the
cynical smile of the French general in
writing that proclamation and the hi
larious laughter of the leaders when
A previous dispatch from Tansier
throws light upon the situation, and it
should be cited in connection with what
we said In conclusion of our article in
Inc Star of April . under the head of
spain and France in Morocco" namely:
I'm Morocco. as elsewhere in the near
east. the middle east and far east al
most all trouble arises from overtaxation
ana above all from the unpaid stipend of
tne military. The dispatch to which We
says:
The factions Of the Cherarda tribe in
revolt would have submitted already
were 1t not for fear Of reprisals. They
declare that the sole cause of their re-
volt Is the cupidity of the grand vizier."
Gen. Moinier. had he been free to do SO.
would rather have said to the insurgents
something like this: France will repay
you the sums of which you have been
Illegally and immorally despoiIed by the
rascally agents at Fee. There is little
need to change your sultan, for the more
you cnange the more the system will be
the same. What you want is to change
the 1ntolerable system of overtaxation
and robbery
But first let us make clear the Moroc-
can situation as resumed in La Quin-
zalne Coloniale by its editor, NJ Joseph
Challley. who is also deputy. The article
is entitled 'Mulay-Hafid in Danger"
Moroccan affairs had suddenly become
very serious, as proved by three inter-
pellations Of government on that head.
In the first place. NJ. BRAND had pro-
ceeded with uncomfortable slowness, ac-
cord1ng to M. Chailley, in avenging the
assassinations of Lieut.. Marchand and
Sergt. Hyvert January IA. Not only Gen.
diers asked for to undertake the imme-
dfate punishment of the .assassins, but he
had been recalled to France and threat
ened with punishment himself for daring
to suggest what was termed an "adven-
ture' by the pacifists
When the BRAND cabinet was succeeded
by that Of NJ. Monis. a note appeared in
the Matin the following
The Zaler day to the effect that the
A.....; new government would not
''"o0nS' punish the Zaier assas-
sins. 1t naturally created alarm and dis
satisfaction in France, and encouraged
revolt in Morocco. Mulay -Hafid had prom
Used to punish the culprits. could he do
SO. The numerous tribes between the
coast and the capital. the Beni-M'T ir,
Zemmour. Hayaina, Beni-Hassan. Ouled-
Aissa and Cherarda, revolted against the
sultan.
There were two reasons for the revolt:
First, the grand vizier, Ell Glaoui, and his
followers were execrated by the tribes of
the Gharb (wesD. The latter were ha-
bitually oppressed by the Makhzen: that
was enough, but to submit to oppression
by their enemies, they would not stand
for that: second. Mulay-Hafid had allied
himself to France. which was the sin Of
his predecessor. Mulay Abdel-Aziz.
nf 10 a
anent misunderstanding between
France and Spain over Moroccan af-
fairs, we may refer to the proceedings In
full session of the Madrid cortes on April
g. On the Interpolation of Senior Aura
Boronat. liberal deputy, as to Morocco,
the deputy asked:
What will you do IL the sultan con-
quers the rebels who are besieging Fee:
What will you do II the sultan Is con-
quered and dethroned?
"Will Span aid Mulay-Hafid to pacify
the empire? Will she aid France in one
or the other case? In what measure and
with what means?"
Senior Canalejas replied that SPANS
mission in Morocco was civiliZing and not
adventure. France has thought it neces-
sary to inform the signatory powers of
the Algeciras act that she was obliged
to prepare for important events. He
had replied to France that Spain. faith
full to her engagement. would cooperate.
1t was a question of honor. not an adj
venture or an association for anything
outside of their engagements. France
had never asked that Spain send 10000
men to Morocco.
The cortes rallied to the side of the
minister, irrespective of party. Senior
Maura first would lend his entire sup
port to the ministry. Senior Mella, Carl
list leader: Senior AZcarte. republican
leader; Senior LerrouX, radical leader,
Joined i'm the same assurance. Senior
Iglesias. socialist leader. was the excep-
ton. He would have nothing to do
with Morocco.
The liberal press was critical The as
surfing declarations of Senior Canalejas,
it said, did not tally with
Liberal Press the alarming dispatches
from Germany. For ex-
CIItAcdA. ample, an article in the
Manana said that in the presence of
the invading policy Of France Spain
should, with the aid Of Germany. provoke
a new international conference to revise
the Algeciras act!
1t is instructive to note what PAN
Germanist journal has to say: Les Der
nieres Nouvelles de Berlin writes that
Germans will find the means to break