Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-27

TO be either very wary or else lacking
in decision and energy, a disposition
that is traced back two decades to a
crushing defeat which the French in
flicted on some of his followers during
their occupation of the Sahara, The
sheik, it is reported, had started a holy
war to prevent that conquest, but the
French had been fighting the Arabs for
years and knew exactly how to proceed
"a knowledge that the Italians seem
not to have acquired. The faithful who
tried to stop the tide of French aggres-
sion were practically annihilated. The
sheik has since been cautious in such
matters.
When Italy decreed the annexation
of Tripoli, for example. he refused for
= long time to decree another holy war.
Most of the Arabs fighting around Tri-
peli from the very beginning We're
doubtless Senussis.. and of course they
would not have been there If their chief
had disapproved; nevertheless he re-
fused 10 come out in open opposition to
Italy, despite the pleas of his corelig-
ionists, the Turks, with whom he has
never been on the best of terms
Finally the government at CONSTANT
neple sent a delegation to Kufra, with
n jeweled sword and other strong argyll
ments. including several decorations
fhe sheik of the Senussi was convinced
that the Turks intended to fight To the
last ditch. and that the Italians had no
chance of complete success, so he was
not unwilling TO take an energetic part
in the campaign. IL is understood that
he has left Kufra and established field
headquarters nearer the coast.
He is more formidable enemy in
some ways than the Turks Even If the
Italians should get possession of the
country it will be long time before
they establish fax collector at Kufra.
Second iii Importance among the
brotherhoods, and perhaps even more
influential in the Algerian Sahara, is
the Teiania. which split in two some
years ago because of quarrel over
the succession, and thereby lost q good
deal of its power The principal branch
now has its headquarters at Tuggurt
the great center of caravan roads south
of Biskra and is on terms of intimacy
with the French government, to which
1t has been very useful in keeping ord
er among the tribesmen. Sidl Han,id.
the present head. seems to think that
the French have come to stay. and that
he can best serve his own ends by CO.
operation with them.
This order owns 10000 palm trees,
which bring in large revenue. mostly
used for charity The headquarters
rear Tuggurt form a little town, in
Gliding one of the most beautiful
mosques in the Sahara. erected over
the bones of former leader. who died
three quarters of century age.
The best-known monastery in Alge-
ria, but now possessed of little infiu-
euce. is that at Sidi Okoa, near Biskra,
where is buried the warrior who made
the original Mohammedan conquest
of North Africa in the seventh century.
His renoWn attracts many pilgrims and
the mosque is considered to possess
particular sanctity, but the brother
hood is anemic.
OF all the Mohammedan societies,
perhaps quarter are friendly to the
French, who of course rule North At
RIGA. The rest are openly and secretly
hostile. and dream of the day when
they will be able to throw off the in
fidel yoke. The Wlliamsons, in their
novel The Golden Silence have de
picted 8 fanciful state of affairs. in
which the brotherhoods are preparing
for war: it is impossible to say that
such n situation does not actually ex-
ist. but the French believe that most
of the plotting expends itself in NUT
terings.- Republican.