Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-07-27

w w conveys little meaning to
the average reader, but
those conversant with conditions In
North Africa know that 1t refers to a
powerful secret society with mem
berships sometimes estimated as high
as ZOO, 900; that the sheik is absolute
chief of this organization and that IT
is bat one out of a dozen societies
that embrace several million of the
Moslem inhabitants. of North Africa.
The order of Sidi Mohammed ben
Ali ea Senussi rs the youngest as well
as the largest and most jealous of the
brotherhoods and description of 1t
WIFI serve for all, since they differ
principally in having different found
ers and somewhat different rituals.
The followers OF Sfdi Yusuf el HansaIi,
for instance, repeat 200 times at each
of the Ave periods Of prayer the fol!
lowing formula: 20 God. peace be
Unto our lord and master Mohammed."
while the adherents of Sidi Mohammed
ben Abderrhaman are bound to nut,
ter at least 1000 times day the Mo.
hammedan declaration OF faith:
There is no God but God; Mohammed
is the prophet of God.'
The Senussis owe their name to an
Algerian lawyer who left the country
on the French conquest and travelled
in the Orient, becoming disciple at
Mecca of Ahmed ben Edris who. dy.
ing. designated him as his successor,
The doctrine of Chadhelism taught
by Ahmed ben Edris and taken up by
his successor consisted jn supposed
return to the original purity of Islam
and a general renunciation of the lux.
uries of life. His followers were
taught to obey no authority unless II
showed itself worthy hyy proper OBJ.
servance OF the Koran. and to have no
dealings with Christian or Jew.
Taxed for Aims.
The brothers live all over North AT,
rica following their usual pursuits and
wearing no distinguishing mark save
the rosary common to all MosIem
secret society men. In practice they
are bound unouestioningly to obey all
orders sent out by their superiors. to
carry all disputes to their religious su.
periors rather than to courts OF law
and to pay an annual tax of 2h per
cent. of their capital or. If without
capital, to do corresponding amount
of work on the domains of the broth
erhood. The wealth thus poured into
the various monasteries is largely dis.
pensed In aims. which helps further
to increase the prestige Of the order
rt On the death of the founder his son
succeeded him, The order continued
to grow and, the new head, in order to
t..tt1t ,.,<,y, ,,o,,,.>t :, Fyrr, ofuiIt~, ffr,x,
removed to the oasis of Kufra, deep
in the hinterland of Tripoli. The only
European who has ever set foot in
this stronghold was Gerhardt Rohlfs,
a German surgeon long attached to
the French foreign legion. Later he
pretended to be a convert to Moham-
mechanism and during the seventies
made a series Of trips through the
Sahara. none OF which eqnaled in
thrills the one 30 Kufra. He was ex-
posed almost as soon as he arrived
and turned back with a severe bullet
wound The headquarters were then
moved to stiIl more distant oasis,
but have since returned TO K,ifra
In taking over the brotherhood
along with Tripoli Italy has received
q possession that makes a white eIe-
phant by comparison seem like use
full and desirable acquisition. Hatred
OF all unbelievers is one OF it's prin-
cipai dictrines. It is capable of MAX
ing lot OF trouble within it's terri
tory, The present head OF the order.
however. seems to be either very wary
or else lacking in decision and energy,
disposition that is traced back two
decades to crushing defeat which
the French inflicted on some OF. his
followers during their occupation OF
the Sahara. The sheik, It is report
ed. had started a holy war to prevenf
thst conquest, but the French had been