Evening star., 1912-09-08
Ex-Sultan's
Desire.

OeS1Ae. sion have already been
communicated to all the powers signatory
of the act Of Algeciras. Mulay Hafids
great ambition was to see Paris and live
wherever he might choose. upon the
| princely provision accorded him by the
French government. Pending the ex-sul-
tan's choice of residence his harem. con-
sisting of a half hundred or more wives
and concubines. was sent to Tangier to
avoid the Inconvenience. not to mention
the expense. Of European visit.
The ex-sultan. we are told. travelled for
the first time by steamer and rail and
manifested in the experience first alarm
| and then childish delight. such as we
have had occasion to recount Of the ever
memorable PAX Pansa, the first Korean
| minister to Washington. Mulay-Hafid's 5
reception at Marseilles, his voyage to
Vichy and his actual presence in Paris
are incidents in turn which have occu-
pied the attention Of the press and public
to the exclusion Of more serious things
MulayHaf1d is creating much SYM
pathy and affection wherever he goes by
his abundant prodigalty. He receives
first an indemnity OF $4,000. aside from
an annual pension of $4,000 Partisan
journals report that he has given away
$4,000 weekly and has made the most
extraordinary purchases OF papier mache
figures and fountain pens. each purchase
amounting to 5000. At the fair in the
gold to the dancing girls and offered the
| most exorbitant sums for two dancing
girls who struck his fancy.
Mulay-Hafid. It should be said. is by
no means poor. Conscious that his
power was in eclipse and
Squeezed" that the protectorate
n would require him to SUBJ
Ai0AoS' NIT entirely to its wishes
or resign, he has occupied himself for
several months in squeezing the peo-
pie to the limit in preparing for a rainy
day. Hafid. for a fact. precipitated his
abdication by the disorder and anarchy
consequent upon the merciless extent OF
his exactions in levying tribute upon
tribes.
MulayHaf1d in this policy Of looting
| his people is following a tradition COM
mon to the chiefs of the oriental nations
the near east as well as the far east.
| Indeed. We do not know that 1t is just to
too, when occasion offers, SO that the diff
ference between the oriental and the oc-
cidental Is not SO great after all.
About the time Of the assumption by
France of the protectorate Mulay-Hafid
concluded that his Golfers were sufficient
ly full and that the time was ripe to re-
tire-abdicate. With this object in view he
demanded that the French government
should regulate his situation" For the
sake Of form he asked this that he might
maintain the power IL 1t was unhindered
and unrestrained. If it would be restrained
he would renounce It, NJ. de Selves, then
minister of foreign affairs, readily treat
ed with Mulay-Hafid. whose covert hostil-
ity to France was perfectly we'll known to
the minister Of foreign affairs at the
Quai d'Orsay..
AS early as 1911 it was agreed between
NJ. de Selves and the sultan that when
ever he would retire he should desig-
tnate his heir. and he signed the fol-
lowing agreement: "If by weakness or in
difference l yield the power to my heir
desire that the government lend to him it's
aid in installing him on the throne OF his
| fathers and ancestors. If the heir to the
throne should not possess descendants the
power should return to his brothers and
to no others.
"a
III l yield the power to my heir I will
have the liberty to reside where 1t may
please me. either where
Freedom OF my heir resides or else
n:I where in the Moroccan
A'e'Aue"eo' empire, or in the nu-
merous cities situated in the French
colony or others. and also at Medina or
other cities Of Islam. In any case the
French government should cause me to
be surrounded with particular regard,
prestige and consideration II l. choose
for my residence France or one OF its
colonies
On November IS, 1911, NJ. de Selves re-
nIiQd nv 9SSpntinR all tho G
imposed by Mulay-Hafid In March, 1912
the sultan had made all his arrange
ments. financial and otherwise. and was
ready to ''step down and OUT" and he
referred the promises Of M. de Selves to
NJ. Regnault. French minister at Fee,
for confirmation.
The engagements of the French minis
ter may be summarized here in order to
define a political situation which may
lead to future misunderstanding.
The sultan might designate in accord
with the French government one of his
sons as heir presumptive Of the throne.
On abdication the power would revert to
the heir designated. and if the latter
to his brother. The sultan after alb
dication might reside where 1T pleased
him. He would receive certain properties
If he desired to reside in Fez. An hon.
orable pension would be accorded Mulay-
Hafid.
be bound by the engagement Of Novem-
ber, 1911. made by NJ. de Selves The
Paris press criticise the promises made
by the French minister. What IL Mulay-
Hafid should elect to reside at Tangfer?
Tangter Is to be internationalized, and In
such case Mulay-Hafid might readily
make his residence there the foyer of
much trouble which should have been
avoided by barring Tangier. 1t is true
that the ex-Sultan Abd-el-Aziz resides
at Tangier. and France has had no trou-
however. Is quite different from Mulay-
Hafid: the former has been consistently
friendly to France, while the latter is
known to be positively hostile.
There Is intimation that Mulay.Hafd
may visit Medina and even choose To re-
side there. It is diff
A Sinister cult to understand HON
Possibility been led stes eso 'Is,e tss have
Of permitting the ex-sultan to entertain
the idea Of undertaking a journey to the
sacred city, where at the tomb OF Ma
homet he could wash himself OF sins COM
mitted against his people and, returning,
appear in Morocco as a pretender to the
throne with the additional title Of the
sacred saint, El-Mahdi!
That some such appreciation Of the
blunder committed by the former minis
ter Of foreign affairs, NJ. de Selves, is ac-
cepted by the press is certain. Gen. Moi
nier. who has returned to France after a
Na,.v tn