Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-03
MOROCCO HAS DEVELOPED
into VAST WHEAT FIELD
Excursions to Interior. Ten Years
Ago Hazardous. To-Day
Are Simple.
GREAT CHANGE is WROUGHT
Wnrlike Taers Have Been Civilized
by Influence of Prosperous Trade,
and Have Become Scientific Farm
ers-RecOrd Wheat Crop.

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO. October
2.--An excursion into the interior OF
Morocco. AN important and hazardous
affair ten years ago is now the
simplest sort OF a trip. Under the old
regime. the first necessity was to ac-
0uire the good will of the Caids, guides
as honest as possible. small force OF
cavalry and enough provisions to be
able to share generously with the
tribesmcn encountered by the way.
TODAY a child of thirteen years at
the wheel OF Wheeling automobile
serves as a guide, caravan and guard.
Except for the Mauresque towers that
one sees in the distance and the Gour-
his and tho camps of the natives, the
country OF the Chaquia, where the
French had so much unplcasantncss
with recalcitrant natives ten years aG".
resembles a vast whca ticld 1t is pos
sihle 20 penetrate far into this country
over concrete roads as fine as any in
Europe II is also possible to go far
thcr following the trails ut speed OF
twenty -iivc miles an hour during the
dry season.
ON either side of the route and in
every direction colonists. aided by ma
tives French reservistS and German
prisoners, gathering the wheat
shcaVes in thick stacks. The crop
breaks all records for Morocco, making
more pla usible the pretension that the
black soil of the Moors will one day
rival the steppes of Southern Russia
and the prairies of the United States
in the production OF wheat. The re-
gions Of the Rharh. Valley Of the Sebou.
the region of the Doukkala, the Abba
and the Haha -Chiadma Will be able TO
export this wear 100000 bushels. while
the Plain Isaida, that exported 10000
coo bushels OF wheat and other grain
10 Tunis last winter. will nearly
double its expectations this year
Considering the comparatively hig',
initial cost OF colonzinG Morocco. the
. development OF the agriculture in ten
years has been marvellous. Round the
camp BouhaM;. which is the new name
for the old village Of Ben Slimane.
where the redouhtablc Taers came often
as late as 1910 10 raid the mcager prod
ucts then drawn from the soil there Is
a prosperous village surrounded on all
sides 10y the finest model farms. Fur
Their on near the intersection Of the
roads from Casablanca and from
Bousnika. on the left bank OF the Oued
Chcrral, agricultural properties have
been established rivaling the most per-
fectly equipped ranches OF the West
ON the right bank OF the Oued lived
the Taers, who under tho old regime
refused the Sultan himself passage
across their territory They have ac-
CURED the habit Of visiting the colon
ISIS markets and a taste for the traffic
that goes on there. The spectacle of
the prosperity of regions Just across
the stream has had a more civilizinc
influence upon them than all the
powder and shot expended in the pcnc-
tratlon OF Morocco. They are gradual
~ themselves becoming scientific farm
ers, and instead OF their periodic visits
TO Ben Slimane 10 raid the products
OF other tribes. they now bring their
own products 10 II convenient market,