South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-17

Aibi ocean tt0blu tl0OQ. MnlCl spain
is rushing troops through Tangier
20 check, recalls famous episode
during the administrator OF Pres't
Roosevelt ard n story Of how a vet
eran Washington newspaperman
helped make history" SAYS a bulle-
tin from the National Geographic So
ciety
10 was IN 1904. following his cap
ture OF an English correspondent.
for whose ransom the sultan OF Mo
rocco mad 10 pay $4,000. that ;he
irrepressible bandit went after
bigger game and kidnapped a
wealthy American, Ion Perdicaris,
and his son. Cromwell Marley.
When Raisui paid no attention
20 the demand OF the United states
government for the release Of the
two men, Pres't Roosevelt promptly
dispatched a fleet of American war
ships 20 Morocco. and sent the IA
nous uitimatum 20 the sultan.
"Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead
Sends Ultimatum.
II was in connection with the
framing Of that ultimatum that a
trusted correspondent Of TIE Assoc
Gated Press is concerned. accord
ing 20 a classic story among the
Washington newspaper men Being
entrusted with preparing a mes
sage for Pres't Roosevelt to sign.
Mr. Hay. then secretary OF state,
did so. and as many a public Off
cial has done. submitted il 10 his
friend the newspaper man, for his
opinion.
Well il may be diplomatic but
the sultan never will get YOU in
the midst of all those words" was
in effect. the newspaper mans YER
dict Then flashed the bright idea.
why not say what you mean. and
no more, Mr.. Secretary 'Perdicaris
alive or Raisui dead. "
The secretary agreed Pres't
Roosevelt approved. And so it hap
pened that the sultan so Ear got"
this succinct American demand. that
he abandoned the usual oriental in
direction. and the result. while help
ful 10 the victims, was exceedingly
hard on the sultan. For 10 deliver
the two Americans Raisul had to
be appeased with payment of about
five times the ransom he demand
ed for the London correspondent,
with appointment of himself as
governor of certain areas about
Tangier, and release of his bandit
friends and imprisonment of some
OF his enemies.
The bulletin then quotes. from
Mr. Perdicaris' own story of his
capture. as related in a communica-
ton sent TO the National Geogra-
phic society by him shortly after
his release. Mr. Perdicaris wrote,
in part:
BY ION PERDICARIS.
In 1894 Umlai El Hassan died.
This sultan was perhaps the ablest
ruler Morocco ever enjoyed His
young son. Add FL Aziz. nominally
succeeded to the throne upon his
fathers death. but did not assume
the reins of power until the de
cease in 1900, of the Great Vizier,
Ben Hamed Ben Mousa A year or
two later an adventurer known as
Gilali Eel Zarhmni. an alleged elder
brother of Add Ell Aziz. and many
Of the Berbers in the neighborhOod
of Fee rallied around this Pretend
or and even threatened Fee itself.
For a short time the suItan's troops
were so aroused that many of them
deserted with their arms 10 the
enemy. and the sultan himself bare
ly escaped capture.
The weakening of the sultan's
hold upon power was followed by
marked alteration in the attitude
of the natives toward foreigners
Europeans or Americans.
was at the time president of an
international commission charged
with the administration of the
town of Tangier; nor did I imagine
that I myself would he exposed 10
any immediate danger. much less
that / should be carried of as a +.
hostage by the Berbers. or that the 4
OF our navy and the or (
ders of my release in Washington
would become factors in the imme- .
mortal struggle between the Ber-
bers Of El Moghereb and the sui /.
tan of Fez and Morocco.
We had moved up two days be
fore this startling event 10 Aidonia.
our summer residence. on the Spar
teIo headland about five miles from