The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-15
SPANISH REVERSES
COST HEAVILY
Nation Has Lost Thousands of Men
and Thousands of Square Miles
in Morocco.


have Just suffered disastrous reverses
at the hands of the Moors with the loss
of thousands of men and thousands OF
square miles of territory is part OF
the notorious Barbary coast whose
pirates preyed on European commerce
for many years and carried Europeans
into slavery.
In the present generation it has been
made famous by the operations of the
chieftain Mulai Ahmed er-Raisuli, who
captured and held for ransom Ion Per-
dicaris, and American citizen, in 1905.
This was in the administration of
President Roosevelt and evoked from
Secretary Hay the historic phrase de-
manding "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli
dead" 1t resulted in the almost i'm
mediate release of Perdicaris.
The rest of the world knows com
paratively little about Morocco despite
the fact that it has been the ground
of intermittent fighting for centuries
1t occupies the extreme northeastern
part of Africa, having an area esti-
mated at about 100000 square miles
and population of 100000 to TO-
100000. Its people contributed to the
armies which once invaded Spain and
conquered Granada
The country is an absolute monarchy
with a SULTAN or caliph as its head.
The present occupant of that position
is Mulai el-Mehdi but his control over
the shereefs, or mobiles, has been for
many years only normal Various Eu
ropean governments have negotiated
with the sultans in an attempt to paci-
fy the Moors, but these have only re-
suited in outbreaks by numerous lead
ers such as Raisuli, who have COM
mitted outrages which again brought
the Moorish question before the Eu
ropean cabinets.
Three races inhab Morocco. the orr
ginal Berbers, or mountaineers, who
conquered Spain on three different oc
casions; the mixed race of Arabs and
Berbers known as Moors, both of
which races are generally Mohamme !
dams, and the colonies of Jews which '
inhabit the coast cities and control the !
majority of the country's commerce.
The Spanish zone, where the fighting
is now in progress, is narrow strip
of land along the northwestern coast
fronting on the Mediterranean sea. 1t |
is about 200 miles long, east and west,
with an average breadth, north and
south, of about so miles and extends
from Algeria, under control of the
French to the Atlantic ocean on the
west. II does not, however, include !.
the extreme northwestern tip of land
on which is located the city of Tangier.
The French nominslly control the ter
rtory further south. Spanish troops
have fought the Moors for centuries
but it was only in 1912 that the north
ern littoral of Morocco was assigned
to Spain under the terms of the Fran
coSpanish treaty signed in that year.
Since then Spain has been engaged at
intervals in sporadic attempts to main
tain her authority with varying sue
cess and failure.
Both the French and Spanish gov
ernments decided in January, 1920, to
make military demonstrations in their
respective zones for the purpose of
preparing the way to more orderly
government. The French zone was !
soon pacifed. The Spanish territory ,
which is administered by General /
Damaso Berenguer, as high commits ,
sioner, was not so submissive. Spanish !
troops at first made their base on the =
Atlantic coast of Morocco at El-Arish, I
also known as Laraiche. From there /
they penetrated well into the interior {
and captured a number of Moorish G
strongholds, including the so-eslled
secret city of Sheshawan. For some
time little activity has been reported
in that western district of Morocco
The Spaniards, however, sent anoth- 7
er expedition under the command of t
General Silyestre, who established a
base at Melilla, midway on a promo 6
tory which extends from the eastern
end of the Spanish zone northward into n
the Mediterranean. From that point, o
General Silvestre's troops attempted to v
penetrate southwark into the interior
Early success were reported but last Ii
spring the Spaniards encountered g
strong native troops and hostile tribes j,
men, estimated to number 10000, and
said to be well armed and equipped e
with artillery.
The present reverses of the Spanish i
forces had their beginning early in
June when six companies Of auxiliary :
or native troops mutinied. killed their (
Spanish officers and then Joined the
rebels. Since then the Spaniards have
suffered several other disasters and
have been thrown back upon Militia.
General Silvestre was either killed or
committed suicide while endeavoring TO
one Of the outposts. The
Sloors in that section are headed BIZ
Md el-Krin. who is about 81 years
I'd. was educated in France and Spain
md is an accomplished linquist. His
i'm Is said TO be 10 civilize Morocco E
n accordance with European ideals J.
'ut without losing the essentials Of z
Moorish culture. He was once a Judge l.
4 native court in Melilla and LOYAL "
q Spain. During the World war he s.
'ecame actively pro-Germsn and Spain.
citing on the protest 81 France, in
erned him, but he escaped and was n
aid 70 have sworn vengeance upon the
'psniards and particularly upon Gen
raj Silvestre.
Raisuli has not figured in the re-
ent fighting. His territory seems to
r further westward and he Il said ~
. have his stronghold in the native
Nv of Wazam, which lies below the ~
ne Of the spanish zone H