The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-07-19

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington, D. C.)
There is something to be learned
from the recent Swing around the
circle by the President of France
through Morocco. 1t includes visits to
Mohammedan holy places near which,
a few years ago, -Christian infdels"
were not permitted. Smiles of well
come met this French party where
formerly all Europeans received scowls
or worse. 1t seems that the history
Of Algeria is being repeated and that
French economic penetration is prov
Ing success in this anomalous coun-
try, whose Arabic name means the
extreme West" but which has har-
bored more tenaciously than Egypt or
MesOpotamia the flavor of the East.
Until a decade ago Morocco scorned
western civilization and had succeeded
in keeping itself at least a millennium
and half behind the times. Moslem
fanaticism ran riot. Jews and Chris
tians were treated with a mixture of
contempt, suspicion and hostility. Be
cause, as result of pressure by the
European powers, Christians were per-
mitted to own land in Tangier, Moroc-
cans referred to it as dog town."
and one Moslem map-maker insisted
on leaving it off the map of Morocco.
Relatively few Europeans lived in the
country outside of Tangier and few
other coast cities; and in some of
the towns considered holy, 1t was as
much as a non-Moslem foreigners life
was worth to appear.
The Morocco of today Is something
OF a mixture governhlentally. The
oretically it is all under the control of
the sultan Of Morocco. AS a matter
of fact, however, the country Is d.
vided into three parts-still nolninally
under the sultan. Along the Mediter-
ranean and extending inland for so to
100 miles is the narrow zone recog-
nized to be under Spanish influence. A
caliph appointed by the sultan is sup
posed to be In control Of this zone, as
sisted by Spanish officials. The city Of
Tangier, on the northwestern point of
Africa, and small surrounding
district, constitute special zone
in which an international commission
assists Moroccan officials. The main
portion of MISUNDERSTANDING like
nineteen-twentieths- under French
protectorate which has existed since
1912.
Has Many Capitals.
Morocco Is a land Of many capitals
The sultan has palaces in Fee. Tafilelt.
Marrakesh (MOrocco City, and Rabat,
and resides in each from time to time
For some years Tangier was the diplo-
matte capital where all foreign en-
voys were resident and where rep
resentative of the sultan also resided
Life and property were too insecure in
the interior for foreign ENJOYS to feel
safe in the city in which the sultan
happened to be living. This situation
has changed since the French protec-
torate was established and the resi-.
dent general. now resides in the city
of the sultan. having residences as
we'll in the other capitals.
From the sea, Tangier is the Arab
city of North Africa par excellence, for
the ugly dashes of yellow, green and
red, with which scattered modern con-
structions have married the otherwise
glistening wilderness of the native city.
are not distinguishable until the steam
er lies close in. Being a city of lin
fidels," 1t has been visited only on the
rarest occasions by the sultan.
The traveller from Europe will be
struck at once by the total lack of
the well-known rumble of city streets,
for though the uneven thoroughfares
are in most parts paved with cobble-
stones, wheeled vehicles are practi-
cally unknown, not only In Tangier,
but throughout the empire The streets
are nevertheless crowded with other
means of transport. So narrow are
some of them that at the oft-repeated
"Balak !" Look out!" one must again |
and again spring into some doorway