The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-09-01
Morocco Laughs as Europe
Discusaes Her Fuure


and England are about to meet in
London to discuss Tangier and Mo-
roccan affairs generally, without in
viting Castilian diplomats to parti..
cipate in the deliberations.t
British and French statesmen are
agitated about the conference, as are
also French and British commercial
concerns with a desire to engage in
development work in backward coun-
tries. ~
But with the true fatalism of Is
lam, Tangier rests fpeacefully in it's
walled gardens and laughs at the
chickering's of the Christians who have
Ren fighting about Morocco for more
than three centuries and still find
themselves in hot water in spite Of
the agreements made in the Algeciras
conference which gave France a PRO
tectorate over Central and Southrec
and Eastern Morocco; established \
Spanish zone of influence in the
north, and created an international
zone which comprises Tangier and it's
immediate environs.
This international zone has not
been great success 1t has engen-
dered as much ill feeling as have in
ternational settlements in China anG
other backward countries CONNER.
cial and political jealousies have
fiourished, while the Arabs sat calm
ly by and watched Europeans squad
BILE.
Spain's efforts to maintain herself
in her zone of influence brought
about such disastrous military opera
tions against the Moroccans that
Spanish governments have fallen a.
short intervals for the last Is
months, and British and French poll
ticians have let it be known that
Spains inability to keep her zone
quiet makes it imperative that some
steps be taken to protect the rest o.
Morocco against the spread of the
hostile spirit which prevails again*t
European domination in northern
Morocco.
When the British gave up Tangier
late in the 18th century they destroy
ed the mole which protected ship
ping. Since that date international
quarrels have always prevented Tar
gier from having a satisfactory ha :.
Dor. Ships are forced to load and un-
load in the open and wholly unpro-
tected sea. Consequently, Tangier
has lost it's ancient Importance as a
commercial center and serves only
as the port for the territory immedi-
ately behind it.. Casablanca, in the
French territory to the south of Tan
gier, has been extensively developed
by the French and has become Mo
rocco's greatest port.
Sultan Mulai Yusef is still nomi-
Eally ruler of Morocco and maintains
his court at Fee with all the pomp
of the ancient Saracens., Over year
ago he granted a foreign company
dominated by Frenck ;hterests con-
cession to construct for Tangier the
harbor she has needed for nearly
three centuries. Other nations OBJ
jected to this concession on the
ground that the sultan exceeded mis- |
power. But the French government |
insisted that Mulai Yusef is ruler of |
the Moroccan Empire, and can make |
such concessions legally. if the rights
of the interested parties are protect
ed by proper guarantees. 4
Tangier is less than 40 miles from
Gibralta and controls the entrance to |
the Mediterranean in such a threat
ening way that England is not in
clined to view the proposed improve
ments with calmness, and out of this |
concession has grown a general rum.
BILE from European powers which |
made it necessary for Mr.. Lloyo
George, the British Premier, to call |
meeting between the French and
the British to consider the Moroccan
situation. Spain feels her prestige
is threatened by the failure to invite
her to participate ip the London con-
ference, but her unsuccessful mill
tary activities in Morocco, and the
greatly divided opinion in Spain as 10
whether King Alphonso should con-
tinue Spanish efforts to subjugate the
Spanish zone by force, have weaken
ed Spanish protests to Great Brit
ain and France.
With Afghanistan, Turkey, Indie,
Arabia and other Mohammedan coun-
tries in ferment, and Bolshev:k
threats that all Islamic countries VII,
unite in opposing European control
and encircle the Mediterranean with
revolt which will finally be extended
to the Far East unrest in Morocco
has demanded careful attention from
European chancelleries. Every eff
fort has been made to get the United
States interested in the movement to
quiet European differences as to how
affairs should be handled in north
ern Africa.
The Arabs hail the European dis
sention with great joy and boast that
Christian influence will soon end in