Evening star., 1925-11-27
BY VINCENT SHEEAN,
special Correspondent of The Star and North
american Newspaper Alliance with
the Riff armies.

the Rih armies.
TANGIER. November 27-With the
forces OF the three cambatants-
France. Spain and the Riff-remaining
on their present basis, Add -el. Krim
can wage war with reasonable
chance OF continued success for
another year.
This is the conclusion of my OBJ
servations OF the military equipment
sno resources OF the Riff on all fronts
curing the past two months.
1t Is a conclusion which will please
NOBODY concerned in the struggle,
since the French believe that the
Hinan power can be crushed during
next Springs campaign, and the
Riffians themselves are convinced
that they can continue the war prac-
ticaiiy indefinitely. Tho third party.
spain, has apparently already an
nounced that the war is approaching
lts conclusion at the present moment
Finds Three Weak Points.
My estimate of the Rif1ians' capacity
for continued hostilities is based on a
detailed study and observation Of
their military organization and eco
nomic system, from the advanced
posts near Tangier. along the Tangier.
Ietuan road, through the interior into
the Rin itself and then south along
the French border. The factors which
Will eventually defeat Add -el- -KrIm's 3
cause. unless peace can be obtained
this Winter, are substantially three
nrst, the continual decrease In his
supplies OF arms, ammunition and
money; second, the treachery. deser-
uon and rebellion among the allied
Arab tribes. who now form the lar9-
est section Of Add Krim's kingdom:
third. the reorganization of the
French military technique along the
southern front to conform to the con-
ditions of the country and to the
tactics Of the enemy.
The first of these factors is already
In operation. There is no actual
shortage Of arms and ammunition in
the Riff now, but next Springs cam.
paign will find Abd-el.Krim's army
80 short that rationing of ammunition
as we'll as food will be necessary
The second factor, the desertion of
the Arab tribesmen, Is not yet fully
operative, although some of the least
reliable Arab allies-for instance the
Branes-have gone over to the
French.
Tatical Change Expected.
The third factor, the radical change
OF French military tactics, is consid.
selves, and I am reliably informed in
Tangier that such a change has been
practically decided upon by the French.
mat Is, next years campaign will see
an end of the wasteful and useless
French dependence on heavy artillery.
mass infantry action and large scale
aviation operations, all of which have
run FRANCES war bills up to fantastic
proportions without sensibly affecting
front
Abd-el.Krim expects next wears
French tactics to exhibit a return to
colonial warfare proper; that is, flying
columns of light artillery, cavalry ac-
ton and the intensive use Of the tribal
political weapons of propaganda
bribery and intimidation.
These three main aspects of the
situation in the immediate future are
iuily realized by both Add ell krim and
his brother, Sidi Mohammed, but thew
believe that certain external factors.
repelllon elsewhere in the French
African empire, French internal poll.
tics and financial crises, or events in
Syria-will intervene to strengthen
the Riff1ns' hands, so that the war
may be continued practically indef.
nitely. or until the independence of
the Riff is assured.
Trained by Germans.
The army with which Add d-el.krim
can, l believe, continue the war with
| reasonable chance of success for at
least another year, is an efficient fight
Ing machine, of which the following
outline may give some idea.
The nucleus of the Riff army is and
aiways.has been, the Bent Warriag ghel
| tribe, Abd-el-krim's own people. who
have officered all other recruits since
| 1871. They are the highest type of
| HUMANS, trained to semi -Europea n
methods of warfare by Sidi Moham
| med, assisted at various times in the
past four years by European adven.
turers, chiefly German deserters from
the French Foreign Legion.
| Under these Benz Warriaghel off.
| GERS the Rtf regular army. compris
Ing all theable-bodied males Of eight
Riffian or Berber tribes, has been
trained and ganized This regular
army includes the following tribes
| Beni- -Bokoya, Boufra, Beni-Touzin
Ben1- Yetofft, Temsemen, Beni-Ulishik,
| Beni-Amat, and a part of the Tafersit
| tribe.
Their total strength I estimate at
maximum of $4,000 men or a mini.
mum of $4,000. They have all seen
service for between three and five
years. They are all crack shots. fear.
| less, reliable and fanatically devoted
to Abd-el-Krim and Sidi Mohammed.
Good at Close Fighting.
| In guerrilla warfare they are prob.
ably the best troops In the world to.
day, and in hand-to-hand fighting,
such as their recent battles against
the Spanish at Ajdir and the French
In Ben Zeroual, they are invariably
able to handle an enemy of from six
to ten times their own strength
They are organized in units as fol-
lows: Twenty-fives, fifties and hun.
dreds, for which the official names are
merely the Arabic numerals CORE.
snonding to those English numerals
army is the mia, or hundred. An
army of Ave mia, or Ave divisions of
100 each, is considered a large force
and when the Spanish landed at Cape
Moro Nueve on September 8 the total
strength of the defenders was five
| such divisions
There is no tribal division main
tanned In the Riff regular army and nc
division into infantry, cavalry and
artillery. The best gunners are dis
tinct from the army entirely. They
| wear no uniforms and hold no rank
Generally they do not even salute
while the crack Riff troops are very
proud of their discipline and car
goose-step like the Prussian guards
on parade.
/ AS individuals these Riff regulars
actually love war and have no desire
for peace. This was long difficult for
me to believe, but extensive experience
with them finally brought conviction
They are natural fighting ANIMALS
and their abysmal ignorance, supersti
ton and credulity accentuate these
natural characteristics. In addition