Evening star., 1925-11-24
|KRIM DEMANDS INDEPENDENCE
AND OWN TERRITORY In PEACE
Would Accept No Terms Not Giving Real Freedom
to Riff and Granting Practically Same Area
as He Now Rules.

the Arab tribes brought under Riff
rule In the past few years. 1t is like
ly that Add el-Krim would accept a
division OF the tribe If necessary, as
his solution to the problem Is to nave
the frontier redrawn by an impartial
commission. with both sides bound to
accept the verdict.
Champion of Independence.
These two demands, the first politi-
cal and the second territorial, are
the only terms of peace considered es-
sential by Add ell krim or his brother.
They both stronGely accentuate the
political demand, but undoubtedly
there exists a divergence of views
between the brothers on that point.
Add el-krim stands out-and may
stand out as long as he lives-for the
fullest measure of independence to the
Riff. The qualities of his chara CT er
make it doubtful If he will ever modi-
fy this demand very much. He has
already modified it by admitting that
1t might be possible to recognize the
spiritual sovereignty of Sultan Mulay
Yussef over the Riff, but on precise
details. such as the question Of mineral
wealth and the disposition of conces-
sions, he maintains his old def milton
OF independence as absolute and com
plete." lie may be persuaded to ac-
cept a slightly modified version of
independence, but he cannot be forced
into it.
Force or threats only accentuate his
extraordinary ObStinaCY, exactly as
when he defies the airplanes by stand
ing out in the open under their bombs.
The most categorical statement
ever heard him make on the subject
of peace was on September %, when
the bombs were thickest over Ajdir
and Moro Nuevo: Il will never accept
any formula of any sort for any kind
of recognition of Mulay Yussef as my
sovereign, so long as French soldiers
remain in Morocco" he said.
Nominal Sovereignty.
This statement was delivered with
energy and great feeling, but undoubt-
edly the fact that we were then being
severely bombarded was responsible
for both the declaration and its man
ner.
In fact, both before and after that
day have been formally assured that
Add .el-krim is willing to accept a
peace formula granting to Mulay Yus-
sef spiritual sovereignty II 1t remains
purely nominal.
Sidi Mohammed goes much further
than his brother and is openly willing
to accept any peace arrangement
which would leave the Riff free to gov.
ern its own people inside it's own from.
tiers. He definitely declared to me
that the Franco-Spanish formula
would be acceptable to the Riff gov
ernment unless suspicious clauses
were tackled on. BY this formula the
Moroccan Sultan would be recognized
by Add d-el-krim, under a religious as
pect, as Amir -el -Mouminin." His
name would be read out in the Khutba
and once yearly Add ell Krim would be
obliged TO send representatives to Ra-
bat to renew his homage. Rabat' s
sovereignty would go no further, &C
cording to the Riff conception. The
status Of the Riff would remain what
it has always been since the beginning
of Moroccan history-a free territory
over which the temporal sovereignty
OF the Shereefian Sutans has never
been exercised and almost never been
claimed.
Copyright. 1928. in United States Great
Britain. south America and Japan by North
served -