Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1925-11-14
SAYS RIFF LEADER TO BRING
TROUBLE.
Writer Declares Presence In Morocco
of Bandit Chief May Cause
Wars.

Ry Colonel Charles Sweeney,
of American tscadrihe
in Morocco.
Onezzan. Nov. 8, via Paris, NOV.
1o-Now that the Moroccan cam
naipn Is ended and that our connee-
tion with the French army operations
IS drawing towards its end, 1t may
be interesting to take a retrospective
view of the general results
Last April Abd-El-krlm' IN splte
Of the friendly relations ne had al,
wavs had with the French, attacked
suddenly French outposts guardlng
the nlains about Fee and the coast
cities against incursions by noun
tain tribes. At that time ne mad
we'll trained, we'll supplied veteran
army of 100000 regulars, elateo ny
their victory over the Spanlards.
AS they advanced into the french
IONA tribes as yet unsubdued, or
those lust lately subdued, rallied 10
his standard, attracted by the pros
Meets of rich booty. l shall not at
femnt TO describe the feroclty OF the
FIRST attack nor the desperate situa-
t;on of the French forces who were
outnumbered and almost over
whelmed. ,.u;o+
paul Scott Mowrer, in brilliant
series of dispatches to The News
Leader and the Chicago Daily News
cave an unforgettable picture OF the
almost hopeless situation OF the ga
liant little French army and Its super
human efforts to hold out.
Jvautey Takes Command.
Arrival of reinforcement enabled
Marshal Lyautey to stem the nooo
and finally to re-establish a defensive
line behind which a counter offensive
could be organized.
Now General Petain has carried
out that offensive and the french
line has been re-established approx
matelv as it was before Aod-El-
Krim's raid.
Rut what is the situation now!
The Riffian Pancho Villa, VINO mas
been driven back over the Moroccan
Rio Grande, unfortunately makes the
answer only too clear. He has not
been touched as yet. Up to the pres
emf the French have been tightlng
onlv against warriors drawn IRON
tribes which revolted under the IN
fluence of the bandit leader. Iae
Riffian army itself furnished only the
necessary number of trained soldiers
to stiffen the mass of irregulars, bu'
the Berber troops have not yet en-
countered the enemy.
Add El-Krim's eighty thousanc
regulars. entrenched in their noun
tain Businesses, await favorable op
portunity again to raid the fertile
nlains This promises new fights II
the near future.
Spain Will Retire.
Spain meanwhile, if one can be
heve the Madrid press, intends u
persist in her announced policy Q;
leaving Abd-El-Krim and the Frenci
in Morocco on the mountain tribes
From time immemorial the chief &C
i. cupation of these hillsmen has beer
raiding and plundering the lowlands
and certainly only force can stol
them from continuing this lucratlv
and agreeable trade.
One Is cOtnpelleu w So.iSA ~
: sooner or later the French will SEN
, punitive expedition across tn
mountains. In word, the presenc
of Abd-El-K and the French L
e Morocco at the same time is prac
l tically impossible. The French mus
o conquer him or get out.
. 1t is now evident that the cam
paign of 1925 has done little towar
final clearing up of the Ritfian sltus
ton. 1t has established a basis Tor
future solution, but it has not solve
the problem. If the French lnten
: to conquer northern Morocco, Their
d arises the question of the control
+ Gibraltar and the Mediterranean.
Behind this shadow is England an
D unending international compile;
tons. :.
d The writer is inclined to believ
r that Abd-El-Krim will prove as gres
a factor in the stirring up OF futul
conflicts and wars in Europe as tt
p Balkans have been in the past.
J. z, Copyright, 1925