The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-08-13
SEND ABD-EL KRIM TO
ISLAND OF REUNION
France Picks, Future Home
of Riff Chief.

to be exiled. News from Paris puts
the Island Of Reunion in the lime
light as the future permanent home
of the Moroccan insurgent.
France carries a full stock of is
lands disable for exiles," says bull
letin from the National Geographic
society. Madagascar was first sug-
gested for Krim, but the weight of
decision falls 400 miles southeast of
Madagascar on Reunion.
"'What good exile islands have you
nowadays?' one may imagine the
French minister of war phoning the
minister of colonies.
Some very good ones, indeed the
colonial minister certainly could re-
ply. There's Devils island in French
Guiana for criminals, and then there's
New Caledonia away out in the Pa
cific, soothing paradise of the South
Seas. How about Madagascar? Lots
of room on Madagascar. Splendidly
situated near the Equator Or Re-
union There's a perfect retreat for
political exiles. Forty-eight miles
long and twenty-four miles wide, two
volcanoes and only 1O7 vessels dock
each year.
"Abd-el Krim is quite familiar with
Europe. 1t may subtract from the in
convenience Of exile for him to be set
down in an island predominantly. Eu-
ropean. TO be sure the Reunioners
are not as purely Caucasian as the
British and Dutch of South Africa.
Still, 10000 Of the population of 172,-
600 are classed as Europeans. In
deed, Reunion is a department of
France. The commonly accepted de-
partments of France are. within $50
miles of Paris. Reunion is 1880 miles
by steamer and train from Paris.
'Even the names Reunion has taken
from time to time show its intimate
link with Europe. Like lady fair in
days Of old when knight and lady
wore ribbons of the same color. Re-
union has changed its name with the
rise Of new political conquerors on
the continent. Mascarenhas was it's
first name in honor of a Portuguese
discOverer who sailed when Portugal
was a first rate power. Louis XIII
was in ascendant in 1913 when Fla
| court claimed it for France, so it be-
came Bourbon island. That name
was impossible to the Revolutionists.
The island therefore became Reunion
until new knight arose in Europe,
when it became lie Bonaparte. Since
1S4S Reunion has been the official
name.
~'Conditions, geographical. climatic,
and industrial, have changed less fire.
quently than the islands name. Re-
union, ever since it's settlement, has
been a sort of agricultural ive-layer
cake. The shore level is marked by
the gardens of the ring of towns.
Next comes a sweet layer; the sugar
cane belt. Then dark green layer
of forests. Fourth is the plateau re-
gion where European vegetables can
be raised. The fifth layer is the
brown of the volcanic peaks. Only
occasionally is Reunion cake frosted
with white snow because the warm
sea all about tempers the climate.
"If Mr. Krim cares to examine a
slice Of Reunion he will find it sugar
and-spice and everything NICE The
second layer, as mentioned above, is
mostly sugar. Sugar and one of it's
progeny, rum, are the chief exports
of the island; and during the World
war It profited and perhaps profit
teered on sugar. In the spice line
Reunion offers cloves. And thereby
hangs tale.
sour medieval ancestors loved to
eat. Where the Twentieth century
spends it's surplus on six cylinders,
the Fifteenth century spent its pin
money On it's palate. Its idea of a
square meal was red meat well sea-
soned. Seasoned we'll did not mean
a pinch of salt and dash of pepper.
Our forebears doused pepper on their
meat and stuck it full of cloves. Spice
islands or the Moluccas in the tangled
straits of the East Indies were found
to be the native habitat of cloves. The
joy with which the Portuguese greeted
this discovery could only be equalled
today by the burst of Texas gusher
oil well. They tried to keep their
find treasured secret. But the
Dutch, who came into ascendancy re-
stricted cloves to Amboyna island and
ordered their navy to destroy all other
Glove trees every place. In the face
of death at the hands of the Dutch,
man named Poivre introduced the
Glove tree to Reunion and neighbour
ing Mauritius, thus emancipating Eu-
rope from the Dutch monopoly.
Geranium Town.
MANY orchards Of Glove trees with
their shiny evergreen leaves can be
seen on Reunion. The Glove buds are
in clusters. First they are green,
then they turn red. when they are
ready to be picked.
Another speciality from which Re-