Evening star., 1926-05-29
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

Abd-el.Krim. chief Of the Riff tribe
has surrendered to France, and the
war in Morocco between the Riffs, on
the one side, and Spain and France.
on the other, 10 ended. What the
Moroccan Sultan could not do-what
in a fve-year struggle had vainly
cost Spain millions Of money and
thousa nds Of lives Of her soldiers
France within one year has accom-
plished.
Abd.el,krim now 10 a prisoner OF
France, but it In predicted by dip
iomats who know tho history Of
Fra nee in Africa that shortly the
prisoner will be free, to live q peace
observers, familiar with condition:
there, declare that Spain would glad
ly bargain with France to surrender
all Spanish possessions in Morocco
for a fair payment in gold, but that
such q transfer could no more b
made without srousing the jealousy
OF both Great Britain, with hei
Gibraltar, and Italy. with her Fascist
ambition to restore Roman glory and
colonial prestige upon the Mediter
ranean, than could transfer oi
American possessions be made from
one European power 10 another With
out ar0u9lnS Ine N OHTOc OOCtTlho.
4 4 80
France entered African colonial
ton in Alglers In 1880. and in the
nesr-csntury she ha: demonstrateo M
A. rare genius In developing the
country and maintaining good re
lations with the natives, in spite OF
the difference In religion and in char
acteristics. This record has had Its
influence in winning tho CONFIDENCE oi
the Moroccans, SO that even the Sui
tan has leaned upon French protec
ton.
The present population Of Morocco
dates back to the Arab conquest OF
the seventh century AID, when the
, Mussulman invaders made friends
with the Berber natives. and to-
eether they invaded Spain and crossed
into southern France. In the eientn
century, the Berbers revOited from
the Khalifate an nd drove out the Arabs
, The Arabs again entered In the
twelfth century. but Berber Mahdi
| Abd.eIMumin, established q MosIem
empire which covered Morocco
Algeria, Tunis and Tripoli, overffowed
! into Spain and conquered Cadiz, Cor
dova and Granada. Z
At different times, in succeeding
| cent uries, the Spanish and Portuguese
have warred with the Berbers. 80 thai
today there ia traditional hatred be
tween the races. Portugal helt
Morocco from 1884 up to 1859. but
| since 1880 no foreign power held an!
| part Of that country, except thai
| Spain retained certain. small 1sla nd'
as convict settlements.
In 1880 Fra nee gained possession o
! Algeria. In 1S43 Abd.eI.Kdder Of AL
seria. rebened against French rule and
being defeated in battle. he ffed int
Morocco, where he was given asylum
| by the Moroccan Sultan. That led Il
war between France and Morocco
| 1894, which ended In u treaty denn
Ing tho boundary between French Al
giers and Morocco.
In 1853 another war broke Vut be
! tween Morocco and Spain. by which
| Spain, In the treaty OF Tstuan, gainet
possession of western Moroccan terri
tory. This gradual extension OF powe
In Morocco BY spain and France VA.
| watched with Jealousy by other Eu
ropean nations. In 1902 a. revolt .
BIZ Hamara against Sultan Abd-el
Axis resulted in defeat for the Sultan
| In the midst Of the anarchy which fol
lowed, Mulai Hamid bin Raisuli.
notorious but able bandit, caused ter
ror among, the people. He capture,
and held for ransom O naturalizel
American citizen, Perdicaris, Whicl
called forth President Roosevelt
famous cabled ultimatum. "Perdicari
alive OF Raisuh dead" The Sultal
! ransonied Perdicaris with $40 900, an,
| made RaisuH a. governor Of A PROVING
DEith cagtatp 0thAc nerQuisitea. incluc