Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-28
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

war with the mountaineers led by
Abd-el -Krim. The Riffs fought year
after year, and Spain poured out
money and men in vain. The war
, began Immediately after the AL
geciras treaty of 1911. and reached its
climax when, in 1921, the Spaniards
were overwhelmed. with q loss of
1000 dead and 10000 captured.
Continued defeats in Morocco
brought a military dictatorship of
Gen. Primo de Rivera in Spain, in
1923, with the support of King AL
fonso. Primo &c Rivera has held
power ever since. 1t is he who is
now making the demand that the
internationalism of Tangier shall
cease, and that region be handed over
| to Spain on the ground that the Riff
war demonstrated the inlpoSSibility
| of preventing arms and material be-
| ing smuggled through Tangier to the
| rebels in Spanish Morocco behind Tan
| gier.
Recent history of the Riffian war
| how Abd-el-krim, intoxicated by his
easy victories over the corrupt and
inefficient Spanish armies and govern
mentS, thought he could as easily
win over the French. and so, without
provocation, he invaded French
Morocco, and within the last few
weeks has been made a prisoner of
France and sent into exile-all this
is fresh in the minds of all readers.
Critics of Primo de Rivera's de
mandS asks on what ground does he
base his request for Standardization
of the strategic key to the Mediterra-
mean. 1t cannot be because the
Ritfian war is at last ended, for ii
1Cf but INv.ov tnI1
tured the rebel. Nor can 1t be be-
cause of any glorious record of colo
NAL government in the history of
Spain, for, of all the imperiallstic
powers of the world, Spain has tho
| most ignoble record Of misgovern-
ment. She lost all her American pos
sessions a century ago and later
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines
because of misrule and tyranny.
While Italy had no voice in the
| A1geciras treaty establishing an in
ternational district around Tangier,
that was before new Italy had risen
out of the World War; it was before
the rule of the aggressive Mussolini,
and on the surface 1t is assured that
! today MuSSOlini stands ready to
thwart Spanish increase of power in
the Mediterranean, unless Italy and
| Spain, as reported, are in close al
| liance--an alliance against French
interests Italy is aggressive in eX-
| tending her own colonial rights in
| Tripoli and has recently made an al
| lance with Spain, more or less secret
in it's terms.
The world has not yet learned the
terms of the secret treaty made be
France took up the fight against the
Riffs. If it included doubtful agree
ment binding France to concede
Tanger to Spain the disclosure can
not long be postponed. But while
that is conceivable as to France, In
| exchange for her own free hand in
French Morocco, 1t Is said to be GER
tain that it Will be protested by Eng
land and Italy-England for her
Gibraltar and Italy for her freedom
of commerce through the Atlantic,
unless the recent treaty with Italy
covers 1t. 1t is intimated in high
quarters that Italy would threaten to
close the Adriatic Sea, through fOrti-
| flying the Island Of Corfu, and that
would inJure the commerce Of the ma
lions of the little entente-the allies
Of France in Central Europe
| y ~
| A French newspaper published in
Tangier violently opposes the project
Of transferring to Spain. 1t describes
the regime OF Spain in Spanish
Morocco as one of persecution, and
adds:
'Tangier will never accept the rule
of Primo de Rivera. The natives will
| never accept it, for they have been
too sufficiently slaughtered in the
Spanish zone; they will not tolerate
the boot and sword of the soldiers.
The Jews will never accept It, for the
native pasha would beat the Jews
with impunity. under Rivera's protec
ton. Spaniards In Tang1er will never
accept 1t, for the most renowned
scientists and authors of Spain have
had to fee their country and take
! refuge in France to escape the VIC
lence of the dictatorship"
Then the French paper appeals to
the people: people Of Tangier, pre-
pare resistance and defend yourselves
against the great danger which ap-
proaches and which will hurl to the
ground all our liberties"
Copyright. 1920. by Pauf '. coiiins.S