Evening star., 1927-04-03
CASAB[ANCA CITY
ACQUIRING F FAME
Rapid Growth Under French
Auspices Makes 1t Conspic-
uous Moroccan Community.

"Casabianca, Morocco, where the
Uruguayan flyers found refuse after
they were robbed and imprisoned by
Moor tiibesmen near Cape Judy, is de
scribed as the pride of the French III
Africa by the National Geographic so
ciety, which makes the place the SUD
jecr of an interesting bulletin.
The Moroccan city was founded by
the Portuguese about a decade before
Columbus discovered America. but the
newcomers held ii only short time
when the natives routed them and set
up a Moslem stronghold, II says
Then continues: "Casablanca was oc'
cupied by the French in 1907 and be-
gan improvements that have maze IL
the show city of Morocco.
"A fortune was spent to improve
the harbor modern houses and bulIo-
ings were constructed. streets were
hroadened and are kept clean. and the
hotel accommodations attain Euro
pean standards.
Prom q city with Il population
equal to that of Elgin. Ill.,. Casablanca
mas grown by leaps and bounds untli
It now has nearly as many inhabitants
rs Kansas City. Mo. The pedestrian
could easily imagine himself in 1"
European city were il not for the
Africans of midnight black. chocolate
brown ana Tan NOlJli3icAtoIlS. INV
half the inhabitants are Moslems;
slightly more than q third are French,
Spanish and Italian and other Euro
peans and the rest are Jews.
European Comforts Obtainable.
THE price of a room in one Of Casa
blanca s hotels not only affords turo-
pean comforts. but also the equivalent
of a ringside circus seat. An auto
xx~S41
French business man or feZ-bedecked
Turkish merchant wealthy shelks
stroll along in their flowing white gar
ments and tightly wound turbans,
holding each others hands; dignlhed
French officers in medal-bedecked UNI.
forms are ousted from the paths Oh
little grain-laden donkeys with bare
foot Moors astride, and now ana theh,
plodding along in awkward fashloh'
three or four moth-eaten, cud-cheWlng
camels pass by ofttimes followed
closely by a small future snip OF ihe
desert.
''Thickly sprinkled among this seeth-
ing mass of humanity of various
breeds and blends are the ever-preseht
noisy street haWkel-s, dartlng here ana
there with their homemade rugs,
sweetmeats. hammered brassware and
'what-notS
France Mystifies Europe.
sWhv France poured fortune into
Casablanca was a mystery to Europe.
II had one of the worst natural har-
ho,,s on the coast The low, rocky
shore Law open TO the strong west
winds and the lashing waves OF the
Atlantic No river runs through the
civ to the ocean But the appropria-
ton was partly used for the construc-
tion of break-waters and harbor inn
provements that have been dominant
factors in the city's development TO
the second largest city IN the pro-
tectorate. Ocean-going vessels that
anchored perilously off the coast can
enter Casablanca's port today.
s'Casablanca also has electric lights
and power and modern water works.
Railroads now connect the city with
Morocco fMarrakesh), the capital OF
the protectorate, and North African
points, Daily air service is maintain
ed between Casa blanca and Toulouse,
France, and planes fly every two
weeks to Oran.
Market Place Impressive.
THE market place, perhaps, inn
nresses one more than any other fea-
ture as an illustration of French in
f1uence. It is spacious, well ventilated
and nearly odorfess. inspectors are
constantly on the watch. The buyer
knows that any article exposed for
sale has already been examined by
experts who are not slow to condemn
food that has fallen under suspicion.
Brick, lime and phosphate manu-
featuring, printing and shipping com
prise the major industries of Casa
blanca. while the natives in the sur
rounding regions are successful
farmers and herdsmen."