Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-20
FRANCE HOLDS
MOROCCO With
MANY TROOPS
Large Army REQUIRED
To Maintain Peace
20 Years After Pro-
~tectorate Formed
By THOMAS T. TOPPING
(Associated Press Staff writer.

NANANN~
-P-There are as many French
soldiers in Morocco in 1928, twenty
wears after the first troops landed
here and France assumed charge q
the protectorate, as there are Sc
tiers and farmers.
True, the European civilian popu
Iation of the large CITIES iar ~.
number the military effectlves, ~ ~.
the fact remains that for every 'l''ei
Of the soil in the country, rrahes
must maintai a man with a riiie a"u
French Morocco Is divided into
three zones: security, insecurity ana
downright rebellion. The first zone
covers about four times as much
yea ms the other two, but 70 even
rratters M the latter give the pro-
tectors" four times more roubie
Ths sdissident or rebel" zone COM
pyises practically the entire Middie
Ala. range. with n fringe OF terri
torv in the plain at the foot OF the
uonntains. averaging 20 TO 80 mlies
de.p 10 the north and west. Inc
Soux district, hinterland between
Nogsdo- and AEadir. is also unsuo,
dued. but Kenifra, kasba-Iaoia ana
the Beni-Mellal in the Atlas are the
most irreconciliable.
The Chleuhs, hardy and strong
mountaineers inhabiting the hlddle
AtIas-about $50 miles from Casa
blanca with frequent incursions
into the plains. profess a fierce ana
wild independence. 49,.
Sallying from the mountains las.
fall and closing in on kasba-labis
they kidnapped the nephew OF hesi-
dent. General Theodore Steeg' ms
friend and two women in the party
Held for ransom in the mountains
for several weeks. the prisoners
rers released only upon the pay
ger, of a large cash indemnity, the
amount of which has never been OF
ficially announced, but according
~ well informed persons IN Moroc-
80 sffairs was over a million francs
gold.
Even now from the French Tort a.
Kenifra. enc can hear the guns
booming in the distance, the SOUND
sent rolling back into the plains py
tbe echoes of the mountains.
The activities of the Chleuhs OF
late have forced the French to move
the insecurity posts which, Tor
the settlers. mark the frontier be-
tween relative security and sudden
death or kidnapping. IL miles further
west in the plains below the Middle
Atlas Al some points the danger
zone is now only l25 miles from
Casablanca. +.
They also control the sources Of
the water sheds flowing from the
Atlas range into the plain. water
in Morocco is more precious than
gold. The French farmer and set
tier does not say: II own 50 many
acres Of land" but 81 control -
many gaIlons Of water"
Agadir, on the edge Of the mystic
rious Sous country. p name which IN
1911 was on the front page Of every
newspaper in the world. when, with
the German gunboat Panther" IN
its harbor, war. the great war, was
only ayerted By a hair, IN a village
of 800 souls. A great name for a
triflinE hamlet.
Mogador, formerly 10000 inhabi-
tants and the export center Of dye
wood, is slcwiy passing away. Casa
blanca has killed IL.
The Riff X quiet, outwardly al
least. Since the exile Of Ab-el-krim,
no chief hes arisen to take his plsce.
At Sidi-Abdullah. which marks the
Riffians' furthest advance south
where in July, 1925, they cut the
narrow gauge railroad and the auto
mobile highroad between Taxa ard
Fer. q beer and wine shop stands
nov on the very spot where General
Albert de Chambrun, governor OF
Fez. an American citizen, descendant
Of Lafayette and brother-iu-law Of
Nicholas LonEworth, stopped the
rush OF Krim's tribesmen with two
companies of Senegalese.
Casablsnca, the main seaport
with 100000 population. looks as &C
cidental and is as safe as any Amer
lean seaport Of the same size. IL is
the outlet for the renowned phos-
pilates OF Morocco, the principal
source Of wealth Of the country.
Agriculture has not made the
strides expected by the French. The
Arabs continue 70 use toy plows
(merely scratching the soil) t.
which they hitch pairs of animals Of
q totally different species. IL is .
common sight to see a puny jackass
teamed with a huge dromedary and
an old COW paired with a young colt,
Rabat, the seat OF the French res
idency general, is a city Of discreet
luxury and elegance in good taste,
Marre&ech the Red, n tale Of Arabian
nights. on the edge Of the desert;
Fer, the Holy City OF Moslem, sullen
and spathetic; Meknes, a former
fortress of the Moors, where the
French have installed q model ex.
detrimental farm and a military
school for officers; Taxa, strictly
military. the headquarters of a d.
vision: Oudjca. seat Of Riff peace
conference thst failed in 1925. All
these cities are tranquil and well
administered by the French. All are
heavily garrisoned.
But IL Is Q matter Of record that
Morocco has a population OF 5000
600. nine-tenths of which are living
in misery IL not in sbjeet want.
1t Is unlikely that any Of the fore
going cities will rise against the
French as long as they feel that the
protectors are stronger. but every
thing here in the native quarters rs
Discrimination and the real feelings
behind the masked features Of ira
women and the mask-like faces az
the men. the French are under no
illusion TO belittle.