New Britain herald., 1929-07-13
MOROCCANS INSIST
 ON ODD ETIQUETTE
Must Eat Food With Three Fin
 gers Or Be Ill-Mannered

Washington D. C.. July 13, - Rabat, Morocco, built almost 500 years ago by the labor of 40,000 Christian slaves, figured in the daily news in connection with a recent at tack of tribesmen from Atlas noun tains on a company of Senegalese in fantry and Moroccan camel troops.
 According 10 bulletin from the Washington. D. C. headquarters of the National Geographic Society, Rabat is located on the northwestern to the old city of Sale, former lair of corsairs. It is also near the ruins of Shella, a half-forgotten city that was once a thriving Roman colony.
 French and Native Towns
 There are two present day Ra- bats French Rabat and the native town" says the bulletin. French Rabat is like a bit of transplanted Europe. It has wide streets and smart little villas like those of the Riviera. In its streets are women wearing Parisian clothes. There ar"
 
 motor cars. Everything is modern and efficient and over 13,000 Euro peans live within it's borders.
 Native Rabat is another story. Squat houses line the narrow streets From the mosque tower the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer. Tur- baned Arabs of the Beni HasSan tribe, Berbers from the hills and ne- groes filed through the bazaars. Heavily yelled women travel silent ly through the crooked streets. The plaintive, barbaric wailing, which the Moroccans call music. may be heard at all times during the day. Groups of the sick and the deform- cd, clad in dirty white rags, sit in the streets of the hazaars begging aims from the passersby.
 "The souks or bazaars Of Rabat and yellow leather boots, pottery and the rugs which the Rabati wom- en weave in their homes and color with vegetable dyes. These rugs. when new, are a little too brilliant for western taste but they fade into pale, harmonious blending of col ors with wear.
 3 Fingers; Never Or ?!
 There is slight demand for chairs or knives and forks in the souks. Chairs are used only by the stiff legged Christian tourists who visit the city and knives and forks are not necessary to eat Couscous. the staple viand Of the Moroccan meal Couscous is made with flour and meat and vegetables and tastes not unlike the American dish of dump lings cooked with meat. It is served in big pot and everyone sticks in his hand and brings forth his DOT tion in three fingers. To use four fingers or two fingers is extremely bad manners. Moroccan etiquette demands three.
 'Rabats most famous building, the Tower of Hassan, a large tower built in the Moorish style, is practi- cally as old as the town. It was built by the builder of the Giralda in Se- vile and the kutubiya tower in Marrakesh. The Kasbah is a mu- scum with an extensive collection of rugs and potteries. It was a school Of pilotry for corsairs during Rabat's palmy days as a pirate lair and was known as the Medersa.
 There are rail connections be- tween Rabat and Casablanca, 90 miles to the south. The city also lies on the air line between Casa blanca and Tetuan in Spanish Morocco.
 Because of it's mild climate. Ra- bat is favorite residence of the present sultan of Morocco. Sidi Mo- manned. who has other palaces in tez. Mekinez and Marrakcsh."