Evening star., 1939-11-16

riches stored in the soil Of this
strange land.
Various European chancelleries
and especially France and Germany
took a deep interest in the future
of this country.
Germany, big, bullying, striving
imperialistic, felt grieved that the
other powers left her, mo place ir
the SUM-" The turn of the century
saw the completion of the British
Empire, and France was rapidly en-.
larging her African possessions. Yet
Germany, probably the biggest
country In Europe. besides Russia
possessed only second and third rate
colonies. The tales of the agricul-
tural and mineral wealth of Moroc-
CO reached the Kaiser and he be.
came interested.
German geographers and geolo-
gists, travelling as tourists, brought
back reports from Morocco that this
land was probably as rich in iron
ore as Spain and Algiers, and that
in all likelihood, there was plenty
of oil to be found under the rugged
red surface of this pivot country.
Uprising Brings Intervention.
The German firm Mannesmann
tried to obtain the concessions fol
exploiting the iron ore resources OF
Morocco. A greedy Sultan was will
ing to sell concessions to Germans
and French alike, as long as 1t
brought money for his gorgeous and
expensive household in Fez. But
there was already serious interna-
tional rivalry. While the Germans
were interested in the subsoil, the
French obtained concession to
construct the harbor of Casablanca
An Arab uprising, which ended in
the murder of seven French work.
men in Casablanca, gave France a
preteXt for Intervention. Jealous
Germany, wishing to assert her
rights, already previously sent the
Breslau and Panther to Morocco
and these cruisers shelled Agadir 1t
seemed that a war between Ger
many and France was inevitable.
The big conflict, however, was
avoided and one year after the she'll
ing OF Agadir France landed troops
in Casablanca. France established
her protectorate over Morocco in
1912.
Under the magnificent manage
ment of Gen. Lyautey, Morocco pro-
gressed rapidly. But it did not re-
main quiet country. France had
to yield Northern Morocco mar
row stretch-to indignant Spain;
and Tangier, in the northwestern
corner of the country, remained a
constant apple of discord between
the powers until an international
statute solved the problem by put
ting it off.
In the early 1920s both Spanish
and French had to fight bitter war
against Abd-el-Kerim, the Riffian
chief. This war ended in 1924 with
the complete ''pacif1cation" of Mo-
rocco.
Morocco and the Spanish Civil War.
Once more Morocco was the cause
of further trouble, endangering the
peace of Europe, this time through
its Spanish corner. 1t was from
Spanish Morocco that the Spanish
Civil War got its impetus. and hardy
Moors were shipped to the Spanish
peninsula to fight the Red" menace
During the whole Spanish war
French Morocco was on the "qui
vive." Utmost attention was neces-
sary. 1t was repeatedly believed
that the Italians and Germans in
Spain would occupy Tangiers OF
Ceuta. Such an action of the die
tatorial powers naturally would have
forced France to intervene and she
was in the position to invade Span
ish Morocco without great difficult
ties. But the fears were apparently
groundleSs and the Spanish wal
ended without any incident between
France and Spain in Africa.
William Beigbeder, the high COM
missioner of Spanish Morocco, was
made foreign minister of Spain this
year, with the result that Spain i
now scrupulously keeping neutral ir
the European war. And this is thu
reason that Morocco is today prob.
ably one of the most peaceful coun'
tries. A few anti-aircraft gun
stand before the Sultan's palace, bu
they yawn, tired and bored, all da.
long, not finding any occupation
And life in Morocco goes on as usua
(Copyright, 1899. Chicago Daily News Inc