Evening star., 1942-02-09
Martial Law ThrottIes
Riotous Tongier Foctions

MADRID, Feb. 9 (R-Riotous fac
tions in Taugier were kept throt-
tied by Spanish Morocco author
tiles under martial law today after
the latest in a chain Of mysterious,
violent events attributed to compe-
tition of Britain and Germany for
Arab support in the Mediterranean
war zone.
The outburst was touched oil by
the explosion Friday of a time-bomb
in a taxi cab loaded with British
diplomatic baggage on . crowded
Tangier pier.
The violent blast killed IA per-
sons. and several others among 36
wounded are believed to be dying.
The explosion destroyed the taxi.
two other automobiles, part OF the
pier and the custom house.
Thousands of inhabitants Of Tan
gier. in the Spanish-s seized former
international zone across the Strait
Of Gibraltar from Britain's rock"
Immediately gave vent to their Ire,
parading past several foreign mis-
sions and Government House with
banners saying, "Tangier Is Not at
WAR;"
Charges and Countercharges.
Violence in Tangier was listed
by observers in Spain at the top
Of a battling list Of travels by Euro
pean and Moslem diplomats, charges
and countercharges between Britain
and the Axis and political tension In
Egypt and Turkey.
It came just after the Vichy gov
ernment had denied British asser-
tions that Tunisia. bordering Libya
on the west, was being used as an
Axis North African base and that
French merchant ships were carry
ing war supplies to Nazi Field Mar
shall Erwin Rommel.
German ReichSmarshal Hermann
Wilhelm Goering only last week re-
turned to Berlin from Rome where,
diplomatic sources said, he had asked
full Italian naval support for con-
voys of German soldiers and ma
terial being rushed to Lbya despite
the menace Of the British fleet.
Within the last week, two anti
British Arab leaders, the belligerent,
banished grand multi Of Jerusalem
and Rashid Ali Al Gallant. former
prime minister OF Iraq, have arrived
In Rome from Berlin.
Turkey Hopes to Stay Out.
Turkey. which sits as non-com
bAtant bastion at the eastern end
: Of the Mediterranean-the counter
part of Spain in the weSt-was re-
ported here as hopeful Of remain
ing acknowledgement after closing
down an controlled Arab or
ganization. Spanish newspapers
also give prominence to Berlin re-
ports that Nahas Pasha, the new
Prime Minister Of Egypt, has warned
Britain against meddling in Egypt
ian internal affairs.
Both the British and the Germans
accused each other Of intrigue, in
citing the Arabs to violence, in their
versions Of the rioting.
Axis agents were blamed in Lon
don. where reports said the riots
were pre-arranged and that some
of the demonstrating Arabs arrived
on the scene with baskets Of stones
to hurl at the British consulate and
business houses.
Organized Riots Charged.
Britons tied the outburst to Axis
efforts to create unrest among the
Moslems all along the Mediter-
ranean shore from the Strait to
Suez. One British source said the
bomb probably was placed in the
luggage of British diplomats with
the intention that it 60 off after
reaching the legation and that the
riots probably were organized to
place the onus on the British for
the dockside disaster.
The German radio called the riots
a mass demonstration of "indigna-
ton about the explosion caused by
the British" and added:
''It must not be presumed that
Spain is accepting this latest Brit
ish affront lying down. The indig-
nation Of the people of Tangier is
as great as that of Spain, which is
both sick and tired of constantly
recurring British provocations.
If Spain allowed it, Germany
could use her soil as the jumping
off place for a direct assault on Gil
braltar, Britain's guardian of the
Western Mediterranean, and across
the strait into Northwest Africa.