Evening star., 1948-02-22

oeS Of Northern MOROCCO q quarter |
since the conquest Of Algiers, more
than a century ago, the French
have dreamed Of carving out great
colonial empire in Africa. and they
have done their best to lock North
Africa most firmly to France sby
colonizing 1t with Europeans and
also by converting the natives to
French civilization. Frances colo
nization policy has achieved much.
Today French North Africa contains
fully 1900, 900 residents Of European
blood, in large part, perhaps, OF
Spanish or Italian descent, yet
mostly loyal French citizens. Within
the bounds Of the Christian Euro
pean community, Gallicization has
succeeded.
Yet the combined European ele-
ments form only q small minority
beside the natives. Even in Algeria.
the French stronghold, the Eu-
ropean community numbers less
than 20 per cent of the population
approximately 100000 as against
nearly 5000, 900 natives-while in
Tunis and Morocco they are mere
handfuls, despite their superior
political and economic status. Every
attempt to convert or disrupt the
solid native block has thus far
failed. A generation ago, there was
much talk of playing up the tradi-
tional differences between Arabs
and Berbers, thereby weaving the
latter away from their co-religion-
lists and over to French civilization.
Today, such schemes have been tao
lily abandoned. 1t is generally rec
ognized that Arab and Berber are
being welded together Is never be-
fore by the new nationalist urge,
compounded as 1t is Of Islamic fer
vor and antagonism to foreign rule.
No Respect for Europeans
1t Is also recognized that the over
throw Of French rule would involve
the expulsion or determination of
the European settlers. Far from
living amicably together, the gulf
of mutual repulsion between Eu-
ropeans and natives is both wide
and deep. This is especially true
in Algeria, where natives and Eu-
ropeans largely compete on the same
economic plane. In Algeria, GER
tairly, the French are not looked
up to as q superior race. The ma
tive often fears the French official,
but rarely respects him. It is note
worthy that in Algeria there is no
title of respect used by natives when
addressing Europeans, such as "sa-
hib" in India or "Tuan" in the
Malayan Far East.
suffrase Is Limited ..,-...,, Il
All this. produces embarrassing
political complications For many
years nsttVes Of Alsiers. which has
been closely assimilated politically
with France, have demanded equal
political rights with the Europeans.
But the French naturally do not
trust the natives and fear the con-
sequences. 30 the natives are told
that, in order to qualify for the
suffrage, they must become full
fledged French citizens. Few natives
do 50. because they must renounce
their status under Mohammedan
law and come under European law,
which implies an entirely different
outlook on life and would SAVIOR OF
religious apostasy. Therefore, in
practice, the native majority is po-
litically disfranchised.
Strange though it may seem. 1t
is in Morocco, Frances latest con-
quest, that French prestige has until
recently been highest and native
opposition least organized. The
reason is that Morocco has been q
protectorate rather than q colony,
skillfully governed by exceptionally
able French of1icials, hand-picked
for their jobs. Also, local authority
has remained largely in the hands
of great tribal chieftains who may
be reconciled to French overlordship
50 long As their power over their
retainers is not notably curtailed.
Yet Morocco is today astir as
never before with unrest against
the French and desires for inde-
pendence. And the Moors are pro-
verbally the proudest and f1ercest
Of all the North Africans, while the
exploits Of Abdel Krin showed both
their innate love Of freedom and
their tremendous fighting power. So
it is hard to see how the French
can keep Morocco from joining the
general trend.
Grim Struggle Looms
Weakened though it has been by
World War II and its aftermath,
French military power is still strong
enough in North Africa to maintain
order and put down sporadic dis
turbances with an iron hand. But
If the time ever comes when a ma
uprising gets under way,
the consequent struggle would be
grim and implacable almost beyond
France would certainly
stick at nothing to avert the coi-
lapse Of its African empire and the
or expulsion Of more than
q million French blood brothers set
tied just across the Mediterranean.
On the other hand. North African
Is bound to get more
and more sympathy and effective
from the awakened and