Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-02
French Keep
Favored Role
In Morocco

CASABLANCA. Morocco 20
, Oct. 2 CAP).-The dying worlC
of colonial living still survive
in Morocco-at least for it
: French residents.
Seven years after independ,
ence. Frenchmen are at homl
in Morocco. They control mos
of the economy and provide thu
backbone Of the administrative
and educational structure.
Africa's painful road Il
independence shattered thu
French community In neigh.
boring Algeria and cut it by 81
per cent in Tunisia. another
former French territory ir
North Africa.
In Morocco, Of the $4,000
Frenchmen before independ.
ence. some 10000 have re.
manned. 1t is the largest French
community outside France.
In 1862, q total Of TIT;
Frenchmen acted as advisors
and technical experts in the
Moroccan government while
I7,784 teachers taught in the
country's primary and second
airy schools.
Some 500 French officers and
enlisted men gave counsel and
training to Morocco's armed
forces, particularly the air arm
Sixty per cent of the coun-
try's trade is with France
which also gave Morocco this
year $50 million In direct aid
Government ministries are
crowded with French advisors
Occasionally q Moroccan dig
Military refers q visitor to q
French counsellor technique"
with a simple He can tell you
better"
Speeches Of some Moroccan
ministers are said to be written
by their French advisors and
then translated into Arabic.
One Of the kings aides is a
Frenchman. The Moroccan Sc
curity service works closely
with French intelligence or
gans.
The Explanation
The continuation of the
French presence and influence
here is largely due to the go
slow" policy Of the late King
Mohammed v and his success
sor. Hassan II.
While occasionally launching
Socialist slogans, the regime
has not touched the structure
Of large European estates which
are the backbone Of the coun-
try's agriculture.
Officially, an agrarian re-
form is part Of the country's
economic planning. 1t Is re-
peated periodically at rallies,
in speeches. So far, nothing
concrete has been done about
it.
mo decision will be taken
unilaterally," q government Of
fetal said. Our policy has al
ways been against q solution Of
force"
The network Of giant French
vineyards and plantations con-
tinues to provide the bulk Of
the country's exports.
In keeping with the "decolo-
nization" line, wealthy French
settlers no longer call them
selves "Colons." They are "ag-
riculteurs." Many of them live
in lavish villas with swimming
pools surrounded by exotic
trees.
Recently, Tourism Minister
Moulay Ahmed Alaoui opened
an air strip between Casa
blanca and Rabat to permit
sports planes Of European
farmers from the interior to
land right on the beach.
In cities and even small
towns Of the interior, most
French products are easily OBJ
tainable. In Rabat, Casablanca
and several other urban Gen.
tiers, there are French telephone
operators and garage mechan-
les.
81 have been living In Rabat
over two years, dealing exclu-
sively with Frenchmen," one
American resident said. II buy
food at a French grocery anC
call a French electrician wher
the light goes out. My laundry
and dry cleaners are French
and a French doctor attends
my family"
There are no presSures OF
French residents to leave thu
country, but many are con
cerned about the future o
their children. Morocco is grad
ually becoming Moroccan ant
a young Frenchman - unless
he goes into family business
has little opportunity for {
career.