The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 27, 1925, Page 12

ern ern ere ee er oot eget ite a eeecne ee eee Why Are the French Fighting in Morocco? By JAY LOVESTONE. ! Y are the French militarists in- vesting so much energy so much gold and so much proletarian and colonial. blood in their campaign of subduing the Riffs? What interest does the French milf- tarist clique, which has taken the place of the Prussian militarist group as the leading military power of cap- itallst Europe, in waging such strenu- ous warfare in Africa at this time? A Powder Magazine. When the writer was present at the sessions of the last Enlarged Execu- tive of the Communist International, he had occasion to discuss at length the whole Moroccan question with Comrade Doriot, whose arrest by the French government has just been re- ported. Comrade Doriot told me that Morocco is a virtual powder maga- zine for the French imperialists. Com- rade Doriot said that the smallest spark might serve to influence and mobilize Morocco against French im- perialist control, The victory of the Riffs over Span- ish imperiailst forces has evidently been more than a small spark in arousing and inflaming the national aspirations of the Riffs against sub- jugation by French imperialism. HE French imperialists look upon the contest in Morocco as much more than a local contest. With their hands full in Eurdpean difficulties and entanglements the French ruling class might conceivably be more anxious to maké temporary secondary conces- sions to Abd-el-Krim in order to se- cure peace in Morocco. But the French imperialists know that a de- feat or a disgrace for them in Morocco means a smashing blow at their en- tire imperialist colonial policy. Such a disaster for imperialist France in its campaign against the Riffs would shake the foundations of all French colonies and spheres of influence thru- out Asia and Africa. In discussing this question with Comrade Doriot I said that Morocco is to French imperialism what the Phil- ippines are to American imperialisin. A free Morocco is a mortal blow struck against French imperialism. Free Philippines are a mortal blow against Yankee imperialism. Morocco and the Philippines are the Achilles’ heels of French and American imper- ialism. An examination of recent develop- ments in Moroccan trade and a perusal of the role of France in Mor- occan development sia@ws that not eonly politically but also economic ally Morocco is virtually a key to French imperialist colonial prowess, just as the Philippines are potentially the key to American imperialist colon- ial prowess in the Far East. In fact, Morocco serves to ullustrate very well the why and wherefore of the tremendous importance attached by European capitalist powers of their control and domination of the develop- ment of their colonies and protector- ates. Im recent years France has been particularly aggressive in its colonial policy.. Imperialist France has more and more become dependent on its colonial possessions for the sources of raw materials for its developing indus- tries. In 1924 France had for the first time in 19 years a favorable trade bal- ance. The French imports from its colonies in 1924 were most insturmen- tal in making it possible for France to show this favorable trade balance. Agricultural development has been making rapid strides in Morocco. In the last few years the exploitation of Morocco’s rich mineral resources have drawn world wide attention, The Political Divisions of Morocco. and now limited practically to the coast line only, Spanish protectorate. This is a narrow strip of land, cover- ing an area of about three hundred miles, from the Atlantic ocean along the Mediterranean, The towns of Teuton, Ceuta and Melilla are the chief centers in this section, Thirdly, we have the so-Called in ternational Tangter. geciton. ‘This covers an area of about 150 square miles. Tangiers is governed accord- ing to terms of a treaty signed in Paris on December 18, 1923, by France, Great Britain and Spain. Since the signing of this treaty American finan- cial interests have protested against its terms and have in the last few months succeeded thru the pressure of the state department to secure certain modifications of the Paris con- vention provisions, Agriculture Leading Industry. pees Morocco is an agricul- tural country, Timely rainfalls are essential to enable the Moroccans to,exploit fully the advantages and the .possibilities of their soil. Practi- cally speaking there ig a dearth of irrigation facilities. The exploitation of the good natural agricultural re- sources is further hindered by the use of backward, crude implements. The last year was an especially fa- vorable one for Moroccan crops be- cause there was plenty of rain. In- clusive of cattle the first nine months of 1924 show a total value of 356,- 000,000 francs for the agricultural ex- ports from Morocco. This sum was more than twice the size for the cor- responding period for the preceding year. Barley, wheat, beans and certain seeds are the most important aricul- tural products of Morocco in the year named. Sheep, cattle and hops lead in the live stock industry of the coun- try. Great Timber Areas. J tpcouns are more than three million acres of the total area of Morocco covered by forests. But poor trans- portation and lack. of irrigation,..as well as increasing dissatisfaction on the part of the natives with the treat- ment by their foreign oppressors, are responsible for the present condition whereby only one-sixth of this vast forest area is utilized, Tremendous Mineral Resources. apmenneran teems with rich mineral deposits. Yet, for the reasons mentioned in explaining the stunted development of the lumber industry, the uttlization of the vast mineral de- posits of Morocco is likewise retard- ed. There are no coal deposits to be found in Morocco, but the phosphate mines in the neighborhood of Casa blanca are continually increasing their output. In 1923 the phosphate output totaled about 191,000 metric tons. These mines are exploited by the government and their products are the subject of government monopoly. In the so-called Spanish zone, large- ly retaken by the Riffs, there are found rich iron mines. The develop- ment of these mines has only begun. Growing Moroccan Trade. B* far the greatest proportion of the Moroccan trade is carried on with France, Great Britain and Spain. There are no accurate official statis- tics ascertaining the volume of the entire Moroccan trade for the last year. But one can, with sufficient ac- curacy, say that this total trade was nearly $100,000,000 in 1924. The ex- ports for this period reached a record mark of nearly $35,000,000. The French Moroccan zone imported near- ly one billion francs, or about $50,- 000,000, in 1924. This was more than 80 per cent of the imports into Mo- rocco as a whole. French Morocco, N view: of tue fact that the com‘ merce ‘of the French zone is obvi ously the most important and that the struggle of the Moroccan people now centers primarily against French imperialism, it will be appropriate to consider somewhat more at length the French protectorate. The great dependence of France on its colonial possessions for raw materials is shown by the fact that last year there was a balance of four French imperialists shipped two hun- dred million francs’ worth of com- modities into Morocco and took into France from Moreeco two hundred and four mflion francs’ worth of com- modities. Recenily there has been no- ticeable a heavy expenditure in Mo- rocco for great quantities of equip- ment and supplies for raliways, ports and snch other works. Local taxa tion and revenue of the colonia) gov- ernment monopclies, such 24 of the phosphate mines, supply the buik of the source for this expenditure. Yoal, cotton goods, sugar, wine, tea and kerosene are among the leading imports into Morocco. The United States supplies nearly 80 per cent of Moroccan imports of minerals, oils and kerosene. France supplies nearly 70 per cent of the cement and other con- struction supplies, All in all, the ¥rench imperiziists supply about 65 per cent of ihe total Moroccan im- vorts. The live stock, cork and phosphate constitute the trincipal agricultural exports from Morocco, France and Spain take more than 50 per cent of tne phosphats exports. France and England consume the bulk of Moroc- can barley. Ninety per cant of Mo- roccan wheat and the greatest pro- portion of Moroccan beans, wool, sheepskins, cattle hides, gums and million francs in favor of the protec- torate in ts trade with France; The seeds go to France. In 1924 Morocco $y last decade has seen four years of rapid progress in the develop- ment of the transportation system of the country. This is especially true in the construction of highways now radiating in many parts of the coun- try. The passenger and freight traffic have thus been tremendously facili- tated. At the same time railroad construc- tion has been increasing steadily. These are only some of the signs of industrial developments of Morocco which are proving of great help to the French imperialists in decreasing their dependence upon foreign sup- plies for the raw materials which their industrial machine demands. Lessons from the Moroccan Conflict. WwW: can safely assume, unless pres- ently unforeseen circumstances intervene, that the French imperila- ists will go to the limit in their ef- forts to subdue the Abd-el-Krim forces and to smash the aspirations of the Riffs for a completely national inde- pendent Morocco, This contest is turning into a tug-of-war between the economic and military resources of the French imperialists on the one hand and the nationalist enthusiasm and energy, the fighting spirit and military skill of the Riffs Jed by Abd- el-Krim on the other The Riffs are flushed with their vic- tory over Spanish imperialism. The Riffs are bent on restoring Morocco to the Moroccans. The French im- perialists are still flushed with pride because of their victory over German imperialism. The French imperialists dare not voluntarily yield an inch of ground to the conquering Riffs, lest a sharp entering wedge be driven into their imperialist structure. In this struggle between the impe- rialist forces on the one hand and the colonial masses on the other hand we find a classic illustration of the respective roles played by the social- ists and the Communists in the in- ternational struggle against imperial- ism, of which the colonial struggles are only a part. The socialist party of France, after hesitating, wavering, floundering and compromising, has definitely gone over boot and baggage to the impe- rialist camp of Painleve. The inter- ests of the aristocracy, the uppermost strata, of labor are endangered, ac- cording to the views of the leaders of the. socialist party of France, by the menace fo a French military dis- aster in Morocco. The Communists, on the other hand, led by such valiant fighters against militarism and imperialism as Doriot are openly resisting French imperial- ist aggression in Morocco. The Com- munist Party of France, like the Com- munist parties of the other countries, are solidly lined up with the colonial people of Morocco, oppressed by their respective national imperialist cliques. IKEWISE we may look forward to the British imperialists coming to the rescue of the French and Spanish imperialists, who have already united in their efforts to defeat the conquer- ing Riffs. We may without doubt look to the union of alf imperialist forces in this anti-imperialist struggle as well as in all other anti-imperialist strug- gles. As this Moroccan struggle broadens and becomes more intense we may expect that the participation of the Communist parties of the world under the leadership fo the Commu- nist International will simultaneously increase. Morocco is a great prize for French imperialism, But Morocco may yet turn out to be a veritable graveyard for the hopes of the arrogant French imperialists. GRIGER & NOVAK GENTS FURNISHING and MERCHANT TAILORS Union Merchandise 1934 W. Chicago Avenue (Cor. Winchester} sent nearly 200,000 head of sheep, hogs and cattle to France, Moroccan Industrial Development. 1113 W. Washington Bivd. “The question of the State is acquiring at the present a particular importance both theoretical and practical” Says Lenin, the great Communist teacher and leader in the preface to his famous book r By V. |. Utianov (Lenin). Today this question is of even greater importance—a sufficient reason why every worker (and every Communist surely!) should have a thorough knowledge of it. : This Communist classic can now be obtained in a new attractive edition, bound in duroflex covers, at - 25 CENTS A COPY The Daily Worker Publishing Co. PITTSBURGH, PA. To those who work hard for thelg money, | will save 50 per cent on all their dental work. DR. RASNICK . DENTIST Chicago, Ii. a =