The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 21, 1906, Page 6

¥ memory serves me correctly it was & stinguished British tatesman who sol- remerked some e ago that *‘the German firebrand lles n Moroceo.” The words were ut- tered before the Ger- man Er visit to t ish coast, e tar-sighted Briton. exaspersting sit- prevail- ubjects and ght to un- g Morocco rocco, would probably e then phically gation in Eu- ar much coveted domain fight wers. That een within 1 boundaries or refully wa er doubts for a mo- extend her Morocco, is unable to the now holds e more im- menacing f the depleted urances from Eng- would have the d him at a most the Frenchman proffers to Aziz his Government's pro- administration of economic been agreed on and France), and prom- i e event of the propo- )n being accepted. France will f to ald in the perpetuation of and will permit him to regulate own taxes and maintain his fortifica- and the heights com- ight bapk of the Sebu Riv- f course, the fortified in. already acceptable > terms of the Franco- convention. day of misrule is at, an end Frenchman. “Epgland, perched able rock opposite your do: Gispleased with the acts of your sple-and your 2 indifference. to what is rizht and just. Spair on_your sea shore, France, with her responsibili complaining. of the, dep- tribes on_her frontler chat and an imme- ce, with 2 hope of getting r present troubles, i more ssist you. She insists on for no better reason than perfect peace in. Algeria. + her good offices you. will ) need to worry further aboul your Pedce will prevail - throiighout v. if you refuse them, well— may. be compelled for own in- ts to make war upon you.” “The Moorish ruler is perplexed. With Eng purently abandoning _him. qugmented by .the attacks Pretender, confronting him: on one side, and war wit great mill- tary power threatening him on the other, he suddenly realizes that the prestigé he has. so. 1ong. been enabled to ma by reason of the. impor- nical situation of his do- n to wane and his thrope ain ing e Sultan: is‘at-his wits’ end. when Germany, suddenly apprised. of the fact that kngsland and <rgnce have ¢ entercd . irnto’ a trealy respeet- ng the future tontrol of Merocco and that agents -of Franee are in. nezotia- tion avith the Sultan, enpters her pro- . fArst in’ a_mild and later in manner. that fully - sa s the’ ob- neutral power 1 Eimperor, will | ne onsent to French® jon over Morocco. the “question of Moioceo™” be- s a matter of moment with all the > ations _of. .the. Iastérn. Continent, anG the eyes:of the world, which have en on Japan and: Russia in’ Manchu- suddenly . turn. to the Lafid of Sun- and the people anxiously of the confereuce. in Al- Spain. hile the Pretender pursucs the uneven temor of his way, making life miserable for :Mulai . Abdul AziZ: the bloodt ¥ Moors and Arabs contihue to shoot, stab and slash, and the Sultan rries on and;on in his destruciive course. Of all his copmselors—and there are not many of them that he truly re- epects, notwithstunding that he deigns to listen to their | words .of advice— there is ome Wwiho, in the interest of England, 4s ~suspected . of bringing changes.in the views of the young Sultan. He is a Scotchman, a former officer in the British army, who, it is sald, crossed over from Gibraltar hurry sonre years ago, early. in the n of Mulai Abdul Aziz. > His name is MacLean. In.z remark- ably short time hé lad = ingratiated himself into. the goed graces of the youthful ruler of Morocco and was dig- nified with the title of Kaid in recog- nition of ‘his enjoyable traits as a pur- veyor of amusement in the household of the roval famjly, of which -he has since become . practically a member. Kald MacLean secured for.his adopted ruler a most bountiful supply of for- eign toys,: everything from a hobby horse to. an automobile.. and shocked the faithful by teaching~ the: Sultan how to ride a bicycle, to use a camera, pluy a piano, aperate a phonograph and cue a billiard ball. Loudly did the Moors denounce these violations of the traditions ef the de- scendants -of .the Prophet, but the young Sultagn paid no heed to their mutterings. Revolt was predicted, and to Kaid MacLean's many innovations in the Sultan's household were ascribed most of the troubles with which Mulal MorRocc O CRFUS B W1 BROWR ™ ammunition, which they bave secretly sold to the rebellious tribes that tr:;y might destioy cach other? liave not the unwelcomed Christians filled our Sultan with unholy idcas, thus ¢ him fors feit the T t of the f: who are told by Al r triends the Jew! ow you proftar to_ tration of our own a sincerity is hidden beneath we refuse your offerings you with forece: but we iive und tection of God, of which you ha and we also will fight for @ dear to us—for otir families. our talth, our lands and for the names of the dead saints to=t guided us.™ But the Moors do not speak for thelr youthful ruler, who has ignored the traditions of his race, since he first met Kaid MacLean,‘and has even gone %o far as to bring upon his head the wrath of the faithful on more than of_ occasion when it looked as If m-‘sfl nasty would fall. He has no partic Jove for France, but feels that he I better off in the hands of the latter, if §t must be that he shall accept a pro- tectorate from soma foreign ecountry. As to her ability to meet Germaay on a chosen battle ground in the avent of war arising out of the Moroccan diffculties — it 1s a question that is deeply interesting Burope. During the thirty-i'x years that bave elapsed sinee n, It Abdul Aziz's administration was beset. aucer Kald MacLean bad fitted himself solidly. into his new job he began to look arvund him and with that power of obser- vatjon that a Scotchman acquires natur: ly.. he made important discoveries that have led directly up 'to the ' present troubles - w] are involving ' Germany and France. Morocco was yet, and for that matter is still, to be thoroughly ex- plored. The best information that has gone abroad regarding her natural re- sources has come from a few clvilized Moors, or a number of Jews, who have lived in the country and patiently en- dured persecutions for years. To Kaid MacLean It soon becameé known that Mo- rocco was possessed of ‘Vast tracts of mineral lands, the wealth of which was almost incalculable. Copper, gold, silver, iron and other min- erals are therc in fabulous quantities and stranger still, these metal deposits were found to lie in sections easily ac- cessible to water; there was arable sofl and rivers that would add much to the development of the surrounding country were the white man permitted to invade it ‘and turn these factors to agricultural purposes. These facts Kald MacLean had conveyed to those on the outride world, and soon the financial centers of Europe were discussing projects for the development of Morocco.- It was then that “The guestion of Mo- rocco” began to take definite shape. England’s treaty with France followed shortly after the news from Kaid Mac- France and Spain, and France had to show Morocco evidence of her Iatter’s {intentions to institute reform within the former jurisdiction of the sultanate, that Ger- By what many was awakened by her Ministers to for the fact that England some purpose or othe: o trouble began. o trade . Germany's protests were followed by and has since been planning to- perfect ' the agreement for a conference at Alge- ciras, and in the meantime the-two pow- In the same quiet manner that she dealt ers—the former and France, with Eng- t apparently land and Russia in the background—have have a dis- been flirting with the Suitan, hopeful of astrous effect, made another with Spain, strengtheniug their relations with him. v!':m{n -she- gave- over Tangier, Moroc- - England, allied with France and strongly co's most important port, -and thereby ensconced upon "her :rock long the Mo- looks forward to no great danger to her: Russia’s feeling in the ‘matter, it speculat Uon.toi-lrmmmo‘ l:l::k::!:hl:'aag:nfl one of the most ncdndmmnuui.‘.? Egypt, for which xchange Morocco. . ad England to barter Morocco rance’s interests in Egypt, or possession, is yet to be France nevertheless interests in intriguing for -and then the with France, England, at las fearing that the deal might t Gibraltar, neutralized. the territory roccan coast from the Sebu to It was not until England had 1y ‘divided Mulal Abdul Aziz's domain be- one for busy with her troubles with Japan and at home to participate in the Moroccan question. Had Kald MacLean kept to himself the fact that Morocco abounded with mineral riches the London market would proba- bly never have conceived the idea of promoting plans for developing the North African empire, and there would not have been a sudden revival of a warlike feeling betw: France and Germany. Up to tnis tme what lttle the Moors needed from the foreign markets, such as tea, sugar and cotton, was supplied by Enzland and France. Germany did not believe it worth its while to attempt to share in this comparatively small comuerce. But when the German ruler discovered thar England and France bad had an understanding regarding Morocco, and he began to realize that his prestige in that portion of the world was menaced, he loaded his Ministers down with pres- ents to Mulal Abdul Aziz and forthwith procceded to impress upon the young Sultan the need of German friendship. From a far-oft view of the situation, hewever, it is apparent that France has the lead on her neighbor and old foe in the Moroceo game. and will eventually, if not very soon, direct for her ofn in- terest, as well as that of England and Spain, the affars of that turbulent little country adjoining Algeria. To contro! Morocco gnd maintain pa- cific relations between her numerous tribes s no small task, and the question has frequently been askea of late it France is equal to the occasion. She was compelled to put 150,000 troops in Algeria in order to-keep the subjects of that country within bounds, and a greater un- dertak ng confronts her in Morocco, where half ‘s millfon of people, accustomed from youth to the most trying hardships in: an unexplored mountalnous . country and famiiiar with the use of firearms, which they always carry, are to be brought up with a quick turn and made to abide bv the laws of the ever-mis- trusted Christizns. The Moor makes no attempt to conceal his distrust of the foreigner. The’latter he openly charges with having been re- sponsible for nearly all the crimes in Morocco, He cannot understand why the Christlans should persist .in coming into his country, and when they chance to comment upon the “disturbed” condi- tions . theps he draws his cotfon robes tightly about him, and, rising to his full height, he indignantly retorts: “And _who has caused disturb- "ances? Is it not the Christiahs, who have w‘mmmnmm Germany suojecied France to a humill- jating defeat at arms the former, for= ever mindful of the faults of 1370, has been striving to increase the standard of efficiency of her army and has no doubt done so! France, too, has been profiting by the lesson taught her by the Prussians and is credited by the best of military eritics with being in an excellent shape for a long and flerce war. In the latcst reports the comparativ strength of the armies of the two countries shows that Ger- many, on a war footing. has Bdd.- 109 o'icers and men, 540 guns and 183,000 borses. The French army's strength is 1,695,760 officers and men, 4560 guns and 215,611 horses. Germany is credited witih 700,000 more men than her rival, which, however, has 1000 more guns. It is estimated that each country can draw from its reserve forces 2,000,000 trained men, who can be readily equipped and quickly assem- bled at advantageous points, As to France's readiness for a war, the best statement at hand is that of German authority, which shouid be very acceptable, inasmuch as it is by an officer of Emperor detailed to glean that valnabd nformation. In a brocuure the office referring to the mobilization of Freach army near the German fromt figures that it will take one day to sen to the different communders of France's twenty army corps ihe order for mobil- ization of their respective compiands and that mot until the tenth day will 700,000 men have reached the froatier. Two more days are allowed for resti another for concentration, and o fourteenth duy after the issuance of the general order the 700,000 will be ubso lutely ready to advance upou the enemy. Germany has studied methods of meet- ing similar requirements, and is s.ud‘ to have achieved this object in the exten- ston of her ruilrouds—the double-traci- ing of most of them und by au, ting their equipment. - At all events, the 3 ern continent belleve that Germoms has been Yostering a feeling for “’a‘.mma meeting with Fraice ever since :;n :t ter was discovered trenting with = land, who had been regurded as oy 2 en regarded s France's natural enemy. f centur] it i= possible that this u:;‘r ha gratified i the cutcome of the o oe differences in which Moroec by e as the czsus bell, and it nfi-o alpp':h" beginning of a terribie mmqu‘y :; - tions throughout Europe. o e much for the indiscreet Kald MacLean in giving te the —1 - secret of 'S mineral e wealth,