MOROCCO.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 7

MOROCCO.

FRANCE'S 'ASSISTANCE TO THE SULTAN. MULAI REGAINS THE PASS. lIV TEI.EORAPIt—I'RGSS ASSOCIATION—COPYHIGnT, Palis, January &2, j The Primo Ministor, M;, Clemcnpeau, declares that General Danrado, in command of the French troops in Morocco, • lias in no case been employed in the sorvice "of-.; the Sultan Abdul Aziz, But, added M. Clcnienceau, it was impossible for Franco to'forget that lie (Abdul) was the only Sultan recognised by the Powers.' ~, y. . Morocco, January. 22. ■ After the French withdrew, Mulai-Rachid '(lioutonant- to tlio Pretender, .Mulai-Hafid) repccupicd Settat," giving "Mulai-Hafid, control of the' whole of tho interior. Abdul Aziz, the Sultan, holds the whole of the ports of Morocco, except Safii. PRETENDER'S POSITION., . ; On Jainiarv 17 it \ynn cabled ■ that Gcncrnl Dttmadn, with liis Trench troops, 'fought '-an obstinate battle for sixteen hours with tho Pretender's forces under .Mulai-Rachid at Settat Pass; that the'Jloors lostheavily and were scattered, and their .'camp-'(beyond tlio Pass) was destroyed; 'and that Mulai-Rachid, by .losing command - of the Pass, would- be unable to keep open the road for tho advance of the Pretender on Fez; the Northern, centre which has proclaimed Mm,-Sultan- Now, it would seem, the French havo withdl>awn from the Pans, and tho Pretender's ■ forces havo regained; the strategic .position which" thqy had lost. . -,- . , . , . . Safli, the only Moroccan seaport which is-in tho . hands of Mulai-Hafid, is on tho Atlantic coast, about 70 miles north of Mogador, the seaport which has : held out so long for,- the Sultan. Mogador and Salfi are -both' within easi.er striking distance: of Marakcsn (the Pretcniler's inland cnpitnl) than, any other iH'rt. Safli, rejoices in, tho "Houjio of the Seven iirothers," a. shrine which, it would seem, is Venerated aliko by Jews and by Moors.