MOROCCO TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 20053, 19 December 1928, Page 16

MOROCCO TO-DAY

BIG DEVELOPMENTS IN PROGRESS Lord Edward Glefchen, president of the British Merchants’ Morocco Association, who has returned from making a study of the'economic prospects of Morocco, records further very rapid progress in its development. Ho advises merchants and manufacturers, however, to direct attention to the 10 per cent, of the land under the Spanish flag, as well as to the main/part that is ruled by France. Lord Edward says' “ There is, ,of course, no doubt whatever that the French are developing the country at a rapid rate—in fact, at a terrific rate,' one may say. One has merely to travel in their zone to see that roads, ports (Casablanca port is about to be doubled in accommodation),'buildings, biidges, irrigation, phosphate works, etc., are all being built at a rate which makes Northern Morocco almost unrecognisable; while numerous farmsteads, run largely by colonists from Algeria, and equipped to a great extent with modern agricultural machinery, are springing up in every direction.” FRENCH CARS IN MAJORITY. Supplementing these remarks, Mr Robinson, manager of the Moroccan department of the Bank of British West Africa, on his‘return from an extended tour in Morocco, said that the building going on is extraordinary, but what had impressed him more than that was, first, the comfortable new railways, which are those of Europe, and, secondly, the enormous motor traffic. At Casablanca, the chief port and commercial capital, the garages, though abundant, are quite inadequate <to cope with the requirements, and one finds cars and lorries parked in ’all the streets. He was astonished to find that the French, though prevented by treaty from imposing any. duty different from that which is paid by English cars, have been allowed, with some help from the Italians, to monopolise the fieldl Longdistance' circuits were recently run over Moroccan highways, and an Italian car beat all world records—a remarkable demonstration of recent developments seeing that less than twenty years ago Morocco did not contain a road outside Tangim town. As a matter of fact, Morocco’s motoring now-stretch for more than

5,000 miles, and they are continually being increased. MANY HOTELS. Alorocco is now plentifully supplied with hotels, though there is an opening for more -first-class ones, both at Casablanca and Tangier. Tho new hotels of tho Cio Gcnerale Transatlantiqne are open only in tho season, and Air Robinson found several hotels, open all the year, which wore formerly quiet stopping places, but are now noisy centres owing to the extensions of the cities and to the busy main motoring roads, Alorocco has had a bumper harvest this year, particularly in wheat. The phosphates industry is growing to astonishing importance and size, and its product is superior to any others. Hitherto the .Moors have not used phosphates on thdir own fields, but a successful beginning has now been made. Important mining enterprises have recently been started, partieulai'ly in manganese, iron, and lead. Tin’, which has,' been found in small quantities, is being-actively prospected for in the regions of the Middle Atlas. Altogether, those 206,000 square miles out of tho totai 216,000 of Morocco that are under France provide an object; lesson in rapid development.