The Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1904. Morocco.

Manawatu Herald, 7 June 1904, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1904. Morocco.

One by one the few remaining independent States of Africa are being absorbed by the Powers of Europe, and it can only be a question of time when the whole of the “ Dark Continent ” acknowledges the sway of one or other of them. In 1895 France took possession of the native kingdom of Madagascar. In 1896 Italy took a hand in the affairs of Abyssinia, and succeeded, after some reverses, in wresting from the Negus that portion of his kingdom known as Eritrea. In 1898 Great Britain’s claim to supreme power in Egypt and its dependencies was finally established by Lord Kitchener of Khartum. During 1899-1902 the independent republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State were converted into British colonies; and now in 1904, Morocco, one of the f, w States yet untouched, has been to all intents and purposes placed under the sovereignty of France These few lines transmitted to us by cable are worthy of something more than a mere perusal. Once the Moors occupied a prominent position in European affairs; they were very fine seamen ; but instead of using their talents for the purpose of legitimate trade, they abused them by plundering the ships of other nations, and murdering, or making slaves of, their crews. Their piratical galleys swept the Mediterranean from end to end, and the Christian mariner trembled whenever he sighted a strange craft, lest it should

prove to be that of his dreaded f e Nc" did they confine their depreciations to the Mediterranean. 'l'bey made their way into the Bay of Biscay, and harried the coastal towns of France and Spain, and once at least they had the temerhy to mid the : Irish coast, which occasion has be n | memorialised in the poem, “ The ! Sack of Baltimore. 1 ' They kept in j bondage thousands of Christian men, women, and children, and levied tribute upon all the Chiistian nations, onr own included. How different now is the position of Morocco I Her navy, once the terror of the world, is non-existent. Her army, formerly equal in quality to any in Europe, is now a mere rabble* The ports, where the Crescent proudly waved, are now in the hands of the foreig ner ; and the vessels of all nations lie anchored in the very spot whore once the corsair fleet Was Ulooreu. The territories that were so fir reaching, have dwindled away hefoiv the encroachments of a superior race ; and now by the recent 'ngoFrench treaty) the last remnant of Moorish power becomes subservient to the will of France ; which circumstance practically entails the total extinction of this interesting and historic kingdom. Such is the aspect presented through the spectacles iff the historian, but froill a commercial point of view the outlook is more cheerful. Morocco contains a large area of cultivable land, which if tilled in accordance with modern idea?) should be capable of producing large Crops of wheat and other cereals. There are also extensive tracts ff pastoral country, affording excellent fodder or cattle, and with the introduction of European methods, the rearing of live stock bids fair to become an important industry, The country is moreover rich in minerals, which under the old regime have been left entirely untouched. In addition, the climate, though hot, deals kindly with the white man’s constitution, and under a secure and progressive government there will ho doubt be a large influx of European settlers. These remarks apply more particularly to the northern half of Morocco ; the southern halt is of course not nearly so favourable, Doing con fcernlinous with the arid region of the Sahara. It will thus be seen that the value of Morocco from a commercial standpoint is very groat; and as the policy of the “ open do orF t > he, maintained by Franco, an entirely new field will be opened to British enterprise, and if this opportunity is taken advantage ff it should lead to a substantial increase in the trade returns of the old conntqy, while, on the other hand, Mormean produce should find a place in the food supply of the United King dom Our views may perhaps err on r.he side of optimism, hut they are quite within the bounds of possibility ; and fur her it must bo remembered that a despotic govern ment has hitherto prevented any considerable development of the country, which is admittedly the most favoured of the Barbary States. When the news of the AngloFrench Treaty first became public, it appeared that Spain, who has a peculiar interest in Morocco, had not been consulted in the matter; cut a later cablegram states that Great Britain has left to Prance the task of making final arrangements with Spain regarding the future of Morocco. This will.no doubt be settled in favour of the former, for i Spain is too weak to successfully oppose the ambitious aims of France. The real danger, as far as Great Britain is concerned, in allowing France to occupy Morocco, lay in the possibility of the French fortifying Tangier, opposite to Gibraltar, and thus upsetting Great Britain’s claim to the “ Key of the Mediterranean but the agreement expressly provides that the French shall not fortify that part of the Moroccan coast, and this removes the only other obstacle to the acquirement of Morocco by France. The treaty between the two nations has not yet passed through its final stages, but it is thought that this will be effected without difficulty. May Britain and France ever agree to settle their differences by arbitration, and avoid the long and costly wars that for centuries have been a striking feature in the relations between the two countries.