THE WAR IN MOROCCO.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 43 (Supplement)

THE WAR IN MOROCCO.

DE RIVERA'S TASK. MADRID, October 17. General Primo de Rivera (President of the Spanish Directory), whose policy of a partial evacuation of Morocco has long displeased the military party, has now been vested with full responsibility for affairs in Morocco. King Alfonso yesterday appointed him High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief in Morocco.General de Rivera remains the head of the Directory in Spain. General Aizpuru, who was only appointed on October 14, unexpectedly resigned the commissionership of Morocco for health reasons.— (Reuter.) THE BXFFS ENTRENCH. SPANIARDS CLAIM VICTORY. (Received 1 p.m.) IMADRID, October 17. A communique states that there is a big concentration of rebels, who are strongly entrenched in the Sheshuan sector. The enemy attacked a food convoy, but was heavily repulsed, leaving over 100 dead. The Spanish losses were small.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) ———« A The Riff, that slice of Morocco presumably governed by Spain, is the scene of incessant skirmishes between the valiant forces of the indefatigable Abd El Krim and the Spanish army. In Europe it is believed the day is not far off when the Riff proclaims independence and searches elsewhere for protection. The elsewhere is either England or France. An article written for the "Matin" by Henry de Korab shows fairly well what is the feeling in France regarding the Riff, and also just how watchful of events is France. "One of the most striking results of the war," begins .De Korab in the usual | manner, "has been the number of new States which have come into being. In Europe there are no less than seven more than there were in 1914, and very soon we may expect the Riff, in Northern Africa, to be added to the list. This region, although so near to Europe, still conserves its air of mystery, and, what with its Moorish architecture and its bands of intrepid horsemen, who have inflicted many a crushing defeat on the Spaniards, their hereditary foes, this land is for us a source of romantic interest. And yet, behind this curtain of cannon smoke and the clashing of ', swords, something is happening—a ! young new State, or, more exactly, a regenerated one, is being formed and I modernised, and one fine day the whole world will be forced to acknowledge the fact. ! "I have before my eyes the copy of a contract, still quite unknown, which has been drawn up with 'Mr. Charles Alfred Paroy-Gardiner, financier, shipbuilder and engineer, living in London. I regret that I cannot reproduce here integrally this document, but it would fill several columns of a newspaper,. It is a masterpiece of wisdom and of foresight—a foresight which extends so far that pt times it becomes just a little i comic. I "The Act, which take 3 its inspiration from the Chetser agreement with Angora, was concluded in Paris between Paroy-Gardiner on the one hand and Abd el Krim and his Highness Si Mohammed bel Hadj Hitmi, director of commercial and political affairs for the Riff Republic, on the other hand. "By this contract Captain ParoyGardiner 'is authorised to establish a. bank at Adjdir.' The concessions of the Riff are integrally transferred to him, notably the petroleum fields, the coal mines, as well as the gold, silver and I copper mines, the government of Riff taking for itself 40 per cent of any profits derived from the concessions." Captain Gardiner agreed to lodge in a Paris bank the sum of £300,000 to be | placed to the account of Abd el Krim. Also he had agreed to deliver a certain number of boat loads of firearms. Apparently neither of these two clauses were fulfilled, for Abd el Krim, president of the Riff Republic, like any other business man, instituted legal proceedings against Captain Gardiner, on whom a writ has been served in due i form by a sheriff's officer. j