MULAI AGAIN DEFEATED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 47, 19 November 1907, Page 5

MULAI AGAIN DEFEATED.

MANY CASUALTIES. BY TEIiEOBArn—rHESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Morocco, November 17. Admiral Philibert, commanding the Fronch naval forces in Morocco, telegraphs that' a kaid, on behalf of tho Sultan, Abdul Aziz, defeated Mulai Hafid, tho Protonder, at Buriki. Mulai's forces abandoned their arms and baggage. A large number wore killed or wounded. .

" The movements, or projected movements, of Mulai Hafid and Abd-el-Aziz are being anxiously watched (writes, the " Standard's" Paris correspondent) by .all interested in the Morocco question; It is .as though the two Sultans were', too' - Btarved and bedraggled fighting cocksand the people round the ring are looking to'see which will run away first. Different accounts describe both armies as disorderly, ragged, and small, and it is woll known that neither of the leaders is blessed with a superabundance of (none.v with which to pay his troops. But it is believed • that a Budden and apparently confident movement of one or other will bring a large following to his camp, for those tribes which live between Rabat and Marrakesh will be only too glad to become for a while tho Gervants of one who would utterly destroy their property if they showed themselves hostile. For this, reason thero is a growing tendency to expect a success for Mulai Hafid, as it is gonerally believed that ho intends to march towards. B-abat." Tho correspondent's anticipation as to tho success of the Pretender has not been realised, as the above and preceding cablegrams indicate a crowing weakening of Mufai's cauße. Tho Suitan won the . race for Eabat, since which ovent, tho cablegrams liavo said, Mulai's influence has declined. Until the question of preeminence at Babat was settled, Franco's representative, .M. Regnault, abstained from going there, tho ostensible reason given being tho rough eea off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. At that time Mulai was anxious to obtain the ■good wishes and neutrality of France. Hib shrewdness is commented on by the " Stancorrespondent, - who writes'" Having used the wave of xenophobia to bring himself into favour at tho expense of a brother who .was 'selling his countrymen to tho foreigners,' Mulai Hafid quickly understood that this was not enough to bring him to tho throne. He has,, therefore,, paid less attention to the antiChristian campaign 'of Ma-el-Ainin, and has openly declared his adherence to tho Act of Algee.ras." At a later date, however, in October, Prance definitely decided to support the present Sultan, and. General Drude's forces defeated 5000 of the Pretender's forces, -who lost 50 men. ,