THE MOROCCAN WAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 611, 14 September 1909, Page 5

THE MOROCCAN WAR.

SPANISH ADVANCE, DEVASTATING THE COUNTRYSIDE. - SOME SURRENDERS. (By Telesraph.-PrMs Anoelatlon.-Cowrlitlit.l Morocco, Soptcmber 12. General Aguilcra's brigade 'of . Spanish troops left Arkaman and advanced against the Riff tribesmen. The Spanish forces dovastatcd a stretch of splendid country, blowing up or burning every farm or village house, and destroying the crops. A few tribesmen who surrendered to the Spaniards were generously treated. DIFFICULTIES OF RIFF COUNTRY. 1 Tho Biff country, where tho war between Spaniards and Moors is going • on, . stretches along the greater part of tho northern coast of! Morocco, and is for tho most part a wild district unknown to Europeans—scarcely ever trodden by a whito man's foot. It is mountainous and arid. ' . The inhabitants are Berbers, a fine raw, possibly of Jewish descent, hardy and fairly civilised. Molilla is towards tho eastern end of tho Riff country, about 300 miles from Tangier. . ■ • , . The featuro of the Melilla hinterland is the abrupt rising l of masses of • rock from .the plain. The: rocks form 1 a natural fortification extronicly difficult to attack.. ■ , _ .

"The Spaniards," said Mr. lon Pcrdicaris, onco RaisnliV prisoner, "are jammed at tho foot of the mountains, and if .tho Moors possessed artillery the Spanish position would not be tenable fftr a moment. The Spaniards cannot gain anything, and may loso all." 'l'ho Spanish soldier is drawn from the ranks of the poorest and most ignorant of tho population, as anyono who can pay. .£SO within forty- 1 eight hours of teceiving the notice of the lot having fallen to him l to serve, .can escape. The men are miserably paid, receiving, after deductions for the: poorest of food and the wear and tear of their kit. about 2d. a day. Besides, they , feel very little-interest in the fate of their country as a . whole. Their whole patriotism is Concentrated in the little valley in which they happen to have been born. Further, there is,the suspicion and superstitious fear which ; every Spaniard feels in a greater or less degree of any foreign country, or, in fact, of anything to which he has not been accustomed., ?