FIGHTING IN MOROCCO

Evening Star, Issue 19001, 24 July 1925, Page 5

FIGHTING IN MOROCCO

RIFFS SUFFER SETBACK TANKS IH ACTION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON July 22, The Baris correspondent of tho ‘ Daily Chronicle’ states that tho Riffs have suffered a severe setback. The French have relieved the post of Ainraaaton, fifty miles north o f Fez, after a siege lasting lor live weeks, in which aeroplanes supplied the garrison of 500 with ice, medicine, and even ammunition. winch was dropped at the port. Half of the garrison was killed or wounded before the relief was effected. Major Richard, the commander, was shot through both legs when the defence was repelling a night attack. Ho directed the final stages of the defence from a stretcher, encouraging his men to fight to the end. The French tanks created a. panic among tho Riffs’ sharpshooters when tho latter found that the tank armor was impervious to their bullets. Thirty other tanks have been landed at Casablanca, —A. and N.Z. aCblc. WARFARE IN THE FRBiGr! ZONE A DIFFICULT CAMPAIGN The Morocco correspondent of ‘ The Times,’ in a despatch, dated Rabat, June 8, said ; Abdel Krim continues to pour forward contingent after contingent,, and to carry .out frequent and effective raids into the occupied territory of tho French Protectorate. Along tho line of hilts upon which the retained French posts are situated ---for about thirty of the smaller onca and blockhouses hove been evacuated The Riff’s have dug themselves in along a series of complicated and skilfully constructed trenches. Tho slopes of these hills are of a rocky nature, and in many places arc wooded or covered with dense brushwood. In this the country much resembles that in which the Spaniards have had to fight during their long campaigns. These skilfully disposed trenches arc narrow and deep, and are not easily damaged by gunfire. From them the Riffs, whoso indomitable courage is fully recognised by the French, icluse to be dislodged even by the heavy lire of 155 mm, howitzers. Direct hits cause many casualties, but the survivors continue to hold the trenches until they can open lire upon the advancing French troops at very short range. In some cases after long artillery preparation the trenches have been found to bo still manned by tribesmen who. with incredible coolness, fire in volleys at (lie word of command.

It was first 1 bought that Ibis reckless lighting was owing to want of experience and would tend to diminish, but this is not. so, and I lie Rills continue to show the same fearlessness of death. Willi Hie exception of (bo Beni Zorual tribesmen, who have been terrorised and persecuted by Abdel Krim’s Pill contingents, I here are no signs ol lassitude among the enemy, and llieir demeanor in Hie face of every kind of implement of modern warfare remains unchanged, it is extremely difficult to judge tho numbers of the enemy on the front owing to llieir great mobility, and every estimate given must, bo accepted as only relative. Their rations an; two loaves of barley bread a day, on which they march, dig, anil light. All the while hands are conslantly filtering through the French lines, and arc raiding into the occupied territory, where they terrorise villagers. These hands movo with almost incredible and disconcerting rapidity, and tho population is obliged to defend itself as best it can with the aid of such irregular local troops as ran bo spared. liven when the French forces advance and clear tho gullies and ridges of enemy tribesmen tho ground is renccupicd almost before tho operation is over, and almost always a rearguard action must ho fought. ABDEL KBIM’S BOAST.

Meanwhile Abdel Jvriin continues his propaganda among t.he, frontier tribes inside the French Protectorate. His letters are conslantly falling into the hands of tho French, and are, olion brought in by loyal tribesmen to tho authorities. Ho announces oven, in most of liij missives, his linn intention of being in Fez for tho FI id el Kobir, t lie sheep feast, in about three week's’ time. He enumerates tbe names of the posts evacuated by the French, claiming to have captured them, and erics aloud his victories. It is quite evident that, whether or not at the beginning of the campaign Abdel Krim’s hand was forced by tho frontier tribes, bo is now heart and soul intent on the war against the. French and his march on Fez. That, no doubt, is why his principal efforts are centred on the BibanTaunat front, as through Dial, region lies his direct, road to the capita). But he has failed to break through the French lines, and will continue to fail (o do so. He will certainly attack on other parts of the ninety-mile front, but bis main effort will, equally certainly, be made in the centre. The tranquillity of Fez Inis never been disturbed, although at one juncture tho attitude of a certain part ol the population caused anxiety, but the Fezzts cannot oven now quite grasp why the French forces are not more mobile. They do not realise how immense is the machinery required t.o movo large numbers of men and all the paraphernalia pertaining to an army. They grasp the advantage that the Rill’s undoubtedly liavo in their absolute freedom from impedimenta. A

bag of cartridges and two small barley loaves suffice for a day's fighting. Two factors in the campaign which, though of great importance, are liable to bo exaggerated are the Riffs’ food supplies and their ammunition. The harvest this season in the Riff is sufficient to feed the population, with probably no surplus, through the coming months, but in _ the Western and Northern Jabala regions there is great lack of foodstuffs. As to ammunition, the Riffs ’are amply provided, and must have captured countless quantities (luring their recent campaigns against the Spaniards, while immense stores were found in Raisuli’s stronghold. The French authorities are inclined to believe that there has been very little effective contraband, ami consider that the existing armament is sufficient to enable the Riffs to carry on the. campaign for a long time to ’come. Although there is no doubt that there are Germans and other Europeans with the enemy forces, they are believed to consist almost entirely of deserters from the Foreign Legion, and it seems clear that Abdel Ivrim has no Europeans directing Iris policy or his war at his headquarters at Adjir. He is a very remarkable man of great organising and political ability, probably far more competent to govern his own country than would be any European without a lifelong experience of the Riff. Such are the enemies with whom Franco finds herself face to face, courageous, implacable, and convinced of the justice of their cause