LORD OF THE DESERT

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 20

LORD OF THE DESERT

SULTAN OF THE ATLAS A VERY WEALTHY HOLER The visit to England of His Excellency El Hadji Fahmi El Glaoui, paramount Pasha of Marrakesh, Hereditary Sultan of the Atlas, is a matter of great significance, wrote Charles Graves, in the ‘ Daily Mail ’ recently, . He is not just a picturesque figure with a particularly large harem and an infatuation for golf. He is the most powerful man in Morocco —the country which, in view of the present world situation, is of immense importance. Not even the Pasha himself can really know exactly how many subjects’ he has. But they run into millions. His suzerainty extends to the deepest south, hundreds of miles beyond the Atlas Mountains. By contrast with the Pasha, the Sultan of Morocco (a very religious young man) is, as a territorial ruler, of minor importance. , , . . The Pasha of Marrakesh (and in this connection it is interesting to learn that Morocco is merely a corruption of Marrakesh) is the overlord of tens of thousands of Arabs and, Moors whose fighting capacity has been so well known that it has only been since the beginning of this century that any European country has attempted to subjugate their rich lands. THE WILD TRIBES. The Pasha, who is in his early fifties, succeeded his brother in 1911. Both of them hadi fought with the utmost courage and skill against the French Foreign Legion and other troops. "When his brother died, the Pasha decided to “ call it a day.” He made terms with the French and opened the gates of Marrakesh to them., He also promised his support in helping them to subjugate certain wild tribes not under his personal control. According to Arnaud Massy, the golf professional, who constituted himself as an extra A.D.C. to His Excellency, the Pasha has been wounded no fewer than 17 times. It is certain that on more than one occasion he has led only a few hundred horsemen to capture town which, according to European standards, would be thought vulnerable only to a full-size army division and a number of field guns. In 1914, the Pasha, who is an exceedingly shrewd business man, found himself in a stronger position than ever. The French were naturally anxious to leave as few troops as possible in Morocco. In return for the Pasha’s promise to keep the peace throughout Morocco with the minimum support from the French Amy, he received all kinds of privileges. He was also allowed to levy certain taxes on his subjects for his own personal benefit. These include monthly taxes on each tiny shop in each bazaar.

ATTENTION IN FRANCE. These powers were granted to him presumably in perpetuity. And whenever the Pasha has visited France, which he does nearly every_ summer, the greatest attention is paid to him by the authorities. What is more, his son and heir, the Caid of Telwat, now a handsome young man of 22 or 23 (his mother is of Turkish extraction), was educated in Paris and led the life of any rich man’s son. About 18 months ago the Pasha’s younger brother died, and so he promptly recalled his son to take his uncle’s place. From the moment that the boy returned his father proceeded to hand over to him one privilege after another, so that when he himself dies the son shall have all the powers which were accorded his father during the stress of the Great War. The situation becomes interesting, doesn’t it?.

You see, in Fez last Christmas, fi spoke to officers of the French High' Command, and they assured me that the semi-official view was . that the powers granted to the Pasha would not be extended in full to Ms son. It is possible, of _ course, that the Caid, with his affection for the sophisticated life of France, might be peri suaded to “sell out.” On the other; hand, I am told by his intimate 'associates, that ho is full of patriotism for his country and would resent 1 strongly any reduction in his importance and Income. I wonder whether the Pasha, will see anything of Mr Lloyd George and Mr Winston Churchill during his visit?. Both of them dined with him two years ago at one of his five palaces at-Mar-rakesh. . A LENGTHY BANQUET. Mr Lloyd George, morever, was s« much impressed by a particular local dish of mutton and quince, jam-that he announced that it was even - better than Welsh lamb. WMch, for Mr Lloyd George, is saying something' very startling. I have myself dined at the palace. The banquet began at 9 and continued until midnight. When I complimented His Excellency on the perfect cooking, he said that it was not surprising that the pigeons, the mutton, and everything else were tender, because his chefs started to cook at 11 a.m. I also had the privilege of playing golf with him on the course which, he laid out at a cost of 10,000,000 francs when francs were much fewer to the pound than they are to-day. Ha plays in a pair of abbreviated plus fours, and, as he says, has a handicap of 10. So rich is he that, though delighted to have all visitors playing over his course, he never charges • green fee. The Pasha owns a huge estate outsida Tangier, and possesses blocks 'of office property in Casablanca. He has also bought immense quantities of jewellery,as well as numbers of luxury motor, cars. He receives annually large subventions from the French Government, which knows that without his help it would have to double its army in Morocco. If you are still not convinced that! the Pasha of Marrakesh is a very? powerful figure, think of Agadir, whiclil nearly precipitated a world war in 1911For though Agadir is on the coastthe tribesmen of the Mnterlsnd all owe allegiance to the Pasha. And it is also not uninteresting toi learn from the Pasha himself that ha has located two perfectly good goldfields, which, however, he does not propose to work until subsidised. You see, he is wealthy enough not to have to bother!