The Feilding Star. OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE Published Daily. TUESDAY JANUARY 6, 1903. MOROCCO.

Feilding Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 158, 6 January 1903, Page 2

The Feilding Star. OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE Published Daily. TUESDAY JANUARY 6, 1903. MOROCCO.

« The trouble in Morocco is rapidly extending. In September last year the Berber tribes who are hostile to the present Sultan Mulai Abdul Aziz, raided the cattle market in Mequinez, and were only induced to spare the town by the diplomacy of the Governor. Immediately afterwards there was a general rising of the Kabyles in the Mequinez country, and the Sultan despatched a force of 7,000 regular troops from Fez, the capital, to attack the rebels, but the latter defeated the Sultan's troops, and inflicted heavy loss. Since then the trouble has been extending, and in order to protect their interests in Algeria, the French Government have re-inforced the garrisons of the forts on their frontier. Spain has also large interests involved, and the other Powers have recognised her rights to interfere for their protection. By a cablegram yesterday we were informed that ten thousand of the Jews in Fez are so much dissatisfied with the tyranny of the Sultan and his Ministers, that they have declared in favor of the pretender. There are three so called capitals in Morocco, viz — Fez, population 140,000 ; Morocco, population 50,000; Mequinez, population 56,000. The total population of the country is said to be 8,000,000. The present Sultan is credited with strong progressive tendencies, and in September, 1901, he issued an edict substituting virtual free trade for the restrictions previously placed upon the inter-port trade of the coastal towns. This was an advantage because although Morocco ,is a fine wheat-growing country, the exportation of corn was actually forbidden, and that rule obtains yet to a very considerable extent. The system of government is really barbarous. The Sultan rules as an absolute despot, and therefore his Ministers — of whom there are six — if their master is a tyrant, are sure, for their own sakes, to follow closely in his footsteps. As the tribes in the mountain country are hardy and brave, with a keen love of fighting for its own sake, it can be confidently expected that an enormous amount of blood will be shed, and many towns and villages be made desolate. The great thing for the European nations is to avoid quarrelling themselves over the matter, and we may assume that Powers interested having that end in view, will encourage Spain to take the initiative, and Russia to stand on the alert awaiting developments.