RIFFS’ ATTACK

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1925, Page 5

RIFFS’ ATTACK

CHECKED BY ..FRENCH.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

PARIS, June 27.

A report from Fez does not mention any general Riff offensive, but says that the French have checked a strong rebel thrust in the Faza region, inflicting heavy losses. An dfiicial communique reports that attempted' eneihy infiltrations were thrown back. The French, air force effectively bombarded rebel positions.

FRENCH HARD PRESSED

PARIS, June 27.

Advices from Rabat confirm the epening of an enemy offensive on the Tasafez Road. The French frustrated an attack delivered by five thousand disaffected tribesmen, supported by a few Riffs’ detachments.

. A communique reports that the Riffs, strongly reinforced, increased the pressure by the E’kebir river, THe French, supported by aircimft, vigorously resisted. BLOCKADE OF COAST.

(“Times” Service.)

PARIS, June 28.

The Powers have been notified of the Franco-Spanish agreement tc blockade the Riff coast. It provides for a division of the Moroccan coast mtc sectors, and the mutual use of certain French and Spanish ports by the warships of the two nations. INDOMITABLE COURAGE. The Moroccui cor , '' < -p6ndeiit pf “The Times” strikingly illustrates the indomitable coura 0 e ox tne Ilins, wnicii, he says, the French fully recognise. “They refuse to be dislodged from their trenches, even by heavy artillery tire,” continues the correspondent. “Direct hits cause many deaths, but the survivors hold on until they can open fire on the advancing troops at the shortest range. In some cases, after a severe artillery preparation, trenches were found still nlaned b} tribesmen, who, with incredible cool-

ness, fired volleys at the word of command. It was at first thought that this was reckless fighting, due to inexperience, and would tend to diminish, but it is not so. They continue to show the same fearlessness of death. Such is the enemy witli whom I’ rance linds tierseif face to face —courageous and implacable, and convinced of the justice of tneir cause.”

Though Spain had been engaged in more or less intermittent warlure witli the Riffs for about 30 years, her heavy loss in men and money was generally attributed to her decadence as a military nation, and when France recently found it necessary to take the held against the mountaineers, she did sc with the obvious, if- not publicly, expressed, intention of showing the world that Abd-el-Krim’s reign had not long to run. Various circumstances, however, including an alleged reluctance on the part of the Government to disclose the number of. casualties, point to France having found the subjugation of the Riffs a more difficult problem than was at first supposed. The Riffs are by descent Berbers, which is the name commonly given tc the tribes inhabiting the- mountainous regions of Barbary and the northern portions of the Great African Desert. The name Berber is derived, according to Barth, either from the name of theii ancestor Ber, or from the Greek and Roman term Barbari. The tribes of Berbers have a. common origin, and are the descendants of flu’ aboriginal inhabitants of Northern Africa. They belong to the Hamitic family, and, though they have been conquered in succession by the Phoenicians, Romans, A’andals, and Arabs, and have become to some extent a mixed race, they still retain in great part their distinctive peculiarities.. Till the 11th century the Berbers seem to have formed the larger part of the population inhabiting the northern coast of Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean, but the Arab conquering hordes drove them to the Atlas Mountains, and to the desert regions where they now live. The total number of Berbers remaining is estimated at from three to four millions, and some of the desert tribes have become much mixed with the negro race. Of course, ,all the Berbers are not in Abd-el-Krim’s country.

The Riffs, as the Berbers occupying the land of Errif or Riff have come to be called, arc independent save for the undefined sovereignty of the French arid Spanish invaders. They still cherish a wild spirit of independence, which has hitherto made it impossible for them to unite for a common purpose. Abd-el-Krim seems for the time being to have united them niore or less successfully to drive out the foreigners, and their indomitable spirit, bred by centuries of lighting, and their life in a hard land, makes them stubborn foemen. The Riffs are of middle stature, sparsely but strongly built, and of a complexion varying from reddish to .yellowish brown. Their manners are auste-re, and in disposition they are cruel and suspicious. Once they were Christians, but now they are bigoted adherents of Islam. They have herds of sheep and cattle, and practise agriculture.