SLAVES IN MOROCCO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18350, 14 September 1921, Page 6

SLAVES IN MOROCCO

Slavery and trading in slaves still flourish in the unconquered districts of, both the French and" Spanish zones of Morocco Isays a Brooklyn Eagle correspondent). Inrt.ncea of white people being sold' into Slavery have been very rare, but/there 1 ere slavemarkets for the sale and purchase of coloured people in the districts to which French and Spanish rule has not reached, i The traffic vanes according to the economic situation of the tribesmen, who, when they are in funds, do not hesitate to give high prices for slaves to be used as servants. Slaves so purchased become personal property of the family into which they are bought, and are disposed of by testament when ■ the proprietor dies. A slave-owner may give his slave a wife from among his other slaves, bought in the same way, and the children of these marriages

become slaves of the same owner. The prices paid for slaves vary considerably. Generally, the age is the chief consideration, but in gii'l slaves beauty calls for the highest prices. Seven hundred and fifty pesetas (about £2O at the present rat© of exchange) is about the maximum figure ever paid,, and this only in the case of a young and handsome girl. Should the human merchandise have passed the age of 35 or 40, the price paid is about 400 pesetas, never more. All purchases ais made conditionally bn the slaves ; proving*

satisfactory. A close examination is mad® of the slave's mouth to see whether he or she possesses a complete set of teeth. Proof® are required that the slave is neither weaksighted nor deaf and dumb, while limbs are tested and muscles tried, and every part of the body subjected to minute inspection in order to discover physical defects. For women slaves three days’ trial of their domestic aptitudes is demanded before tha purchase is completed. Such are the conditions of the slave trade in Morocco at the present day.

Returning to the subject of Ratapa’s healing, the Church Gazette says there appears to be a good 'deal of haziness abroad as regards the meaning of faith-heating. What do we mean by it? Do we mSan healing by suggestion; that is, by the suggestive power of the prayer of faith acting on the mind of the patient, or do we mean healing by the direct action of God in answer to prayer? There is no doubt that some functional disorders can be healed by suggestion, but not organic diseases or physical deformities. Has there been one scientifically authenticated cure of an absolutely blind person by Katana's agency? Gan one cure of cancer or of some physical deformity be produced? But whether the euros are the result of suggestion or

other forms of medical skill, they are all ultimately due to the Divine activity. It is a serious mistake to imagine thjit God's agency is more real in extraordinary events, such as miraculous cures, than in ordinary happenings, such as cures by suggestion, or by medicine, or surgery. In order that no one may mistake our attitude to tho work of Katana we want to make it quite

clear that we do not deny that remarkable cures may have taken place. We think that Katana’s work is worthy of thorough

scientific investigation; that all the evidence should be carefully sifted and examined by experts; that the actual facts should be sorted out from the indefinite mass of rumours and report. Until the facts have been collected • and classified, the task of explaining and interpreting them cannot be rationally undertaken. “When he saw the enemy coming he turned and ran. I call that cowardice.” “Not at all. It was strategy. He remembered that the earth is round, and he intended to run round and attack the enemy in the rear.”