EX-LEGIONARY AS “KING”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17233, 12 April 1930, Page 3

EX-LEGIONARY AS “KING”

CHALLENGE IQ MOORS “WHITE SLAVES” •*' " 1 / 7'* , v - s • 4 S ORAN (Algeria), Feb. 19. The French military expedition which is being organised to search for General Fernandez Silvestre, the supposed survivor- of the Annoual massacre, and other ‘‘white slaves'' in the hands of liomad tribes, is leaving southern Motwco at the end of this week. ‘ Major Bottolu, of the Spanish Army, who is to accompany the expedition as the special representative of the Spanish Government, arrived at Oran yesterday with his staff, and is leaving to-morrow for -Colomb-Bechar and Eirfoud. ’ He said to-day that although General Betfenguer, the Spanish Prime Minister, is'sceptical of finding Silvestre alive, a former Spanish soldier who had been taken prisoner by the Moors about the samb time and had been held a pi iso Delever since, recently made his way to Spain, and reported that there are. a number of Spanish soldiers still held prisoners. This man believes that lie recognised General Silvestre among them, although he did not see him closely. '•‘The search is not to be carried out in the Sahara proper, but in the wild, unpacified Tasilalet district in the High Atlas mountains known as the “Moroccan Sahara.” DESERTERS’ REFUGE. jjJ'X. j ... This district, which is a refuge for the many deserters from the French Foreign Legion, has never been brought under French control. A former Alsatian sergeant in the legion, named 'Schwitler, is rumored to 'bo ruling the Tasilalet like, a king. It was here that the returned Spanish soldier was held. It is understood that the French military authorities are giving Major Bottola a powerful escort of 1 Foreign Legion units' ’and native partisans for the expedition into the fearsome bandit retreat, but the exact strength of this force is being kept a secret. The Klfrenchi intelligence service has also enlisted the services of all its informers in the mountains in a supremo effort to clear up the mystery.