NEWS OF THE WEEK.
SERIOUS and tragic events have happened in Morocco; and parts of Casa Blanca and its environs have been bombarded by French and Spanish warships. Fighting was almost incessant in the town from Monday till Wednesday, when Admiral Philibert arrived and landed a considerable force. of French sailors, and terrible reports are arriving of pillage and massacre. Tile streets are said to be strewn with dead bodies, and a large part of the town is in ruins. Many Jews have been murdered in their own quarter of the town. The French Consulate was besieged for three days, but the British Consulate appears to have been untouched. The action of France and Spain in seeking to exact penalties for the recent massacre of Europeans at Casa Blanca, and in landing troops to restore order, is in literal accordance with the terms of the Algeciras Act which gives those Powers the right to police Casa Blanca and six other ports. In that sense it has the unqualified .approval.of Germany and all the rest of Europe. As the Paris .correspondent- of = the Times points out • there could be no better proof of the need of quick and adequate intervention than the fact that the Makbzan, uttering failing to perceive, or wilfully ignoring, the gravity of the situation, has sent agents to Casa Blanca, where they will have even less power than the Governor himself, with some ammunition and three hundred francs (B12) for the troops. By this one may measure the value of the assurances from Fez that all the Governors of towns and ports are being impressed with the necessity of protecting Europeans.
