In Morocco the French and the Spaniards co-operated last week
in a bombardment of the coast round Alhucemas, and Spanish troops after one repulse made a landing there on Tuesday. Abd-el-Krim seems to strike blows which must be very distracting to those who try to prepare a concentration against him. Marshal Lyautey remains in Paris, leaving Marshal Petain a free hand in the field. The news from Syria is very confused and Paris seems to get less information than other capitals. This inevit- ably arouses the suspicion, which we hope is mistaken, that General Sarrail's reports are withheld from the public by the Government. Ever since the disorders when Lord Balfour visited Damascus, we have felt that there was serious discontent of which the trouble `with the Druses is not an isolated symptom, though the most serious one that has yet flared up. The French cannot feel comfortable in having to rely so much on Moslem troops in Syria and Morocco.
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