20 NOVEMBER 1909, Page 18

The special correspondent of the Times with the Spanish army

in Morocco announced in Thursday's paper that the time allowed for the Riff chiefs to come to Melilla to hear General Marina's terms had elapsed, and the chiefs bad not come. This was only to be expected. When the Riffs enter into negotiations they generally want a few days of quiet for agriculture or as a breathing-space. The correspondent says that General Marina proposes to march on the village of Barraca, which is on the edge of the Beni Bu Ifror district. The men of this village are said to be the instigators of all the trouble. Apparently General Marina does not intend to try to penetrate the Beni Bu Ifror, but only to destroy, or at least to render uninhabitable, this one village. We understood that the Spanish Government had decided against a further advance, and meant only to enclose and defend the territory already occupied. We do not suppose that General Marina's new movement can accomplish much, but we hope that no further advances will be thought necessary.