NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE French relief force which is on its way to Fez makes little progress. It only managed to restart from El Kunitra on Thursday. The official reason given for the delay is that it has been unexpectedly difficult to provision the troops, though it may be that dread of provoking European complications is acting as a brake on military movements; and will continue to do so unless the situation of Europeans in Fez is proved to require an instant dash on the capital. The troops certainly cannot live on the country, and the work of landing supplies at Mehedia, or sending them by the longer overland route from Casa Blanca, is slow and laborious. Moreover, the lines of com- munication have to be secured. A French expedition from Algeria might be less difficult, but it appears to be forbidden, as the Paris correspondent of the Times says, by fear of stirring up the tribes to the south- east of Fez, and of hurting Spanish susceptibilities. Mean- while, food is said to be running short at Fez. The newly- proclaimed Sultan, Hula el Zin, has written an apologetic letter to the Times correspondent at Tangier, saying in effect that he has to be Sultan because he cannot help it. It is apparently the desire of both loyalists and rebels not to hurt the Europeans at Fez.
