The strain will be greatly increased if Spain should not
wholeheartedly or efficiently co-operate with France. M. Matey, representing the French Government, has recently visited Madrid for the purpose of arriving at some co-operative plan. There is, however, a rumour that Spain does not rule out the possibility of an inde- pendent understanding with Abdel Krim. If there should be no co-operation between France and Spain the French would scatter the Riffs only to find that they had reconcentrated in the Spanish zone and were Making preparations to force further trouble on the French at a suitable moment. In France itself the reactions of the Ruffian imbroglio are already apparent. The political enemies of M. Painleve are using events in Morocco as a stick with which to belabour the Govern- ment, and almost for the first time in France one hears strong criticism of Marshal Lyautey, who is accused of having kept ominous facts to himself. Beyond all this there is the ultimate possibility of a dangerous reper- cussion upon the whole international arrangement at 'rangier. The Paris correspondent of the Times says that the total length of the French active front against the Riffs is about 180 miles and the number of French troops engaged is about 40,000. Reinforcements are still arriving from Algeria and from France.
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