Diplomacy of War

If it had not been for the numerous discussions of the war between France and the Riffians (TIME, May 11 et seq.), it would have been impossible to imagine that there was a war in Morocco; for all that a few miserable, North African despatches had to say last week was confined to the vague fact that the Riffians attacked, were repulsed.

From numerous other sources came the news that France had ordered large quantities of munitions from the Skoda factories in Czecho-Slovakia; that France and Spain, in conference at Madrid, had decided to blockade the Riff coastline; that Abd-el-Krim, Riff leader, was using old A. E. F. equipment.

In Paris, discussions of the war dominated the sessions of the Chamber of Deputies. Premier Paul Painleve, who returned from his visit to the front (TIME, June 22), made important reports in secret to the committees of the Chamber. To this procedure the Communists strenuously objected and were quieted only by the strong hands of a dozen or so sergeant-at-arms. Socialists were in a state of flux and could not make up their minds whether to support the Government's Moroccan policy or range themselves definitely with the Opposition. As a vote on this point was postponed, they were left in their quandry.

Startling discoveries of Communist activities were made by the Paris police. In a campaign which sent 120 men to prison, the police entered the house of Deputy Doriot, Communist leader, seized important documents relative to Morocco, including an offensive plan against the French for the Riffian Army and a considerable amount of correspondence from French officers on the Moroccan front, much of which had apparently been stolen. Proceedings against Deputy Marty, another Communist, were pending, for an article which he contributed to L'Humanite, Communist newspaper, in which he incited French troops to disobedience.

In the Riff, an unknown person managed to obtain interviews with Abd-el-Krim, who declared that he was ready to discuss peace terms with the French as soon as they wished. A communication to the outside world spoke of "our struggle against those who seek to act tyrannically against us and deprive us of the blessing of the enjoyment of those sacred rights without which a man cannot be described as human.

"With all such as may desire to filch these gifts we wish to live in peace and harmony, yea, even in open sincere amity, as without them we also cannot live a life of progress or rise to that greatness and glory which do honor to the sons of men. This is the substance of my ideas. It interprets all my proposals, all of which you know. Peace." (Signed) "ABD-EL-KRIM, El Khattabi.