Ransom

While the four French prisoners captured by Berber bandits last month (TIME, Oct. 31) languished in unknown circumstances, a French emissary and a tribal chieftain, one Sheik Ben Naceur, bargained last week for their ransom.

In the manner of the East, the conversations, held in the foothills of the Atlas mountains, begun by long and polite exchanges. Even then the point could not be broached directly. A long, a very long list of topics must be discussed before the word "ransom" could be even mentioned by inuendo. Thus the parley went on for some days.

Finally, the Moorish emissary of the captor of the French men and women said that much money must be paid. How much ? Oh, a very great deal. What else ? Large supplies of food would be acceptable. What kind of food? Oh, many kinds of food. Food for men or food for guns? Perhaps, food for men. What else? The Sheik thought some knives and a lot of other things would be very acceptable. Well, to begin again, how much money? Ah, said the Sheik, there is something more important. We must have a phonograph. That was the only thing about which Sheik Naceur was certain.

Eventually he was persuaded to ask for 1,500,000 francs (about $60,000), but he refused to be drawn out about the food supply and the manufactured goods. The French Emissary said that he could not pay so much and the parley was adjourned until the Sheik could talk over the negotations with his chief.

The probabilities are that the Sheik was instructed to ask for a sum far in excess of $60,000, for the Berber tribes are shrewd and well know the value of their prisoners, two of whom are related to M. Theodore Steeg, French Resident General. The French, on the other hand, will never let it be known how much they pay for ransom, for their prestige is at stake, and prestige in Morocco is all important.