I am sick of Morocco and its affairs, and am thinking seriously of taking off the galling collar; for I pull and pull, and the vehicle only backs. . . .
One of the Company formed for regenerating Morocco has started for the Court. I am glad; for the Company will learn, I expect, that it is not Drummond Hay who stops the way.
In 1883 the forward policy of France was already producing serious results in Morocco, which seemed in the near future likely to assume still more formidable proportions. Writing from London on October 4, Sir John expresses his fears of the effect of French machinations:—
The action of France appears to be that of paralysing all government and authority of the Sultan by covert proceedings, and, when anarchy takes place, then, perhaps, la Grande Nation hopes to be asked by the civilised world to step in and protest.
In the following spring matters looked very serious, and, after his return from a week’s pigsticking at the ‘Lakes,’ he writes to his sister on the subject, after a short allusion to his favourite sport:—
Ravensrock, May 20, 1884.
We enjoyed our camp life during the first week of May, though for two days it blew an easterly hurricane, which spoilt our sport. Nevertheless fourteen of the enemy were slain. J.’s fine horse badly wounded; also the horse of the Basha’s son.
You will perhaps have seen in the papers contradictory reports about the state of relations between France and Morocco,—telegrams asserting that relations are broken off and flag hauled down; then telegrams declaring that the most friendly relations exist. The fact is Ordega has been blustering here and threatens to break off relations, to march an army across the frontier, to send a fleet and encourage the Sheríf[61] to raise the standard of rebellion and march upon the capital, and that a French force would cross the frontier and support him. All this to obtain the dismissal of Jebar, the Khalífa of Wazan, who was unfriendly to the Sheríf, the protégé of France. Some one of Jebar’s dependants had called the Sheríf’s son an infidel for accepting French protection; upon which the latter seized the Moor and had him flogged and poured boiling water on him. Naturally, a few days afterwards he died. Then Ordega sent a Secretary of Legation to inquire about this, and the Sheríf’s son brought his witnesses to prove that Jebar had poisoned his own dependant[62]!
The Sultan refused to dismiss Jebar without inquiry. Then followed menace upon menace, and finally Ordega left for Paris. The French flag was hauled down, and all letters from Moorish authorities were returned by the Chargé d’Affaires. The impression of course left on the mind of the Sultan and of every one (except myself) was that war was imminent. I telegraphed to my Government, and so did my other colleagues. Lord G. telegraphed back that Ferry assured him the Governments of Morocco and France were on the most friendly relations, and that they had no desire to create disturbance. In the meantime the Sultan appealed to the Austrian, British, German, Italian, and Spanish Governments against the proceedings of Ordega in affording protection to the Sheríf, his sons, and thousands of dependants, and complained that he was fomenting insurrection by sending emissaries to all parts of the Empire to call upon the population to rebel against His Sherifian Majesty’s authority. No reply has as yet been given to this appeal, and the conspiracy continues, backed by the French. I think it probable, however, that Ordega has misled his Government and declared that he has not done what he has done; for he took care not to write his threats, and when a letter was addressed to him containing a repetition of all he had menaced, he would not receive it.
On his arrival in Paris an article appeared in the Gaulois of May 8, signed by the Editor, making calumnious charges regarding the corrupt practices of all the Representatives (myself included) except the German. Then on the 10th, in consequence of the demand of a Spanish diplomat resident at Paris, the Editor retracted as regards Diosdado. I telegraphed to Lord G. that I required retraction and an apology to be inserted in the Gaulois: for the Editor openly declares that he has reported the language held by Ordega to Ferry on May 7, and subsequently communicated to him.