Steeg v. Blue Men

Bag-eyed, white-bearded Theodore Steeg, Senator and onetime Premier of France (1930-31), sailed last week from Marseille to Morocco. With him went a detachment of doctors, hygiene experts officials from the Finance Ministry and officers of the General Staff, on a pressing mission.

Not only as a politician but as a career colonial administrator did Theodore Steeg make his reputation. After serving as Minister of the Interior, to whom all French police are responsible, from 1912 through the War until 1920, he served as Governor-General of Algeria for four years, then was given the difficult task of succeeding France's late great colonial administrator, bristle-topped Marshal Louis Hubert Lyautey, as Resident General of Morocco. He did well enough in the four years he held the post to win him the task he was faced with last week, the most serious crisis French Morocco has seen since the time of Abd-el-Krim.

Over the jagged rim of the Atlas Mountains, which cut diagonally across the bulge of northwestern Africa, live the Tuaregs, fiercest of North African tribesmen. Known as the Blue Men, the Tuaregs swath their bodies in robes of cheap indigo-dyed cotton that dyes their skins a permanent blue color.

In 1934 the might of French arms finally calmed the Tuaregs. They laid down their weapons, agreed to settle in small oases on the fringe of the desert, raise sheep and goats.

The world hailed this as a great triumph of French civilization. The Tuaregs settled down, but for two years practically no rain fell. This winter the rain failed again. The goats and cattle died, the wells dried up, the date palms withered. The 240,000 Blue People were starving to death and with them 1,300,000 neighboring Berbers. As many as 200,000 actually died. Folding their tents, loading their mangy camels, 1,000,000 of them started a grim, slow march north toward the Atlas and the more fertile lands beyond.

Over the mountains there is no room for 1,000,000 tribesmen. French settlers and more sedentary tribes have long preempted all the available cork forests, vineyards, barley fields. Suddenly alive to its danger, the Government last week sent Administrator Steeg and his party to the scene of the hunger march, and voted $2,250,000 relief money to match $450,000 which the Banque d'Etat de Maroc has already put up to buy food for the starving tribes. Distribution of free barley and mutton has already started.

The sum was not large enough. There can be no rain until next January, seven months. The relief fund would mean trying to keep 1,500,000 people alive that length of time at a little less than 2-c- a day a head. Tuareg tempers grew no better when, upon the first distribution of relief grain several weeks ago, many died from wolfing barley, then drinking water. The Government moved again, talked loudly of a great program of well-drilling and reservoir-building south of the Atlas. The Tuaregs have little interest in reservoirs for the future, they want food now, and France cannot let them cross the mountains. Fascist propaganda, though not yet as serious in Morocco as in Tunisia, is a deep worry to French Moroc can officials. Shrewd diplomacy on the part of General Charles Nogues, present Resident General of Morocco, has reduced a nationalist Arab league known as the Jeunes Marocains to comparative impotence. But should the Tuaregs go over the passes, they might easily kindle a major rebellion.

In this situation colonial officers on the spot gave heartiest thanks for Spain's General Franco. Tempting offers of full canteens and salaries to fight for Fascist Spain have won hundreds of hungry tribesmen over the frontier, and French frontier officials have almost broken their necks turning their heads the other way.

Last week, with every French army post along the southern slope of the Atlas doubly reinforced with new troops. Theo dore Steeg had the uncomfortable knowledge as he approached Morocco that if miraculous rain came, or if he could some how halt the advancing Blue Men. he would be a hero to the nation. Otherwise he might have to shoulder the blame for a great and bloody massacre.

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