Morocco

Meanwhile, Marshal Lyautey had sent in his resignation to the French Government (Sept. 24, 1925), and was succeeded (Oct. 6) by M. Theodore Steeg, who had just been successful as Governor-General of Algeria. A new sultan, Mulai Mohammed, succeeded his father on Nov. 17, 1927.

The Sultan and the Makhzen.

In accordance with Muslim law and traditions, the Sultan remains, not only the head and tutor of the whole Sharifian house, but the only legislator. His dahirs, countersigned by the Resident-General, are binding, as laws, even on the French residents and colonists in Morocco. His Makhzen (Central Government) is composed of the grand wazir, and the wazirs, or ministers of justice, domains, habus (land or houses the perpetual usufruct of which is given up by their owners for religious, charitable or public uses), and public instruction; and the presidents of the High Sharifian Tribunal and of the Tribunal of Appeal of the Chraa (Islamic law, as opposed to Berber custom).

The Pashas, Kaids, Kadis and the Berber Customs.—Out side their courts, pashas in the towns, and kaids in the country, represent the temporal authority of the sultan (as opposed to his religious authority, represented by the kadis), have also certain penal powers, and act as judges in cases where movables and commercial matters are concerned. His religious and judicial authority is vested in the kadis, local judges, who are in reality religious magistrates, the civil and family status (including in heritance) of a Muslim being regulated by the Koran. The judicial competency of the kadi has even been partly maintained in the matter of the acquisitions of landed property (art. 6o of the Act of Algeciras). Hence the importance of the Ministry of Justice. But when land has been immatriculated (see below), it falls under the new land laws and French jurisdiction. On the other hand, care was taken by Lyautey to preserve, as far as possible, among the Berber tribes, the customs (izref) to which they are deeply attached. Disputes as to personal status, prop erty, etc., are settled by the djemaas (popular assemblies), accord ing to custom.

The "municipalities" created by Lyautey, and in which the Moors and the French are given an opportunity of collaborating under the double guidance of the Pasha and a French "Civil Controller," have not been constituted on a uniform model (election of the Moorish members in the very important intel lectual and commercial centre of Fez for instance; elsewhere, nominated, etc.). The authority of the kaids was not allowed the same play near the fighting front as in the south, where the three great feudal lords, the Glawi, the M'tuggi and the Gundafi (the last two died in 1928) wielded great local powers and were left free to use them. The habus (see above), or

wakfs, an essentially Muslim institution, were respected but were reorganized. In 1912, owing to maladministration, the receipts of the liabu ministry only amounted to Fr. 1,870,000. In 1926, they had risen to Fr. 9,000,00o with a cash balance of Fr. 3,000,000, relieving the Moroccan budget from the expenses relative to the salaries of a great number of religious professors in the medersas; of the numerous fonctionnaires of the mosques (imams, khatibs, muezzins, etc.) ; of the upkeep of the mosques themselves, and the zauias, mausolea, etc.

The Central Services.

The whole administration is under the authority of the "Commissaire, Resident General" (decree June 11, 1912) assisted by a delegate to the Makhzen, and a secretary general of the Protectorate. The central administration, which is entirely concentrated at Rabat, comprises (I) the af ore said general secretariat, to which are attached the following serv ices : civil control, personnel, legislation, general administration, penal justice; and the special direction of native affairs and intelligence service (in the military zones) ; and the following "directions generales": (2) finance; (3) public works; (4) agri culture, commerce, industry and colonization (with the forest and the land survey and registration) ; (5) public instruction, fine arts and antiquities; (6) public health; (7) post, telegraph and telephone office.

The "Exterior Services"; the "Civil Controller."—The exterior services are in the hands of a staff of "civil controllers"— the pivot of administration, as is the district officer in British India, a sort of "Jack-of-all-trades of the Protectorate," omni scient, work-beridden, who must be informed (and inform the Rabat headquarters) of everything that is going on, advise and watch the pashas, kaids and kadis, know the "notables" and headmen, help the French colonists, audit the native provident societies, give his reasoned opinion on the roads and public works projected, keep an eye on the collecting of the taxes, secure harmony between the French and the Moorish population, etc. They are distributed among the civil regions (Ujda, Eastern Morocco), the Gharb (Khenifra), Rabat, the Shawia and autono mous circumscriptions (Doukhala, Mazagan) ; Abda (Safi); Shiadma (Mogador) ; Oued Zem, etc. There are four regions (Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes and Taza). These regions gen erally correspond to the habitat of a leading tribe; and the tribal distribution itself is, in most cases, commanded by the physical features of the country.