therwise would not have been heard of.

Now all is changed; Great Britain, France, Spain and Germany maintain
head postal offices in Tangier, the British being subject to that of
Gibraltar, whose stamps are used. All have courier services down the
coast, as well as despatching by steamer, and some maintain inland
mails conveyed by runners. The distance from Tangier to Fez, some
hundred and fifty miles, is covered by one man on foot in about three
days and a half, and the forty miles' run from Tangier to Tetuan is
done in a night for a dollar, now less than three shillings.

But a more enlightened Sultan sees the advantage it would be to him,
if not to all parties, to control the distribution of the growing
correspondence of both Europeans and natives, the latter of whom
prefer to register their letters, having very little faith in their
despatch without a receipt. And as Mulai Abd el Aziz is willing
to join the Postal Union, provided that the service is placed in
efficient European hands there is no reason why it should not be
united in one office, and facilities thereby increased.

France, however, in joining the conference, has quite another end in
view than helping others to bolster up the present administration, and
that is to obtain a formal recognition by all concerned, including
Morocco, of the new position created by her agreement with Great
Britain. That is to say, without permitting her action to be
questioned in any way, she hopes to secure some show of right to what
at present she possesses only by the might of herself and her friends.
She has already agreed with Germany to recognize her special claim for
permission to "police" the Morocco-Algerian frontier, and those who
recall the appropriation of Tunisia will remember that it originated
in "policing" the Khomair--known to the French as "Kroumirs"--on the
Tunisian frontier of Algeria.

It is, indeed, a curious spectacle, a group of butchers around the
unfortunate victim, talking philanthropy, practising guile: two of the
strongest have at last agreed between themselves which is to have the
carcase, but preparations for the "pacific" death-thrust are delayed
by frantic appeals for further consultation, and by the refusal of
one of their number who had been ignored to recognize the bargain.
Consultation is only agreed to on conditions which must defeat its
object, and terms are arranged with the intervener. Everything,
therefore, is clear for the operati