Paris, Aug. 7
A view of the Morocco. situation very" different from the semi (ficial optimism which has hitherto Permented everything told to the French public, appears in the {Temps from' the pen of M. Reginal Kann, As an officer having fate part in the military operat-dons, he naturally abstains from criticizing the manner in which these berations were carried out, but bbe does not hesitate to say' that the Government has seriously unde! estimated the gravity of the Dosition, and that for the past three fowls) France, without realising Morocco altogether ju danger of losing'
Since the end of April, says M. Kann, nearly every day has been marked" by" the abandonment of pome outpost, the defection of some jection of a native tribe, and loss Of ground. These events have either been left unmentioned or re-resented us unlmportag and ex: Plained by the convenient word infiltrations." This was done, no doubt, with the best intentions. Tt ras hoped that the upper hand ould be gained and that the truth could then be told without creating an unpleasant impression, Unfortunately the position went from bad to worse. The result. was hat when, after Taza was within din ace of being lost and when it was Inrge reinforcements must be sent, there was some difficulty in explain. ing why. It was like asking the country to make a big effort after repeatedly telling it that was necessary. Another mistake was Ju the attitude adopted towards Abdel Krim, who is simply an adventurer, 'M, Painlevé publicly stated that although Abdel Krim was the aggressor the French were isposed to moke peace and would not carry the operation into his country. This was nothing less than fan encouragement to Abdel Krim, and, like other Parliamentary utterances, it had a bad effect on the morale of the French troops. Every French newspaper received at the front contained something to the effect that there was no neod of reinforcements, that the enemy were poorly anned, and that although a small number of fresh troops would bbe sent, it would simply be to relieve those already at the front and not to carry on operations which nobody wanted.
The people who made these statements overlooked one rather important point, namely, that in warfare there are two parties to he considered, and that while the French might not want any more fighting, Abdel Keim was of an rely different opinion, as he has since shown very clearly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.