‘What has been done to them is an offence against Treaties and common justice. He who demands his right has no pretext for needless, inhuman violence and brutality, nor is such action compatible with dealings between the nations. Nor is there wrong to any (Power) in our nation deposing its Monarch on reasonable grounds. He has proved his incapacity, he has neglected every interest of the State, and he has followed a line of conduct which would not be tolerated by the believers of any faith. I call your attention to the terrible calamity which has afflicted the people of Morocco, relying upon your well-known frank recognition of the truth. Thus you can hardly keep silence on what has happened and is happening in this country. From time immemorial your folk have lived among us, for trade and other purposes, without any object of filching our land, exactly as they would live in other friendly countries, and in the manner laid down in the Madrid Convention, which was framed upon a knowledge of the conditions of life in Morocco. ‘It may be you have heard rumours of a declaration of war (_Jehad_). That declaration was made solely with the object of calming the exasperation of my people at the wholly unjust invasion of their land and the occupation of their soil. These invaders are to-day preventing our people from carrying on their everyday affairs according to our time-honoured customs. I was desirous of appointing Governors in Shawia who should be responsible to myself for the preservation of order, but obstacles [the French army--F.M.] were placed in my way, and to avoid a conflict which would have led to terrible bloodshed I abstained. My one desire is to restore tranquillity among my people, so as to bring back general welfare.