The Mail-Journal, Volume 8, Number 1, Milford, Kosciusko County, 3 February 1971 — Page 6

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — We<U Feb. X 1971

6

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V MEET with AMBASSADOR — Members of the National Newspaper Association touring African emerging nations, of which Mr. and Mrs. Arch Baumgartner of Milford are a part, are shown

Morocco Takes ‘Giant Step’ Into Middle Os 20th Century

By ARCH BAUMGARTNER CASABLANCA. Morocco — I've always been skeptical of “instant experts ’ on a foreign country, but after 96 hours in Morocco, m northwestern Africa, we have already formed certain opinions For one. we were amazed to learn that the Kasbah which French actor Charles Boyer had American women swooning over is not a local bar. but. m fact, a fortress city; we learned that pigeon pie is a rich delicacy. and that it is no doubt the famous local dnnk. heavily-sugared mint tea (hotl that is making the persistent assault on my intestinal tract We reached this leg m a fivewet* trip of emerging African nations on a tour sponsored by the National Newspaper Association If the remainder is as eye-openmg as the first four days, we should be in for a good time

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Freedom Only 15 Years It may interest many to know Morocco has had its freedom from France only 15 years — November 18. 1956 and since this time this tiny country of only 15 million people has been attempting to lift itself by the bootstraps, hoping to land in the last half of the 20th century . It has had such a long way to go. but it is making phenomenal progress To illustrate this, let me cite a tourist booklet concerning education: “From October 1956 to October 1966. some 7.500 classrooms were built from elementary schools and 3,000 for secondary schools ( “In October 1966. about 230.000 pupils were allowed in schools when in October 1966. there were 1.068.394 in elementary schools In colleges, there were only 13,367 students in 1956 while there were 240.539 in 1966 In high studies, from less than 3.000 students in 1966 they were about 15.000 in

here with U.S. Ambassador Stuart Rockwell following their briefing and mutual discussion session Tuesday night. Jan. 26. The Ambassador is the sixth person from the left.

1966.” This progress is being seen in all phases of Moroccan life, thanks to the enlightened policies of youthful (401 King Hassan 11. Our first glimpse of the history of this country came on Tuesday night when our group of 17 were guests of U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Stuart Rockwell at. the American Embassy. He outlined the country’s history from the Berbers and their capture by the Arabs, told Us of their occupation by Spain and then by France from 1912 to 1956. It was American president Franklin D. Roosevelt who gave Morocco its main thrust for independence in World War II when he met here m Casablanca with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Mohammed V of Morocco. Roosevelt told Mohammed the American people would support their desire for independence. The tall, urbane American Ambassador who had been in

Iran before coming to Morocco, is a native of Pennsylvania. After his briefing, he was eager to know from us what the news was from the United States. He wanted to know about campus unrest, the economy and the recent elections. At the Embassy he had all American Aide personnel on hand to answer questions for us. One man I met Dr. Carl Ferguson, about my own age, who is with the American Food program here in Morocco. He is a small town lad from southern Missouri who received his PhD in agriculture at the University of Missouri and is working here to improve farming methods. He states the Moroccan farm has been fragmented by an old policy ol a father leaving his land to his wife, oldest son and oldest daughter. In a few generations everyone is working a small tract. He also said farm labor ranges from a man with a hoe to a large tractor, and between are at

least 15 combinations. i.e., a donkey, a donkey and a camel, a camel and an oxen, etc. Wednesday At Fes On Tuesday, our first full day in Morocco, we toured the capital city of Rabat, including the U.S. Information Service. These men are doing a good job of telling the American story, and were planning for the Sunday, Jan. 31, Apollo 14 moonshot. Their little theater will be equipped with it will be jammed with eager viewers, we were told The program is teaching English classes to 1,500 Moroccans in the several capital cities, using Dirhams the U.S. has stored up with the sale of wheat to pay instructors. It should be said Arabic is the native language, French next, and English is a close third. On Wednesday. Jan 27, we took our bus to Fes, cultural center of Morocco. and while there we visited the Medina, or central city, where the streets are about 10 feet wide packed with teeming people, donkeys carrying heavy loads. The shops are so tiny only one person can get behind the counter. While some of fhem sell food, we never ventured to try any. En route to Fes we visited Voubilis. a town recently unearthed which was built when the Romans occupied this territory. We were told the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra walked here with her husband Juda 11. Earlier Wednesday morning a formal invitation was pushed under our door at the plush Rabat Hilton, inviting us to cocktails with the Minister of Information, including the usual sil vous plaix. We had our tour director, Dick Westerfield, publisher of the Fayette County Union at West Union, lowa, to call that we couldn't make it. While at Fes. however, a Christopher Ross of the Cultural Center at Fes looked us up in the Medina and told us it was most important that we make the meeting with the Minister of Information. Our failure to do so could be construed as a slight, a no-no in diplomatic terms. And so w’e did: we rushed, back from Fes. missing the part of our trip to Meknes. We found the entire American presence at' the cocktail hour, including the ambassador. We also met with the Minister of Commerce and with a 25-year-old understudy from the Department of Tourism. Giant Step Part of the Moroccan Giant Step into the 20th century includes bringing industry to this rural country, but more than that, the country has its eye on tourism dollar. .Already there is the Rabat Hilton, the Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn at Marrechech

where we visited today. Both were opened in 1969. Until now most tourists have come from Europe to the beaches of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. But the jet airplane has brought America even closer, and this is why officials here appear to want us to tell the Moroccan story. Around Rabat and Fes we found women with their faces covered, wearing long dark garments, and men riding donkeys everywhere. The little farm patches that dotted the countryside made life appear dreary and unpromising. But as we drove to Marrechech today we found more fertile land and larger farms. We drove along the base of the Atlas Mountains, tallest in Africa, and saw their snow-covered slopes, making for a study in contrast. Meet King Hassan II King Hassan II sent word that he would receive us at his Palace at Fes on Thursday night, Jan. 28. We doned our best attire and manners and returned from Rabat to Fes for the audience. The opulence of his Palace, inside and out. is from the pages of the Arabian Knights. The King received each of us and talked at some length of the problems of his people and what they must do to be a full partner in the world of nations. He asked our help. We all took photos of the King, and had others take our pictures with him with our cameras. This we did. and 10, when we tried to rewind the roll of film, we forgot to press the release button on the camera. The film snapped loose from the spool and came tumbling out in our face when we opened the camera. No pictures. This was a real disappointment. (Note: On this particular roll was a photo of Della riding a camel, a photo we wanted the worst way.) After the audience with King Hassan 11. we flew from Fes to Rabat then on to Casablanca in ' a German Fokker. We are being put up here at the LaMonsour. an old hotel in the heart of Casablanca. Casablanca has a population of 14 million residents, and is located on the Atlantic Ocean. It reminds one very much of Paris. France. Tomorrow we plan to tour Casablanca before flying to Las Palmas, capital city of the Canary Islands. To Marrechech TodayToday we went to Marrechech, itself only 14 hours by auto from the ocean. It was a ride of 250 kilometers (150 miles* through fertile countryside. We had lunch at the famous La Mamounia hotel, and they were quick to tell us Jackie (Kennedy) Onassis stayed here for several days. We spent much of the day in the public market where everything takes place. The fakirs, snake

charmers, dancers, open vendors, and yes, pickpockets ply their trade. In the Medina here streets are slightly wider than in Fes. but still dirty. Everyone hawks a trade. Little boys and facecovered girls dog you to make a sale of some trinket, and girls by the dozens are seen carrying babies on their backs. One thing Morocco has: An abundance of children. Polygamy is partially accountable for this, but not entirely. Contraceptives are unheard of. Our tour guide, Mustapha, tells us his aunt is married to a man who has another wife, and between them they have 30 children! Wherever we took a picture of anyone, the standard price was a Dirham — 20 cents. Where six Dirhams is considered a good day’s pay for a day’s labor, these people have a good thing going in the public market. We found the boys have their territory staked out, and they run one another away from an American they plan to guide. Tney all call themselves Mohammed. Meet Marrechech Administrator We were invited to the Marrechech city hall for ap audience with the Pacha de la ville (or administrator or mayor), Chajai Jilali. He. too. turned out to be young (in his 40s) and quickly got around to tourism. He repeated King Hassan 11, stating Morocco plans to build motels for 30.000 beds. He told us they have taken pains to have good water and clean, sanitary places for tourists. I had*just come from the city hall rest room and found it abominable. I felt like suggesting he could start right there. Without drawing any broad conclusions about Morocco. I see promise for this emerging nation. The U.S. alone is pouring SSO million a year into the country in agricultural development. Technical aid is also coming in from Poland and Germany, among other nations, I was surprised to learn. For a country that is geared to its ancient Islamic religious customs, its treadmill methods of production, it will be a while in coming. King Hassan II is the moving force right now and he has a youthful cabinet to help him. Half of the county’s 15 million inhabitants are under 25 years of age. And herein lies considerable hope As Ambassador Rockwell told me Wednesday night. “Morocco doesn’t have any heavy industry and few automobiles, but it doesn’t have pollution-either.” A point to ponder. Tomorrow, Saturday. Jan. 30, we fly to Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands. There will, be more coming from there.

Senior Citizens Attend Travelogue The Turkey Creek Senior Citizens were guests last Thursday night of the Kiwanis club at Syracuse for a travelogue series presentation at Wawasee high school. The program was narrated by Albert Kerlof, a native of Belgium, educated in Paris, and his wife served as projectionist. The third in the series, the Thursday event gave slides of the coast guard ice breakers, underground tunnel labs and radio and radar rooms, at the South Pole. Kerlof noted the temperature at times reaches 170 degrees below zero and snow fall, while not heavy, can cover buildings in a single night due to wind velocity. Senior citizens of the local club in attendance were Mrs. Amanda Davidsen of Milford, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kimes of Prerceton and Syracuse residents Mrs. Frank Bates, Mrs. Georgia Buster, Mrs. Marguerite Forrest, Mrs. Chester Stiffler, Mrs. Nora Firestone, Mrs. Helen Overstreet. and Mrs. Valerie Hughes. CORRECTION ON BIRTH DATE Mr. and Mrs. Robert Johnson of Nekoosa. Wis.; are the parents of their fourth child, Eric Shane, born January 19 instead of the date printed in last week’s paper. The baby weighed seven pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19 inches long. The mother is the former Patty Wyland. She resided in Milford with her family during her school days. During her senior year she resided with the Vernon May family moving to Wisconsin after her’ graduation. RALPH ENOCHS VISIT FLORIDA AND NASSAU Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Enoch of Wawasee have returned from five weeks vacation to Florida and Nassau. Their son and family, Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Peterson and Rony from Clemson university, S. C.» spent the holidays with them in Florida. After the Petersons returned home, Mr. and Mrs. Enoch spent a week in Nassau. Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Thomas of Syracuse also spent the holidays in Florida with the Enochs. Barbara Ray of Milford was surprised Sunday when 'Mrs. Louise Hoffman of Mishawaka, Earl Bechtel from South Bend, and Earl’s three sons. Gary, Brian, and Stuart Bechtel of Syracuse brought their dinner to help her celebrate her birthday which was on Monday.