While Morocco was in the grip of a violent revolt led by a pretender to the throne, for his part, Sultan Abdelaziz was preparing a presentation for the International Exhibition of Saint-Louis, with the ambition of highlighting the arts and customs Moroccans.
According to an issue of the newspaper “The Republic” dated July 19, 1903, Sultan Abdelaziz had promised to allocate nearly 200,000 dollars for the Moroccan exhibition. This was to consist of a harem, various Moorish-style buildings and gardens, as well as around fifty horses from the royal stables.
The main challenge facing the Moroccan organizers was transporting the exhibition from Morocco to the United States. Although crossing the Atlantic by boat was relatively easy, the major difficulty was crossing “the rebel lines from Tangier to Fez, where the sultan was besieged“, then to ensure the safety of the exhibition’s journey to Tangier, with a view to its embarkation to the United States.
A perilous journey to Fez
James WS Langerman, commissioner of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and official representative of the Sultan, went to Morocco, accompanied by his secretary, Albert H. Danforth. As part of this special mission, the sultan’s confidant was designated vice consul general of the United States in Tangier. Meticulously prepared for this perilous journey, Langerman left New York to go to Gibraltar, then to Tangier.
En route to Fez, Langerman and his delegation were escorted by “a thousand robust Riffs, from wild tribes residents in mountains“. These served as “bodyguard to the expedition», protection provided by the Moroccan authorities. In addition to this escort, Langerman had planned an arsenal to ensure more secure passage, including “of the riflesof the weapons rapid fire and small cannons“.
The American envoy had not neglected to bring presents intended for the sultan. Langerman offered a variety of ornamental items, among which were “a bust of the monarch cast in bronze, an album bound in red morocco containing portraits of world leaders, as well as various modern inventions such as photographs, in addition to a fast racing horse and a mule”.
“I have been told that it would be impossible to cross rebel lines to reach Fez, but I intend to prove otherwise», declared Commissioner Langerman to the newspaper The Republic before his departure.
“I am fully aware that this undertaking carries risks and dangers, but I have mobilized a large force of fighters, far better armed than the rebel forces, many of whom only have old flintlock muskets, the only weapons which the Moors still know how to make today.”
The trip was supposed to last ten days, according to the American emissary, who welcomed the sultan’s interest in the exhibition: “No other exhibition has ever managed to obtain a contribution from the land of the Moors.»
Detailing the preparations, Langerman explained that the Moroccan exhibition would include a Moorish harem, accessible only to female visitors. “The women of our country will thus be able to compare their fate to that of women secluded in the harem.“, he promised. In addition, the show would include Moroccan merchants “who will erect their curious little stalls, exhibiting typically Moroccan articles “. The Moroccan delegation also included cooks responsible for preparing dishes according to Moroccan culinary traditions for the visitors.
“The fact that the Sultan of Morocco, Abdelaziz, took an active interest in this exhibition and personally supported it demonstrates that, for a man of his entourage, he is remarkably progressivee,” observed the newspaper.
The saddle and the letter
As a sign of courtesy, Sultan Abdelaziz in turn sent a gift to President Theodore Roosevelt. The Moroccan monarch gave Commissioner Langerman a “magnificent Moorish saddle decorated with green, red and gold harnesses » intended for President Roosevelt. This present was accompanied by a letter from the Sultan, written in Arabic and sumptuously calligraphed.
The letter and saddle were presented to the president in Washington. Despite his enthusiasm for the saddle, President Roosevelt was unable to read the letter due to the lack of a translator available in the American capital, as reported by the same newspaper.
The president declared that he had “intended to use the saddle and when he rode it it would cause a sensation because it was the most beautiful saddle in the country“. He also praised relations with Morocco, insisting that the United States was “the only country in the world that has ever been able to establish relations with a sultan of Morocco, to the point that it would actually allow and support his exposure. This is a significant fact“.
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