Bitter Victory

Casablanca's daily Maroc-Presse braved threats, bombings and assassinations last year in the classic role of a newspaper sticking courageously to an unpopular editorial position. By urging negotiation with moderate Moroccan nationalists, the paper outraged French extremists, who beat up its staffers, smashed its offices, machine-gunned Publisher Jacques Le-maigre-Dubreuil to death (TIME, Aug. 8). Last fall the crusade triumphed: the French negotiated, just as Maroc-Presse urged, and restored Sultan ben Youssef. But the paper itself did not fare so well as its crusade. After the sultan's return, the suppressed Arab dailies reappeared, and native Moroccans went back to reading them. Maroc-Presse had already alienated most French readers and advertisers.

By the time the paper ran through a trust fund left by its slain publisher, circulation had dived from 55,000 to fewer than 20,000, and wealthy Moroccans would lend no money. Last week Maroc-Presse tasted the bitter fruit of its victory: the paper that bombs could not intimidate folded under the crush of its deficit.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.