The Perdicaris Affair
Ion Hanford Perdicaris (1840-1925) was a Greek-American lawyer, painter, and philanthropist. He owes his fame to the business that bears his name.
He was born in Athens, Greece and spent his childhood in New Jersey in the United States of America. His father was the United States consul in Greece. His family will make a fortune in the exploitation of gas. In the 1880s, Ion and his parents will migrate to Morocco in Tangier where they will build the mansion "Place of Nightingale", (the place of the nightingales), in the heart of the Rmilate forest in the north of the city, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, surrounded by 70 hectares of forest. Ion will organize huge parties in his mansion mixing social events and diplomatic affairs, mixing diplomats, politicians and spies from the nations represented in the city of Detroit. His wife Ellen was the president of Tangier's main charity.
In May 1904, Ion was kidnapped along with his son-in-law Cromwell Varley, during an attack by a hundred bandits led by Moulay Ahmed Raisuni, leader of a "rebellion" movement " in the north of Morocco. The previous year he had also kidnapped Times correspondent Walter Harris Thomson.
Raisuni demanded a ransom of $70,000 in exchange for the release of Ion Perdicaris.
"Perdicaris alive or Raisuli Dead!"
The case took an international turn when Theodore Roosvelt in the middle of the campaign for his re-election to the American presidency and in need of publicity, took hold of the case. He demanded from the Sultan of Morocco that Ion Perdicaris be released, and he sent Navy warships to the Bay of Tangier. The American Secretary of State, Hay, was lent the famous slogan "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead"
On June 24, 1904, Perdicaris was released thanks to the good office offers of the Cherif de Ouazzane, Raisuni obtained his ransom as well as the title of Pasha of Tangier, Ion Perdicaris left Morocco and returned to the United States. He will travel across the country where he will give lectures on his misadventure in Morocco. He will even write a guide on how to have fun while being kidnapped: "How to enjoy captivity with Raisul by his former Captive Mr.Ion Perdicaris". He eventually moved to England where he died in 1925.
As for Raisuni, after obtaining his position as Pasha he was finally dismissed two years later. He will be fought by the forces of the Protectorate and he will take refuge in the Rif region where he will die in 1925.
Long after the outbreak of this affair, it was revealed that Ion Perdicaris was no longer American at the time of the facts since he had renounced his American nationality. This information was kept confidential by Secretary of State Hay and will not be known until 1933.
"The Lion and the Wind"film by John Milius, released in 1975, with Sean Connery and Candice Bergen, retraces this story in a romantic way.
