AFRICA'S SICK MAN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1171, 5 July 1911, Page 7

AFRICA'S SICK MAN.

POWERS AND MOROCCO,

HAS PARTITION BEEN AGREED UPON. GERMAN MOVE DISCUSSED. By ToleeraDh—Press Association—CoDvriirhl London, July 3. Reports from Madrid state that tho actual landing of German troops has not been confirmed. The "Daily News" denounces the iniquity of tlio threatened partition of Morocco, but declares that not Germany, nor oven Soiiitt, hns torn up the Algeciras Act, but that this had been done solely by the incredibly short-sighted aggression of Franco, with the occupation of Fez. "Our complaint must particularly be addressed to Britain's apparent concurrence," says the "News." The paper adds: "If France, Germany, and Spain have agreed upon partition, the worst outcome of the crisis seems inevitable. Moreover, we are likely to bo uncompensated losers."

The "Daily Mail" states that Morocco's internal danger i 3 past, and the French will shortly bo retiring to the coast. No fresh intervention was needed, least of all in a locality where no European interests were threatened; but Agadir would make an excellent naval base, and it is in this way that Germany has sprung a surprise upon Europe. The "Standard" advocates a fresh friendly conciliatory settlement, adding that if no troops are landed there, is no need for pessimism.

The "Morning Post," in a pessimistic article, says that although it does not anticipate that the peace of Europe will be distivrbcd, the Kaiser had not given orders to the warship Panther without calculating all the possibilities, and receiving an assurance that the Navy was ready for any emergency.

"This fact," declares tho "Post," "should be as a lesson to ourselves as to the necessity of reorganisation of tho Admiralty, with the purpose of qualifying it to givo tho Government trustworthy strategic advice., and, if the Government so purpose, enabling it to take such advice." Tho newspapers recall that, during a vigorous campaign in Germany in 1910, on behalf of tho brothers Mannesmaun, who claimed that they had acquired immense mining concessions in the hinterland of Agadir, it was stated that Germaaj did not intend to support their claim, inasmuch as tlie validity of tho concession was doubtful. This decision caused much resentment in a portion of the German press. The "Cologne Gazette's" allusion to "property as large as a principality," mentioned in ■ yesterday's cable messages, is interpreted as referring to the llannesmann case. . THE PANTHER ARRIVES. INTERESTED POWERS NOTIFIED. , London, July 4. Germany has notified all the signatories of the Algeciras agreement simultaneously of the Panther's arrival at Agadir.

NO LAND FOR FOREIGNERS, GERMANS BLOCKED AT 'AGADIR. (Rec- July 5, 1 a.m.) ,-.■,<:, . Tangier, July .4.-.-, In accordance with tho Algeciras Convention, tho authorities at Agadir lately declined to allow soveral Europeans, including Germans, to acquire land. It is stated thut tho gunboat Panther will shortly be replaced by a cruiser equipped with'wireless telegraphy, THE KAISER AND MOROCCO. SEVEN YEAPiS' HISTORY. In the year 1904 the British aud French Governments agreed thar, owing to tno contiguity of tue boundary between the French North African colonial possesfcions and AJorocco,"it pertains to France to control the peace of Morocco." In German opinion, such an agreement would give France a practical protectorate, with the probable t'uturo amalgamation of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis into a North Alrican empire, to be the chief colony of France. Germany may wed land, but her iar greater need is that of trade opportunity, France is a protectionist country. She might not only prevent Germany from owning any territory in North Africa, but also throttle German trade there. Accordingly, the German Emperor made a sudden visit to Morocco, and the resulting complications led to the calling of an international conference. It met in 1900 at Algeciras, Spain. Its results were to establish a system of native police, for all the commercial ports, under French and Spanish officers, with a Swiss Inspector-General at their head; it brought Moroccan finances into proper banking control, and in such manner that no one nation could gain predominance; finally, it assured fairness of trade relations. .■ The following year MulaiKafid, brother of thp Moroccan Sultan, claimed the throne. He appealed first to Germany for aid, and then elsewhere; he received Germany's moral countenance, defeated his brother, and became Sultan. Later the Casablanca incident occurred. Men of German nationality serving under the French flag in Morocco deserted in the face of the enemy. Germany not only intervened to savo them from pumsnment, but intervened in a town under French martini jurisdiction. The affair was referred to the Hague Court, and the verdict was, on the whole, favourable to 1 ranee.

French Action Resented. The dispa'.ch'of u .French force consequent on tho recent disorders in Morocco has led 'to many protests in Germany that Franco has violated tho Act of Algcciras. Leading German newspapers have for some time past been contending that the Trench occupation of tho capital lias carried with it tho restoration to all Powers of freedom of action. The ••'Kreuss Zeitung," in a recent article, snys that "Conqueror" Monier is now in Fez, and the Sultan absolutely in his hands. A critical moment has arrived for the French to show whether their declarations were meant honourably or not. "We do not believe," it writes, "that tho French Government intends formally to violate the Algecirns Treaty, but it will undoubtedly continue to sin against the spirit of that Treaty. It will continue to ait on the formula: 'The Sultan rules Morocco nnd wo rule the Sultan.*" The French troops will be withdrawn from Fez if only out of consideration for Spain, which would otherwise certainly occupy Tohiain, but a French Consular guard will nuturnlly bo left there for the protection of the Europeans. Morocco is a rich country, rich especially in minerals, and the Union des Mines, a powerful syndicate of mining capitalists, the successful rival of the famous Maiinesmann Brothers, is tho body'most nearly interested in the fortunes of Morocco. The syndicate docs not represent French financial interests only or even mainly, and has as much of the French "nationality" about it as there was British nationality in the minin" companies on the Rand. It is led by Messrs. Schneider et Cio., of Creuzot, and Tlerrn Friedrich Krupp Aktiengescllschnft, of F.ssen, Ruhr, the two cannon kings of France and Germany respectively, and embraces numerous other French and German industrial and banking firms. There are also a number of other concerns oF very mixed nationality holding valuable concessions. Conquest By Loan. The above represents one aspect of the Moroccaa question. Another, which was dealt with at length by n correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian" last month, is—How has. tho trouble arisen

which is now necessitating the intervention of France? The usual answer is, tho tribes have brt?n driven to desperation Ijy tho extortions of the Sultan and his viziers. But what has really driven tho tribes to desperation is not the extortions of tho Sultan and his viziers, but tho extortions of international finance. It was in 1303 that M. Delcasto first conceived tho iden of "pacifically penetrating" Morocco by means of gold, a.nd in the beginning of that year he persuaded Abdul Aziz to borrow from a French syndicate a sum of ,£300,000 at. 6 per cent, interest. The sum was small, but it was viewed by M. Delcasso as a germ from which a'big plant was to grow. .towards tho end of 1901 M. Delcnssc forced upon tho Sultan a further loan of .£2,500,000, in order that ho might repay the three smaller loans t,i other Powers, effect some reforms in the police administration, n.nd become the debtor of I , ranee alone.

Europe's Little Bills, Tho means bv which tho loan was forced on Abdul Aziz have only been partially revealed to the public, but one ot them—so the writer alleges—was the exercise, of pressure from tho Algerian frontier on the local tribe.-, to revolt, so ns to compel the Maghzcn to make extensive purchases of guns and ammunition from Creuzot. In 1907 came the disturbances at Casablanca, the bombardment of the port, the military operations in the Shawii. country, the whole culminating in the presentation of a few bills for comptpsation—viz., about ,£440,000 as indemnity to the Europeans who had suffered from the massacres and the bombardment, and c£P.2nO.Of?o as indemnity to meet the cost of the French expedition. Lastly, not to be outdone in the process of "pacific penetration," Spain in 1909 undertook a little campaign in the Riff, and also presented a bill of costs to the Maghzen. Altogether between 1904 and 1900 the Maghzen became indebted to "Europo" to the amount of some. .£8,800,000, including the two war indemnities. It is estimated by the "Manchester Guardian's" correspondent that the Banque de Paris ct des Pay-Bas, which floated the 1904 loan of ,£2,500,000, received by the transaction something like ,£500,000." As a result of the French transactions, Morocco was burdened with a debt of .£6,500,000, but received only slightly over £5,000,000 which had immediately to bo paid away.