The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 11. 1911. THE MOROCCAN SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1176, 11 July 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 11. 1911. THE MOROCCAN SITUATION.

9 — : One of yesterday's cable messages brought another and a plausible enough explanation of Germany's sudden occupation of Agadir. This story is to the effect that Germany's purpose is to reopen, in a strong position, certain interrupted negotiations with France, the object of which was to.give Germany certain railway rights in exchange for a "fresh recognition"—whatever that may mean—of France's special political interests. The term "fresli recognition" would seem to imply that Germany had informed France several weeks ago that the FrancoGarman agreement of 190 D had been voided—as the German Chancellor declares the Algeciras Convention has been voided—by the French advance on Fez. It. is two months since the German press and German politicians began vigorously to deny as a cock-and-bull story France's claim that in marching on Fez she was carrying out her business of preventing anarchy and rebellion and pacifying the country. According to Dr. Dillon, writing in the Contemporary llcvicw for June, the present situation—or, rather, the situation 'as it was then developing—bears- a striking resemblance to the situation in 1905: "In semblance Morocco is the stake, in reality it is Herr Kiderlen's claim to veto Delcasse's appointment as Cabinet Minister." Trie events of 1905 arc worth recalling. The Anglo-French Convention of 1904 recognised that France had special interests in Morocco and provided that Britain would place no obstacle in the way of French intervention to maintain order and secure reforms. The Convention was bitterly resented by Germany, but nothing happened until the early part of 1905, when, immediately after the defeat of Russia at Mukden, Germany suddenly took steps to intervene with the double object of testing the Anglo-French Convention and driving M. Delcasse, then the French Foreign Minister, from power. The Emperor of Germany landed at Tangier on March 31, 1905, and at an official reception delivered a plain incitement to the Sultan to defy France. So far as the AngloFrench Convention was concerned, the two Governments arranged several impressive exhibitions of their strong attachment. Against M. Delcasse, however, a fierce press campaign began in Germany, and was supported in France, and it is believed that Germany actually hinted at war. The French Cabinet was so alarmed that it dropped M. Delcasse. Count Buelow, tho Chancellor, was immediately raised by the Emperor to the rank of Prince, avowedly for his success in removing a dangerous French Minister. M. Delcasse is back again in the French Cabinet, and it is reasonable to believe that his removal is at any rate one of the ends sought by Germany. In the hicantimo Mr. AsQUITH has made a statement—given to us last week in.a cable message of four or five lines—which was at first welcomed in some quarters in Germany as a rebuke to France and Spain, but which seems now, both in France and Germany, to indicate that, faithful to the 190-1 Convention, Britain is giving diplomatic support to France. Russia, in a much stronger position to' enter the discussion than she was in 1905, when Japan was' smashing her power on land and sea in the Far East, has inquired why, if Germany was alarmed at tho situation in a general way, she did not ask France, Britain, and Russia to send a warship each to help the Panther. Some of the German newspapers do not appear to relish the situation. One journal remarks that "all Germany's hopes are shattered at one blow," and the Neuc Freie Prcsse is stricken at the thought that "King Edward's foreign policy will be continued under 1 Kino George." In asking whether ' Morocco is worth these complica- \ tions, this influential German jour- ; nal is only maintaining tho view it ; expressed on May 9 last. "Writing ■ on that date on the Franco-German ' treaty of 1909, already alluded to, it ' said: "It connotes a superlatively i far-reaching concession on the part '. of Germany towards France; it was • a clearly recognisable'abandonment ■ of the policy which Germany had ' pursued anterior to the Acts of J Algeciras. It was a formal conclu- [ sion of peace. And now the question I arises whether Germany means to go <■ back again to the policy of pre- , Algeciras times, whereby she will > jeopardise the success of her pcaccl fill diplomatic endeavours. Has t Germany, then, such valuable in- ' tercsts to promote in Morocco that 1 she can take upon herself the rcr sponsibility of bringing about a situ- '• ation which will once more split up ' Europe into two camps? It is re- .. ported that early in May Russia hat* f communicated to Germany its endorsement of the legitimacy of *■ France's action, a report that seems ! to be substantiated by Russia's preI sent attitude. Taken in conjunction with the fidelity of Britain to her ■ agreement with France, it seems ' pretty certain that a German diplol mntic retreat may be looked forward ' to.