GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 5

GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

INTERESTING REVELATIONS. Bj Telegraph—Press A;;sctation-OoBTril!hl Berlin, January 4. During a libel case, Grenzboten v. tlio Berlin "Post," tho editor of tho latter stated that tho Pan-German League's resolution that Gorinany must negotiate with Franco for Morocco's Atlantic seaboard had received the approval of Herr on luderlen-Wachter, German I'oreign Minister, beforehand; also that when tho German wiarshi'p Panther was sent to Agadir tho Press Bureau had inspired the newspaper to demand western Morocco. CONFIDENTIAL SPEECH IN THE REICHSTAG. A long extract from Herr von Kider-leu-\v aohter's confidential speech to tli<s Budget Committee of tlio Koicbstag on November 17 was officially published in Berlin on Tuesday evening. The Secretary for Foreign Affair said: —A telegram was sent on June 30 to all tho German representatives accredited to tho Powers signatory to tho Algeciras Act announcing tho dispatch of the Panther to Agadir, and explaining tho reasons for the step. In addition, instructions wero sent to the German Ambassador in London simultaneously directing him to make the necessary .communication to the British Government.

At this stage Sir Edward Grey expressed a v:isli to discuss the Morocco qucstr°n uuoflicially with flic Ambassador. He had from the first placed it beyond doubt that in view of her great economic interests thero England must participate in any settlement of tho Morocco question.. "What is Germany doing in the Closed harbour of Agadir and its Hinterland f He knew nothing of wlwt was going on there. Agadir, Sir Edward pointed out, was suited for the construction of a war port. No (me knew what Germany lnlended there. Sir E. Grey had asserted, even if unofficially, that the time had come to negotiate as atliird party. This contention was apparently based on tho suggestion that Germany might build a noval station at Agadir, n close tho Hinterland. These were suppositions of which the Ambassador knew nothing. If, continued tli6 Ambassador, any English interests were injured by Germany's action, let Sir E. Grey name them. As he (Sir E. Grey) could not <k> that, it would be more correct, tho Ambassador said, to itait till he was able to prove that any British interest or right was affected. Germany had not the slightest intention Of injuring British rights or interests. If France wished that Germany lik6 England, while preserving her commercial interests should retire into the background i> Morocco, she must offer an equivalent approximately Corresponding ill vuluo to the great aims sho sought herself.

Herr t von ICiderleh-Wacbter, continuing, pointed out that the foregoing conversation showed that Sir E: Grey oponly assumed that Germany meant to establish herself in Morocco in spite of the communication made to him at the time of tho dispatch of tho Panther. The Ambassador's dispatch reporting tho conversation iVith Sir E- Grey was received in Berlin on July 22. An answer, the Secretary proceeded, was immediately dispatched from Berlin, and the Ambassador was therein instructed to tell Sir E. Grey that wo hod from the first declared that our ship was merely to protect German interests at Agadir. A native attack on a German farm among other reasons gave special occasion for her presence there with that

to the present nothing had occurred which justified the, inference that tlicro had been n change in our intentions. Not a man had yet been landed. We regretted that in England,faith seemed to bo placet! in an insinuation in regard to our intentions winch obviously emanated from a source hostile to us. We never thought of establishing a naval port entile Moroccan coast, and would never think of such a thin!;. That was an hallucination also. We had no designs upon Moroccan territory, but v;e hp demand that France should either adhere strictly to tho Algeeiras Treaty, or, if she believed herself unable to do so, that she should enter into explanations with us. Wo depended nn the kui>nort of the other Powers, and especiaiiy Kiiglnnd for support in maintaining tho status quo ante in Morocco.