EUROPEANS DISCUSS SITUATION. NO PLAN TO GET ENGLISHWOMEN OUT OF FEZ.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 95, 24 April 1911, Page 7

EUROPEANS DISCUSS SITUATION. NO PLAN TO GET ENGLISHWOMEN OUT OF FEZ.

(Received April 24, 9.10 a.m.) MADBID. 23rd April. A letter lias b-?en received from Dr. Verdon, showing that the Europeans at3?ez discussed the situation, but have been unable to formulate a plan to gefc the Englishwomen eafely out of the city. TANGIER, 23rd April. Advices from Fez, under date 16th, were more reassuring. There had been no attack on the city for four days. THE ALGECIRAS ACT. M. Cruppi, French Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated in the Senate at the beginning of tho present month that if the situation at Fez became more difficult he would take the necessary measures within the provisions of the Algecirae Act to ensure the security of Europeans. The Algeciras Act, or agreement, wais the outcome of aa International Conference held in January, 1906. The agreement included the fallowing provisions:—(l) A declaration relating to the organisation of a police force of 2000 to 2500, which was to be recruited by the Maghzou from among Moorish Mussulmans, commanded by Kaids, and distributed among the eight ports. Spanish and French instructors, officers, and non-commissioned officers were to assiet the Sultan in the organisation for five years, subject to the control of an Inspector-General selected from the Swiss Army by the Swiss Federal Government. The instructors and officers were to be Spanish at Tetuan and Larache, mixed at Tangier and Casablanca, and French at Rabat and the other ports. (2) A declaration as to the suppression of the contraband trade, in <trms. (3) A concession for a State Bank for forty years, worked by censors appointed by the banks of France, England, and Spain, and the Imperial Bank of Germany. (4) A scheme for improved collection o* taxes, and the creation of new sources of revenue by means of f-pecified • duties. (5) Regulations as to Customs duties, etc., with a proviso that on the frontier of Algeria, the regulation should be- the exclusive affair of France and Morocco, and similarly of Spain and Morocco in the Riff country. (6) A recognition of the principle of economic freedom, and the non-alienation of public services and public works. Tho agreement came into force on 31st December, 1906. In February, 1909, an agreement was signed between France and Germany, reproducing the essence of clauses 2 and 4 of the Anglo-German agreement of ISO 4. The Franco-German agreement set forth that the Government of the French Republic, wholly attached to the maintenance of the integrity and of the independence oE the Shereefian Empire, decide to safeguard economic equality there, and accordingly not to impede German commercial and Industrial interests ; and the German Imperial Government, pursuing only economic interests in Morocco, recognising at the same time that the special political 'interests of France are closely bound up in that country with thesolidation of order and of internal peace, resolve not to impede those interests, declare that they will not prosecute or encourage any measure calculated to create in their fa-vour, or in favour of any Power whatsoever, an economic privilege, and that they will endeavour to associate their nationals in business for which these may be able to obtain con- ! tracts.