THE EUROPEAN CLOUD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 65, 7 September 1911, Page 7

THE EUROPEAN CLOUD

* BRITAIN AND GERMANY. IMPORTANT SPEECHES IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Mr, Asquith's statement on Morocco in the House of Commons on July 27 and the speech of Mr. Balfour (full reports of which arrived by the last English mail) prove that in this crisis British opinion is united. However acute may he political differences at Home, Mr. Balfour made it clear that where the interests of the country are at issue the Opposition will act in concert with the Government.

"The situation which the Prime Minister described as harassing and anxious arose out of these circumstances," says the Daily Mail of July "29: "Fez, tiie capital of Morocco, was besieged by rebel tribes, and the Sultan appealed to France for aid. After long preparation an expedition commanded by French officers marched to the relief of Fez. No sooner was the capital safe than the Spaniards, believing that their interests in the north of Morocco were threatened by the French, landed a force at Laraiche and took possession of Alcazar, an important town on the main route to Fez. Germany appeared to have acquiesced in the action of France, but suddenly and without warning sent a warship to Agadir, a closed port on the Atlantic. The excuse for this naval demonstration was the necessity for 'protecting imperilled interests,' though the nature and extent of those interests have still to be made known. Vigorous protests were entered against this aggression on the part, of Germany, and 'conversations' were begun in Berlin between the German Foreign Minister and the French Ambassador. These conversations have revealed the fact that Germany demands compensation in Africa; the cession of ports and territory in the French Congo, the reversion of the French right of preemption over the Belgian Congo, and a commercial sphere of interest in Morocco. The German demands are now the subject of confidential discussion, which has not reached tke stage at which British intervention is necessary. As long as the negotiations are limited to French territorial concessions, the British Government will take no active part, but should the compensation be sough,t in Morocco, British intervention is inevitable. Great Britain, as one of the .signatories of the Algeciras Act, 1904, is equally concerned with France, Germany, Spain, and eight other Powers in the integrity and independence of 'Morocco. The German Foreign Minister, Herr von Kidelin-Waechter, who is responsible for this Morocco coup, appears to have acted on the assumption that Great Britain would not interfere. He apparently held the view that both parties in England were so much occupied with the political crisis that no attention need be paid to British opiniou.''

SPEECH I!Y .MR.. ASQUITII. BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE DEFINED. , Speaking in- the House of- Commons on. July-27, llr. Asqiyth sa,id:, „• , "The, Moroccan. question has. reached a point at which it will become incroas-, ingly. difficult, embarrassing and anxi- ( ous, unless a solution be Jouud. -Too. close an analysis at,the prpsent JQopjcjit. of causes and antecedents, might, provoke, in -more than cue,.guar,ter recrinsigatilori : aud j-etojjtS;, : whieli : Jt js ojij«vcj;y,grfcijn(J.' desirable to., avoid.,. J. to state to the House what is -the actual situation .to-day, . are 4proceeding between France and Germany; we arr not a party to these conyQisa-' lions: the subject .matter of llieni may' not; afTeet liritish. inb»rcsts;-i--On tha}; po:»t. until we kllflW the utlimate result' we cannot express <a final- opinion; But" it, is our desire, that thos'(! I .cpnvflr«i > tio'h,3' should issue in a .seUler.'.entj.honoralile' and satisfactory, to both the parties, afnV. of which his. Majesty's. cordially..say. Hint it- in -jnojudiccs British ...interests; We believe that t/> be quite possible; w,e earnestSy and siijenrejy desire- tojseg it. cd„ The question of Morocco. lijt.selfbristlcs . with difliculties, but .outfidlr -Morocco;, in ..other. pa rts, ~(>f West generally, we should not .think, of tempting .to ..iatcxfcrc. ivi'h territorial' arrangements considered reasonable {if those who are more, directly interested.' Any statements " that we have so interfered to prejudice, negotiations between I'ranee and German are mischievous jnventions- without the- faiutM. foundatibh' of fact. But wo have thought it right' from the .beginning to. make it quite clear, that, failing a settlement such as' I have indicated we' must become an active, party to' diswisskm ofr.thti sitija-' tion. . Tliat would be .our .right,.as; a signatorydf the Treaty, of .Atgociras; 'it' might l>e the: tOJ'iiis of, our, agwinent .of, 1904 -\vi.thi®ran<|e; ! it; "Vftht, toj oum drnty irt idrfwu'E'lof.'.Bj-i----t.ish intere.s.ts directly; aj£ec.ted. UyfupfcHer ..dflKelop.qi'jnts...;. There , ; :ha\te >.been»itinidsr wcve'iiot snra -fully. I'niJeJ'SiliOodj, -J,am. glad to say thai? 1 ,we are, now quite.-aitfsfiad that is* apt. -tlie. .c»s(?. <■>...TJieS statement \tMrih P' tuade here motre Until, librae" wc<a!k«: ago/.and ,Ui.e.!*tieeclusince- miwlo slse.whor# by the Chancflll.or of the.! Exchequer; shave, I hope and believe, made-wit perieetlyy (di-jr t-lrat we cliii/iv not ,H preeminent oiwb party -.interested,, , in ..j)QS?il^;-, ileydoftn nienji.s. ajid iij seeing a ,soibtioji <li[iiciiltu 5...,, It would, Ik!'-a ll (nisr V j jtakfl.Jo .Jet su<j]i,.,ji ; Uj,uation,,4rifji > tiU w liii assertion (if ou.iv.iijiterest .iiij't might.;}" owing to previous iUid-rPK'' n inieiiJ f ..ji,t, ll|,e ; jnoMiept'i l \Ji j i | >jj [ |tilii6-. assertion becamemoH^pctsfti^e ) .;»Jhat # 1 trust, .we lutve. sy(liae(i,tly guarded agajiist by the siatemenis, already nmd&j. f-I ij«it yvv'' ea,ni<;§.Uy cessfi,i! iswiip. for the 'conversations, jio\V; in progress,"aiiilfj jjioufil ,ypnj,jjre i'mthtti .ijik'J'est, ; t : 4>.. 11 la.kt*jr a ppea+ t0,..1J(5. casiiin to enter into further, apto ppciv up coutr<iyu!siitl..gryuj|i(l,!;'-»- "

" 'HEttAXKS'ttY- '' .^fcxjßY'B^O^lvPAnTt,, •■ Mr-rlialfour.-said;, '-'l'htt -.ciir<>ftUr-iantt ; ' r Riwrnlad statement 1 -nude" by * Minister requires !itfelc. Din in "till) way of -comn\eii ; t,,!aildt nothing" whnteveriin the way-, of cxLticdsm. Ho a full ;iJu'-ililiF^' cullies of the. Case,;,and tlic't iosponsibiH'-'. tii's iiltariiiJu,' to the. conduct- of:forci£ii" atVairs in a crisis like thk. made an appcnl to the House not tot! dnijjyin any .irriiatiu"'-matter 1101', to taiae' any un : " neciMsary controversy-nor -ti> -#o fbaok overihc past with Criticisms which, as they .referred to tluipiist. can do.no good' now. while.it is possible- that unless couched in the most cautious thcv may act as ii'ritative forces in the ciiciiinstain'cs in which Europe and not tin's country alone finds itself. . Rci far as 1 am concerned, and so far n£ my friends are concerned, the request of tile | I'rinie Minister will, I feel perfectly certain. lie regarded in the spirit, as well I as ill till' letter. I need add only one I further remark. Ueiitlemen of both sides of the House have often said that we do not allow our party differences, however acute, to interfere with our 1 common agreement where the Interests of the country as a whole are at stake. —(Loud Unionist and Liberal cheers).—

If there be any observers or critics outside these witlls who have counted upon.' our differences and our absorption in • the bitter home disputes of the momenta in the hope that they will make a policy easy which, under other circumstances,, they thought this country might object to—if there are any who suppose that I we are to be wiped out from the map of Europe because we have our own difficulties at home, it may be worth while to say, for the benefit of those concerned, that they utterly mistake the temper of the British people and the patriotism of the Opposition, whether it be drawn from one side or from th/ 3 other." (Loud general cheers).