The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-09-05

1t so happened that Great Britain
was looking for friends who would
help her to stand against the aggrcs-
stons of the wcll-armed Germans.
! The Marquis of Lansdowne sought to
bolster up the standing of Great
Britain in the European concert, ana
shortly after Christmas, in 1904, ne
gOtiatiuns were entered into with NJ.
Delcasse, the French prime minister.
which led to the formation Of an
"entcnte cordiale" between France
ana Great Britain.
As first fruits Of this new friend
ship France was given a free hand"
in Morocco. AS a first step toward
dominating Morocco, France an
nounced a policy of pacific penetra-
ton" of that country At this point
the trouble began The German en-
peror had been looking on while Great
Britain and France patched this new
relation Of love and amity and he
was not pleased.
Acting on the advice of Chancellor
Won Buelow, Emperor William but
ted in on the Morocco deal. He Wis
tied the sultan at Tangier. At the
same time he demanded of the French
| foreign office to know where he came
IN in the Morocco arrangement, and
what was doing in regard to German
merchants and contractors. He learn
ed that France had strengthened her
garrisons on the frontier William is
sued an ultimatum. There was a war
| scare. For two days everything was
up in the air Then France took
water" Prime Minister Delcasse re-
signed
! The abdication of the French for
eign minister was practical notice to
| Germany that France would not fight
| Germany-before laughed at as the
isolated poWer"-came out of the
imbroglio as the central power of
Europe" and William began at once
to hrowbcat France. After visiting
Morocco and consulting with the
shereciian sultan, the emperor an
nOuuced that Germany would protect
the territorial integrity and the in
dependence of Morocco. Then, in
spired by Emperor William, Mr..
| Mulai Abd-el AZeZ, the nominal ruler
of Morocco, suggested that the mat
tiers in dispute be submitted to an in
ternational commission. The parties
/ to this conference, it was proposed,
should be the nations signatury to the
treaty of Madrid made in 1850
whence arises the Favored nation
clause" which enters so vitality into
all of our commercial treaties. The
United States was une of the signers
of this Madrid agreement, and will
therefore participate in the confer
ence.
Emperor William had now accom-
plished his main purpose, which was
to break into the close corporation
arrangement between Great Britain
and France. And, in addition to this,
he had succeeded in smoking out the
real intentions of France SO far as
war is concerned, and found them
averse to fight.
Our state department has defined
the position Of the United States.
Should France see fit to begin a mill
tary occupation Of Morocco-which
course our government considers
would be justified on the ground that
the sultan is not able to insure peace
or personal protection to subjects OF
reigners-we would not object. I'm
til that time, however, we will look
to Mulai-Abd-el- to protect our
citizens and commerce, and will back
up our insistenco with all the force
necessary.
Thus il is seen that Morocco is the
pivot on which turn the diplomatic
fortunes of the old world powers
Emperor William is the largest per
sOnal factor, and if war should come
it would he in consequence of his
attempt to reduce France to the posi-
ton of a subject nation. Today, how
ever, he stands AS a self-appointed
arbiter of all moves on the CONT
mental chess board,