The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-18
Outcome of the Morocco Incident

In an alleged interview with NJ. DEL
cAssH, published in Paris newspaper,
the former Minister for Foreign Affairs
is made to call Frances acceptance Of
the Morocco conference a very great
mistake. That reticent diplomatist
would commit himself to such an extent
is questionable, but we have no doubt
that the imputed assertion reflects his
private opinion. An inspection of the
terms of the agreement reached by the
French and German Foreign Offices,
which we're made known last week in
Paris and Berlin, shows that France
has surrendered everything of value
supposed to have been secured by the
Angio-French convention and has virtu-
ally renounced the hope of an eventual
absorption of Morocco.
In order to detect the kernel of truth
beneath the conventional phrases en-
ployed by the German Chancellor for
the purpose of permitting the French
Government to save its face, we should
recall precisely what it was that NJ DEL
cAssE supposed himself to have accom-
plished by the Anglo-French and Franco
Spanish treaties in relation to Morocco,
to which, it will be remembered, Italy
acceded at time when the position of
her German ally with reference to the
matter was underlined. Before entering
upon negotiations NJ. DELcAssE made
three fundamental assumptions. He
took for granted, in the first place, that
the Madrid convention of 1880, in spite
of the ambiguous wording OF one clause,
had a purpose exclusively commercial
and was not intended to fix permanently
the political status of Morocco. The
inference was that the consent of all the
signatories Of that convention would
not be needed for arrangements calcu-
lated to effect political transformation
in the Moroccan dominions so long as
the guaranteed equality of commercial
privileges should not be infringed. The
Mediterranean Powers, Great Britain,
France, Spain and Italy, were there
fore at liberty-such was the second
assumption--to enter into arrangements
having political aim without the CO.
operation of Germany or any other sig
natory. NJ. DELcAssE assumed, in the
third place, that two of the Mediterra-
mean Powers, Great Britain and France,
II they stood together, could carry out
any policy agreed upon. by them with
regard to Morocco, no matter whether
the attitude Of Germany should be ia
vorable or the reverse. Proceeding on
these hypothesis the late French Minister
for Foreign Affairs agreed to forego al
most all Of the claims that France had
been accommodating against Great Britain
during the last 200 years in considera-
ton OF England's covenant to permit
France to undertake an exclusive tu-
telary function in Morocco, which, as
England's own experience in Egypt had
proved, must eventually reduce the Sui
tan MULAI ABDUL AZIz to the position
of vassalage occupied by the Khedive.
What is left OF these assumptions, in
view Of the agreement formulated in
the notes read on Monday by Premier
, RoUvIER in the French Chamber Of
Deputies and by Chancellor Won b.
Low on Wednesday to the Foreign AZ
fairs Committee of the German Federal
Council9 France now acquiesces in
Germany's assertion that the Madrid
convention of 1880 was not specific and
commercial, but general and political,
and that consequently any modifca-
ton OF the status Of Morocco requires
the assent of all the Powers that took
part in the Madrid conference. The
German Chancellor is politely careful