The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
The Prospects OF the Morocco Com
ference.

ItTthCt.
Although no definite agreement has
yet been reached at Algeoiras, the re-
ciprocal concessions already made and
the narrowing of the conflicting claims
of France and Germany Justify an
optimistic view of the situation.
The point as to which a divergence has
existed between the French and German
demands is connected with the question
of policing Morocco. It may be recalled
that when this question came up for
discussion in the full conference France
made the oonciliatory proposal that
order should be maintained in the eight
seaports of Morocco by a Moorish on
stabulary, the officers Of which should
be half French and half Spanish. An
Austrian delegate, acting, it is pre-
sumed, at the instigation OF his German
colleague, suggested that the French
proposal should be modified to a certain
extent, namely, that while seven of the
eight seaports should be controlled by
Moorish policemen under French and
Spanish officers, the force employed in
the eighth port, Casablanca, should be
Differed by subjects of some neutral
Power, as, for example, the Netherlands
or Switzerland, which should also desig-
nate the Commandment Chief, or at all
events an Inspeotor-G General, of the whole
oonstabulary. The Rouvier Govern
nsent seemed willing to acquiesce in the
appointment Of an Inspector General,
who should have large powers Of super
vision, but insisted that in C~asablanca,
as in every other Moroccan seaport,
O Franco-Spanish police force should
DO stationed. 1t was understood that NJ.
BOURGEOIS, the new Minister for Foreign
Affairs, adheredto his predecessors posi-
ton with reference to this matter.
This is altogether too small a thing
FOR two great nations to fight about. 1t
would shock the common sense of the
world to see the Morocco Conference
wrecked upon a bubble. For, let us
suppose that the latest concession Of
France should be accepted by Germany,
and that while the subject of a neutral
Power would be made Inspector General,
Franco4Spanish officers should control
the police in Casablanca, as well as in
every other Moroccan seaport, would
that be a victory for France? 1t would,
on the contrary, be plain that Germany
had achieved a substantial triumph and
Z. had established the fundamental prin-
ciple for which she has been ~contending,
namely, that Morocco must not be made
the victim of classification; that, in
other words, it must be not Gallicized
but internationalized. When France
entered into the treaties with Great
Britain and Spain against the execution
OF which Germany protested, she I'M
doubtedly intended that the Moroccan
police should be exclusively French
and should be under the orders of a
French Commander-in-Chie or Inspec-
tor-General. That primary purpose will
have been frustrated from the moment
when she consents to half Of the officers
being Spanish and to their collective
differentiation TO an lnspector-General
representing a neutral Power. What
wore guarantees Of Decentralization
can Emperor WILLIAM reasonably desire?
france and Spain are obviously the
proper Powers to furnish police officers,
because, as possessing fortresses on the
edge OF the Moroccan territory, they
are in a position to exercise both moral
and physical pressure, II, indeed, the
neutral Inspector General should report
that in a given seaport the subjects of
any neutral Power were subjected to
any unfair discrimination, the Emperor
WILLIAM II. would have a just cause for
remonstrance, and, IL that should be
unheoded, for in~terposition,
France, on the other hand, would have.