The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-06
StsTnb,rg Presents Their Side
Of Moroccan Controversy
STANDS FOR THE OPEN DOOR
Holds That Yielding to French Conten-
tion Would Be Sign of Weakness
and Would Not Protect
Foreign Interests.

Washington, March 5.-Criteism of Ger
many's course at Algeciras and charges
that the German Emperor is seeking there
an excuse for trouble with France, rather
than an agreement with Morocco, which
have been current in Washington for
some time, received an emphatic reply
this evening from Baron Speck Won Stern
berg. the German ambassador. who dis
cussed them in the course of conver-
sation with a correspondent of the As
ISOLATED Press.
1.-The time has come for plain speech,
the ambassador said. Enough has poured
into America from European sources
about Germany's intentions
The ambassador then proceeded to deny
in the most emphatic terms the charge
that Germany wanted war
Hoped for PeaceabIe Agreement.
at was for the specific object of reach
ing peaceable arrangement that my gov
ernment urged the conference at Alge-
eiras," ne said. The ambassador de-
clared that Germany was contending for
very important principle at Algeciras.
Important as is the German trade with
Morocco" he said, tand | shall later
indicate this in statistics, the commercial
side of the question is of secondary con-
sideration. Germany's policy has been
and is to preserve the status quo in all
countries whose rights rest on the laws
of nations. Ii is this policy alone which
has enabled Emperor william to maln-
tain peace in Germany since the time he
became the leader in Germany nineteen
years ago, and kept her out of the wars
in which the great powers have since been
engaged"
The ambassador said. in the light OF
"maiicious reports from European
souces.o he felt il his duty to give the
facts about Germany's contentious at AL
geciras on the main point at issue, that
of policing Morocco.
Stands for Open Door.
''That Germany stands for the open
door in Morocco is clearly shown" he
continued, "by the proposals she has
made regarding the international police
system and the international bank Ger
many believes that if the control of the
bank is placed in the hands of France
the equality of economic rights will be
forfeited and the open door will soon be
closed. Africa today shows enough exam
pies of the assurances given by civilized
nations which have gradually vanished.
leaving in their places an European pro-
tectorate.
.'The position of Germany and the other
signatory powers is on the defensive.
Germany has already recognized that
France has a preferential position in her
- af f1.f. oil flo
provision of the treaty of Madrid stipu-
latng that all the powers shall have equal
rights in Morocco. This concession by
Germany was only made because of her
earnest desire to do everything consistent
with the national honor to bring about d
peaceful arrangement of the question and
is another evidence of Germany's desire
for an agreement.
"should Germany now recede further,
she would appear in the eyes of the world
as weak, but what is of paramount i'm
portance-she would be buying peace at
the cost of great international principle
which the future would prove to be poor
economy.
mo country can expect that another
nation Will sacrifice her interests outright
simply because they lay in the way OF
another nation. The greatest good to the
greatest number is a law among nations
as well as individuals.
Germany's Trade Important.
''Nor is 1t true as | have frequently
seen ii stated, that Germanys commercial
interests in Morocco amount to little.
While this question is for the time over
shadowed by the threatened attack on
the principle of equal. rights of all ma
tions interested in Morocco, 1t Is of vital
concern to Germany. Let us digress a
xxrI,o Gor t.xrfc
merce with Morocco amounts to. While
not so large as that of France it is
rapidly increasing. while that of France,
according to the statistics, is apparently
at a standstill. The statistics for 1905
value the German trade with Morocco
at 100000 marks. They are, however,
misleading, as part of German exports
to Morocco reach that country via Eng
land, Belgium or France and are, there
fore, counted in the trade of those coun-
tries. 1t Is estimated what might be
termed the indirect commerce between
Germany and Morocco amounts to p
100000 marks, they must now take into
considerable the German increasing trade
of about two million marks; German
funds invested In Morocco amounting to
fifteen million marks; real estate owned
by German firms amounting to one mil
lion marks and finally the value of Ger
man SHlpplnk iHttTtSiS- IN lJbo tTeTmdn
ships containing $4,000 tons register. en-
tered the ports of Morocco against French
ships containing $4,000 tons. About forty
commercial German houses of some i'm
portance are scattered over the country
at important places
French Trade With Morocco.
''The official French statistics for 1909
show value of 24,000,000 francs of French
trade with Morocco The latter has con-
stantly diminished during the last four
years and now Is only about two-thrds
OF what ii once was. The imports from
France have slightly improved in the
meantime and especially in the case of
sugar and silk. The trade between AL
geciras and Morocco has also diminished
as shown by the French official figures.
AS for the German trade with Morocco,
evidence can be produced flowing that
II has nearly tripled in the last ten years.
s.Important, however, as are these facts.
the main question at Algeciras is that
of the equal rights of all and of the open
door. Germany proposes that the sui
tan shall organize the police in Moroc-
co: that the money for this purpose shall
be furnished him by the Bank of Moroc-
fcontinued O., Seventh Paoel