Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-01-26
THE MOROCCAN SITUATION.

THE MOROCCAN SITUATION.
Question at Issue Before the Com
mission at AIgeciras.
The question at issue at Algeciras is
whether or not France is entitled to
have a special and privileged position
in Morocco Compared to this question
all others are of minor Importance. 1t.
is, therefore. Of interest to note how
this question has been raised
France possesses Algeria, whose
neighbor on the west is Morocco. Con-
stantly in state of turmoil because
of the lack of laws both civil and re-
ligious, and because of the many pre-
tenders to its throne, Morocco has been
unable either to maintain order with
in her boundaries or to prevent her
people from making incursions into
neighboring territories. The disturbed
conditions in Morocco have also tended
to bring about disquietute in Algeria.
Consequently, France undertook, i'll
protection, to exercise such police
authority in Morocco as would bring
about peaceful conditions not only in
that state, but also in Algeria.
Pursuing such Moroccan policy,
France sent Il special mission to Fee
last year. Germany did the same
thing The German Emperor even
went still further On March 81 he
visited Tangier and made speech
there, in which he assured German res
idents that the sovereignty and integ
rity of Morocco would be maintained.
This speech was answered by M. Del
casse, French minister of foreign af-
fairs who declared in the Senate at
Paris that interference from interest
ed quarters would not cause France to
modify her policy" The German En-
peror's declaration and the French pre-
mier's reply came near involving the
two nations in war.
Besides France and Germany, Great
Britain, too, has interests in Morocco.
AS relations between Germany and
France became strained, France and
Great Britain entered into an agree
ment by which the latter in substance
gave France a free hand in Morocco in
! return for a free hand in Egypt, each
agreeing to support the other. In the
meantime, however, NJ. Delcasse re-
signed. Relations between France and
Germany became less strained, and
they finally entered into an agreement
regarding a basis for an international
conference. This conference is now
in session at Algeciras.
While France contends for special
privileges, Germany advocates inter-
national control of police. customs and
an ''open door, to commerce. Ger
many's contention is the broader, but
looks no less to national advantage.
This will probably become so appar-
ent as the deliberations at AlgeciraS
proceed, that action will look to
compromise along the lines of the
claims which France makes. There
is little likelihood of war.
Senator BacOn's effort to call in
question President Roosevelt's delega-
ton of American representatives to the
international conference at AIgeciras
has resulted in popular inquiry regard
ing American interests in Morocco.
While it may be true that American
commercial interests in Morocco are
not very important, it is also true that
principles Of commerce advocated and
maintained by the United States al
most from the beginning, underlie
every commercial treaty made by
either American or European states
with the Barbary states. These prin-
ciples were laid down under the guns
of United States warships when Com
| modore Decatur in 1915 put an end to
Barbary piracy, and compelled recog-
milton of commercial rights and privi-
leges. Americas service to the world
dates from the surrender of the Dey
of Algiers, for upon that event was
| founded free commercial intercourse
| between all civilized nations and the
Barbary States Americas service
| thus begun may be extended by her
insistency upon the ''open door, in
Morocco at the conference in Algeci-
| ras.