The Washington times., 1906-01-02
France on the Eve of War?

WnlCn 10 wake up 10 situation IN
Europe which portends more evil
than ali the turmoil in Russia. In
plain English that evil is a war be-
tween France and Germany. 1t may
not come To Yankee eyes the very
idea is preposterous. But many OF
the calme5t men in both countries
expect it and many of the most zeal
Gus patriots are praying for it.
An English observer explains the
danger with Characteristic phiegm
in these two sentences:
The Moralists are not too preOc-
cupied with domestic politics TO
drain the cup of pessimism in MEM
ory OF the departing year They are
convinced that the German Emperor
has plotted against the peace Of Eu-
rope, and is still bent upon striking
France suddenly when Russia is
powerless. and certainly there are
many indications that the Morocco
conference remains source of
danger, with the Oriental sovereign
eager to play of Germany against
the Western powers"
The French view is set forth in
this dispatch from Paris:
Tuesday, January 10, is an import
ant date for France, because, accord
ing TO the present arrangements, on
that day the new president of the
republic will be elected at Versailles,
/ and the Morocco conference. the out
come of which the French public
rightly or wrongly feel convinced will
/ decide the question Of peace or war
with Germany, is to meet at Al
! geciras."
/ Germany has no view save as the
/ Kaiser has it voiced. Very recently
/ that view has been pacific. At a
/ shooting party, for example, a day
/ or so since. the Kaiser denied even
/ the existence about him Of a war
party, and declared he did not want
war, because II would be contrary
10 his duty toward God and to his
/ country; and he announced definitely
that he had given conciliatory in
/ structiOus TO the German representa-
tives at Algeciras.
The people beyond Alsace-Lorraine
are not much impressed by these late
declarations. They are none the less
fearful that the conference over
Morocco-otherwise a matter of lesser
/ impoTtance-may cOnyulse two great
nations, and, possibly, all Europe
Papers as important as the LibeTte
and the Journal des Debats would
have the nation keep more than ever
on its guard" Influential officers OF
the government go further. and in
communications to the press say
such things as this (the words are
those of Senator Clemenceau):
It alone can take a decision" he Ctht
kaiseT) prOclaims with magniloQuence
What a solid foundation FOR peace Ol
\ for war; for there is no boasting II
this. The German people IN this mat
ter. have not the right OF being con
suited when William II considers tha1
his duty toward God and toward his
subjects il 10 take a WaTlike decision
that people will have TO rush to slaugh
ter
If any proof is needed that the
French foreign office takes the mat
ter with the utmost seriousness il
can be found in the recent yellow
book on the correspondence which
led TO the call for this conference
No astTolOger is needed to read int
> il charges that the Emperor hai
. deliberately misrepresented condi
, tions, wilfully misunderstood thi
issue as to Morocco, and Intentional,
produced crisis between Germany
and France. Those allegations art
all there. albeit coated with the suga
; OF diplomacy.
: Most significant of all. the militar!
, authorities are at work. Experts ar,
| compiling data in both countries OF
, the relative strength of the forces
/ Troops are being quietly ASSEMBLIES
have issued an official statement de
= signed to convince the world that the
have the better chance at the outset
: All this indicates, if it indicate
2 anything at all, that the scare /
p genuine-that a moslem blaeklel
t may easily be the torch to light Eu
rOpe-that Algeciras will be watche
? intently when this short fortnigh
: comes to its end. There may be n,
g war, il is true. But not since Eng
= land withdrew her pretensions as I
; Venezuela has any country across tn
/ Atlantic been so near a conflict a
. France seems % be now and escaped