Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20

The French and Spanish representatives
to the governments signatory Of the Alge-
ciras act. including the United States. on
the 14th instant submitted identical notes
relative to the recognition of Mulay-Hafid
as Sultan of Morocco.
The Franco-Spanish note is an answer
to Germany's challenge in the note pub
lished in the North Ger
Germanv's man Gazette demanding
=, the prompt recognition"
SnaiAenSe' Of Mulay-Hafid and at
the same time emphasizing its action oy
sending her consul. Herr Nassel, to con-
fer with the new sultan at Fee.
The Moroccan question has thus en-
tered upon a new and acute phase.
There has been surprise and even alarm
created In the press, the public and In
diplomatic circles, all the more because
Germany's action Is in manifest contra
diction to the emperor's recent pacific
speeches at Strasburg and at Colmar.
The emperor's challenge indeed appears
to have disturbed the peace of mind OF
our worthy fellow-citizen Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie. who from his retreat at skibo
Castle, Scotland. has written a plea for
peace to the president of the American
group of the interparliamentary union,
Mr.. Bartholdt, which met in Berlin on
the 18th instant. There will be one man
in Berlin while your congress Is IN SESSION
who has only to speak the word III tne
Emperor of Germany ever realized MS
manifest destiny peace would follow ne
has it in his power to Abolish war among
civilized nations. All he has 10 90 is "
ask Great Britain. France and the oniteu
States to unite with him in declaring tnat
since the world has contracted TO neigh
borhood and is in constant and lnsldh-
taneous communication one part win
another. the interchange of products ee-
tween them amounting to thousands oi
millions a year. the time has passed When
any one civilized nation can be permitted
to break that peace In which all are SO
deeply interested. international disputes
must be settled by arbitration"
We must applaud the sentiments or MT.
Carnegie and approve his declarations in
the interests of peace. but we do not pc
lieve that the Emperor OF Germany mas
so great place in the world paclncalioh
as that attributed to him. We do not be-
lieve. first of ALL that the peace, VIII ne
broken. And, furthermore, it will not be
broken by Germany even If the German
emperor desired war. which he does not,
but who merely adroitly making use OF
certain International conditions when IN
the individual would be diagnosed as
"neurose," Germany, for fact, IS lace
to face with fiscal problem. and her &C
ton in Morocco Is thought to be feint,
diversion, to arouse public opinion and
German patriotism to the end that certain
Indispensable taxes may be successfully
applied. There is pecuniary distress in
German industries while the German
debt is constantly increasing. In 1900 it
was $575. 600. 0OO in 1908 it is 81 ,015, 100000
and increasing at the rate Of 100000
year. The Moroccan question. therefore.
is a convenient drum to distract the at
tention Of the German people. The pan
German press in Germany and the anti
German press of England and France
serve the emperors purpose admirably In
sounding these periodical notes of alarm.
\
81
The press OF Germany, however, Is not
all pan-Germanic, and the Frankfurter
Zeitung may be cited
The Press as proof that the en-
Of Germanv peror will not be sup
ported In any policy
Of adventure, even if he were SO dis
posed. which. it may be repeated, he
surely is not, and for the reasons al
ready advanced. The Frankfurter Eel
tung writes: WAS this initiative, the
sending of DR.. vassel and the recog-
milton of Mulay-Hafid necessary? Is 1t
eXpedient? Will it succeed? 1t is the
first and foremost rule of all diplomacy
that no step shall be taken for which sue
cess cannot with all probability and after
mature reflection be predicted II sue
cess cannot be predicted the result must
be a diplomatic defeat or something
worse. France was waiting MulayHafid's
proposals. This was the situation when
Germany suddenly intruded.''
The Frankfurter Zeitung asks, In the
course of its lengthy remarks. if Ger
many at least had made sure of the APP
prevail of the powers. or of some of the
powers. with which it had been asso-
ciated? Judging from the manner it had
been criticised, 1t would appear that they
had not been consulted. The action, on
the contrary. seemed plainly directed
against France. Would this not lead to
Germany's isolation? 1t was evident that
Russia and England would unquestionably
What would Germany do then? Will she
quietly submit to the rebuff? Or will
she recognize Mulay-Hafid all alone? 1t
would be extraordinary If Germany, who
had been at such pains about Morocco.
should thus sacrifice her situation and
cause the question to become menace
to the peace of Europe. This proceeding
would be all the more suspicious in view
of the emperor's speech at Strasburg
only few days ago, In which he pro-
Frankfurter zeitung declares that in it's
opinion this action represents only an
other Of those sudden impulses which
make terrific noise. but afterward van
ish and leave not wrack behind" add
ing that the only harm which action of
this kind does is that German policy has
once more shown itself to be incalculable
untrustworthy. and therefore disturbing
But this unfortunately is harm enough"
Just at this apparently critical moment
there came the tardy communication from
afd addressed to the diplomatic
corps at Tangier. The communication is
long and the official translation Of the
Arabic text is not yet completed, but, In a
general way the communication gives evil
dence Of desire to conform to the pro-
visions OF all treaties and obligations
Muiay-AziZ. as we'll as that at Algeciras
And the communication concludes by the
expression of the hope on the part OF
sultan, that all the powers
will be in accord to aid him in the execu-
ton Of the proposed reforms in Morocco.
What a change has come over the spirit
Of the man who. when a pretender to the
throne. announced his
Mulay-Hafid's hostility to the Algeciras .
s., act and declared the
against Christians! The Caid Ell Menebhi
who was minister OF war under Mulay-
Aziz, is now minister Of foreign affairs
under Mulay-Hafd, Is said to be a
wise man and diplomat of ability, and
this may account for the new sultans
change of heart. But 1t is justice to
to add that his ENJOYS to
Europe were instructed to inform those