The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-28
TELLS HOW WAR
WAS AVERTED
Sir Edward Grey Says Situation
is Still Serious
STATEMENT IS PACIFIC
Correctness of British Stand, However,
Is Upheld-0nly Acted When
Interests Were in
Peril

secretary of foreign affairs, cleared the
political atmosphere and poured oil on
the turbulent waters of Anglo German
relations in speech lasting an hour
and a half in the house of commons
yesterday afternoon.
The foreign secretary reviewed the
whole Moroccan episode from the first
appearance of the German gunboat Pam
ther, in the port Of Agadir in South
Morocco up to the signing of the Fran
co-German treaty
He unhinchingly upheld the attitude
taken by the British government, but at
the same time declared that its action
was never antagonistic to Germany or
to any settlement she was able to ar
range with France and which did not
threaten the rights of Great Britain.
Sir Edward Grey made no secret of
the fact that the situation became very
intense though his statements yester-
day would prove sedative to a world
which had been indulging in a fit of
political alcoholism and that the time
had arrived for it to get and to keep
cool and sober.
hifdt i9iiLdiil hhu fio stAleb llNhilto
and both France and Russia knew per-
feetly we'll that British public opinion
would not support any provocative or
aggressive action against Germany.
German strength was in itself guar
autee that no other country would seek
quarrel with her, he said, but if a
nation having had the biggest army
in the world and a big navy was going
to build still bigger navy, then that
nation must do all in its power to
prevent the natural apprehensions of 9TH
ers lest that power should have agrees
sive intentions toward them.
81 do not believe" he said, "that Ger
many has aggressive designs, and all we
or other neighbors of Germany desire
is to live with her on equal terms
At the outset, Sir Edward told the
house that Herr Won Kiderlin Waechter's
disclosure of the conversations which had
taken place between the German ann
bassador and himself had taken him
by surprise.
In diplomatic procedure it was most
unusual to make public any such con-
versations without consulting the other
party, and he knew nothing whatever
Of Herr Won Kideriin Waechter's in
tention until he read the published ac-
count.
He did not make any complaint, how
ever, as he understood that the exigen-
cies OF the situation I'm Germany pre-
eluded any such consultation Herr Won
Kiderlin Waechter's statement was not
complete so that he tSir Edward Greyl
part taken by the British foreign office
was under no necessity of putting the
before the house of commons in a fuller
manner.
The communication made to the Brit
ish foreign office by the German am
basssdor, Count Paul Wolff Metternich,
on July !, in regard 10 the dispatch
Of the German gunboat Panther to Aga
dir in southern Morocco and the am
bassador's explanation of that matter,
continued Sir Edward Grey, made il clear
that Germany regarded a return TO the
status quo as impossible and that Ger
ntany's objective was definite solution
OF the whole Moroccan question.
On July 3, Sir Edward Grey informed
the German ambassador that the situa-
tion, aggravated by the dispatch of the
Panther to Agadir, was so serious and
important that il must be discussed at
cabinet council, and on July 4 he told
Count Wolf Metternich that Great Brit
ain was not able to take disinterest-
ed attitude concerning Morocco nor reeog-
nize any new arrangement come to with
out her consent. A long silence followed
and the next conversation between Sir
Edward Grey and Count Wolff Meter
nieh took place on July 81, when the
British foreign secretary told the Ger
man ambassador that the British govern
ment adhered to his statement made on
July A.
Sir Edward Grey also told Count Wolff
Metternich on that day that the Brit
ish government knew that rectifca-
ton of the Congo frontier was proposed
as the basis Of settlement between
Germany and France and said he thought
the matter might be arranged on such
a basis without affecting British in
terests.
eve shall be very glad if this hap
pens and in the hope that it would
happen we have hitherto stood on one
side" said Edward Grey to the am
bassador, and continued, "but had been
made anxious by the news regarding
the demands which the German gov
ernment had made from the French gov
eminent, which, in effect, meant ces-
sation of the French convention and
which it was obviously impossible for
the French government to concede L
pointed out that the Germans were in
the closed part Of Agadir, that they