The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-04

iety among the diplomats Of
England, France and Ger
many, is more or less of an old, old
story. Morocco has been a cause for
worry among the great European pow
i Prs for a great many years, and the
prospects are that, no matter what the
outcome of the present angle Of the
controversy, there will be Moroccan
= question" for years to come.
In the news dispatches the latest
ituation is termed "acute," which
may mean much or little. Diplomatic
conferences are secret, and just when
he world looks for a declaration of
war some corner is turned and the
rouble smoothed over.
In the gradual partition Of Africa
mong the peoples of Europe that has
been going on during the last fifty or
ixty years it was inevitable that the
urn of Morocco should come at no
ery distant day. For the peace Of
he world it would undoubtedly have
been best If Morocco could have held
is own and have transformed itself
hto some semblance of a modernized
= tate. Unfortunately no such develop
bent has been apparent
= The failure of Morocco to move for
ward of its own accord made 1t nat
ral prey to one or other of the great
European colonizing powers. England's
ommercial interests in the country
ave always been great, and under
he Kaid Sir Harry Maclean her po-
tical fortunes there seemed to pre-
age a further extension of British
Influence in the Mediterranean. But
mother powerful claimant was on
and; France and her position as a
eighbor to Morocco made her claim
b every sense valid one. The rival
of these two powers in Morocco
threatened to become acute. but Egypt
Fas on Great Britain's hands There.
po, France was the great competitor
England and TO the consolidation
English influence. To be free Of
his incubus was an absolute necessity.
he treaty of 1904, including, as 1t did,
eciprocal self denying clauses-for
rance in Egypt and for England In
lorocco-paved the way for the lay
hg Of the old conflict between the
|yo countries. France now believed
hat she had free hand In Morocco.
Frances Lost Opportunity.
An energetic forward policy would
erhaps have won the day, and France
= ould have been able to found large
blonial empire covering the whole Of
e northwestern part of Africa from
unis up to the Atlantic ocean But
ternal conditions lamed the prowess
her foreign policy. There was NJ.
ban Jaures, the Socialist, and the
hcifists to be reckoned with. and in
fder to calm their oversensitive sus-
fptibilities new method called
pacific penetration" economic and
lltural, was adopted. M. Delcasse
hd reckoned without his host. That
bst was Germany.
Germany soon saw the possibilities
Morocco. not only because of its
herent riches, but also because of its
blitical worth and its evident inability
stand upon its own legs. One has
I'LL rather vivid remembrance of
e sudden descent of the kaiser upon
hngier in the year 1905. The result
this Intervention was the confer
zee at Algeciras in the spring of
Noe.
1t has been held that the "act" which
suited from this conference was tn a
rge measure a diplomatic check upon
erman aspirations. as 1t placed the
- ganization of the Moroccan police un-
r Spanish and French military Off
rs. However, although she did not
cceed in breaking through the
hglo-French entente cordiale or in
tting into the Hispano-French un-
rstanding, Germany was successful
making her voice heard and in as
rting her right to be consulted IN all
eat world problems that come up
discussion and in which European
terests are at stake. And she drew
cord across the French path In Mo
Eco.
Germany Steps In.
That Germany had been successful
to that degree is proved by the
Eeement made between her and
hnce, dated February, 1909. In which
Fance guaranteed the integrity and
dependence of the Moroccan empire
d equal commercial facilities for all
tions. In return Germany conceded
ht France had predominant political
terests in the country which put her
a privileged situation. and she gave
France practically a free hand to
store order and tranquility there
BIT the most important part OF the
reement lay in the last clause, which
reshadowed the association OF
ench and German capital In the ex-
bitation OF the country's riches
It is regrettabie that nothing tangi-
has resulted from the hope ex-
essed in this last clause OF the
|anco-G German agreement OF 1909