Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-03
WAR SCARE Is
WRITTEN ABOUT
P. N. Kennedy on Present
Situation in Europe.
EDITOR EVENING NEWS.

Sir: In your editorial on the Gu
ropean War Scare" printed IN your
issue Of Saturday, 29th inst, you say,
amongst other things, that at Is
doubtful II ninety-nine people out of
0 know what the present war
scare is about" / agree with you
emphatically in that respect.
In fact 1t is doubtful If twenty-five
per cent. of the people ever gave It
more than a mere superficial consid-
Grafton for reasons which will be sta
ted later on. You also stated that
the friction first started between
France and Spain," in which asser-
ton l beg leave to say that you are
mistaken, as will be seen. Again you
say that Sensible men will pause a
moment and ask themselves whether
or not, after all, 1t is wort hgoing to
war about" which would imply that
we, as Americans, are not interested,
or, in other words, 1t is none of our
funeral, to use an everyday express
sion. II you have a little patience
with me and extend to me the cour-
tesy of some space in the NEWS, l
think 1 "a show to you and to your
readers that the present grave situa-
ton in Europe regarding the Moroc-
can business, Oh rather, the stalking
of claims in that country, is of great
Importance to US Americans, and in
fact, the news from that country is
becoming very interesting and throws
some light on England's motives in
seeking an alliance with the United
States under the disguise of an arbi-
tration treaty.
Mnronoo 10 apa ~ tba nOIftiaaI
storm centres of the Old World, in
which the rival interests and ambi-
lions of the European powers clash
so strongly as to make war probable
some time or other. II wal should
come, it would be an enormous ad-
vantage to England to have the mo-
raj support of the United States, If
no more, and England will be in the
war whenever it may come. She must
either go into 1t or surrender her po-
sition as a great power.
War, with Morocco as the cause,
was averted by a narrow margin a
few years ago and the Algeciras
Agreement, to which the cable dis
patches make 30 many indefinite al
lusions, only STAYED off the trouble
for a while. The cable dispatches all
come from England and present the
English view. Most Of the superficial
and ill-tnformed editorial writers OF
the American daily press have no
other information to guide them and
their comment is therefore of no
value. The cables always represent
the danger of war as being due to
the ambitions of Germany, when the
truth is that England Is the real mis-
chief-maker.
England controls both entrances tc
the Mediterranean and she canno1
continue to hold that control by hei
own strength alone. She dominate:
the western entrance by holding Glib
%raltar, which is Spanish territory
and her possessions in Egypt gives
her both entrances to the Suez ian
1t is a standing humiliation for SPAN
to have the great fortress OF Gibral
tar In English hands while England
domination of the Suez Canal is
source of irritation to France. TIL
canal was built by a great french en-
gineer, but France was robbed or al
the benefits of the great work or ID
Lesseps by Desraelis trick In buying
I'D a majority of the shares. Within
recent years war between france ant
England for predominance in Egyp
appeared to be only a matter OF hours
and It is known that If the French
government had known that at a crit
ical momen the English fleet wal
short Of ammunition, the clash woul(
have come and the result would a
been the end of England's supremac.
of the seas.
To allay French irritation o
Egypt, England guaranteed France
free hand" in Morocco and tn
temptation was too much for tn,
small men who now run the Frencl
republic. The conquest of Morocc'
would be a big task. even If only tn
Moors had to be dealt with, but
would be ridiculous to suppose tina
it would be permitted without some
thing stronger than mere protest b.
other European powers whose inter
est in the country would be ruined b.
French control. Spain now hold
some Moorish seaports on the Medt
terranean, one of them nearly oppo
site Gibraltar, and has long regarded
Morocco as a prize destined at SOM
time to fall into Ter hands. II Is
rich country, capable of enormous de
velopments, and It's possession by
power with a strong army and nav!
would be of immense Importance
both for a commercial and a mil1tar!
point Of view. England's invitation
France to go ahead with the conques'
of Morocco was therefore an inclte
ment to war, not with the Moors
alone, but with other European pow
ers whose interests are at stake.
Spain alone could not hope to cope
successfully with France. Her fee'
is gone and her army is very much
inferior to that of France both II
numbers and efficiency. But Ger
many would be compelled by her In
terests to back Spain in such al
eventuality, and would be supported
by the whole strength of the Triple
Alliance. The talk about Italy
GOODNESS to that alliance would MOI
hold good In this case, for Italy re
sents French predominance in north,
ern Africa and her interests would
compel her to stand by her ally
While there can be no doubt of Aus
trials loyalty. 1t vas these consider
ations which held back France, II
spite of King Edwards promises o.
English support, and made the Alge
ciras Agreement. possible. To France
at that time war would mean fighting
Germany on the East, Spain or tbs
Southwest and plenty of occupation
for her army on the Moorish frontiel
of Algeria. 1t would only result II
humiliation, from which neithel
England nor her Russian ally coult
save her, and if England should sue
ceed in DESTROYING the German fee