Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-02-01
bERNST0RFF
OF FRANCE
Ambassador Explains Moroc.
can Mixup and Defends His
Country's Motives.
0OCNT Won BERNSTORFF, the
German ambassador to the Unit
~ ed StateS in an articln in the

ed States, in an article in the
Outlook discusses the present
attitude of France and Germany to-
ward one another, with special refer
ence to the Moroccan question" He
represents Germany as being quite sat-
isfied with the Kongo concessions OBJ
tanned as the result of the latest Fran.
co-German agreement and insists that
at no time was Germany seeking trou-
bic with France by her Moroccan at
titude.
The action of the kaiser's govern
ment i'll dispatching the German cruis-
err Panther to Agadir and thus creating
situation which amounted at one
time to Il war scare, is alluded to as a
simple necessity The article follows:
"The Moroccan question has passed
out of its controversial stage and is
now part of history, so that we are
able to look back on it with an Impair
tial spirit and to judge the aims and
results Of the German governments ac-
ton with fairness-a fairness which
seemed to be sometimes lacking dur
ing the heat Of the discussions.
ut Is we'll known that until 1904
England and France were contending
with each other for supremacy in Mo-
rocco. Then followed the Anglo French
agreement of April. 1904. and in the
fall Of the same year French banking
syndicate contracted a new large loan
with Morocco. Privileges of such i'm
portance were granted to this group of
banks that the eventual fate of the
Sultan's empire seemed to be decided
Germany, however. interviewed. The
emperor visited Tangier. and few
months later the conference of Alge-
ciras was held. In fair words it pro
claimed the Independence of Morocco
and the sovereignty of the sultan. Ii
also created Il multitude of provisions
and stipulated the "open door" in Mo
rocco. AT the same time. however, po-
lice powers were granted to France
and Spain in eight open Moroccan
ports and. furthermore, the treaty con
corning the above mentioned loan was
ratified with certain amendments
Above all. owing to the long Algcro-
Moroccan border line. the conference
could not prevent French influence in
Morocco from continuing and even in
creasing. On account of the wholly
unsettled and untenable conditions in
Morocco which it is no use denying
opportunities for the eXertion Of
French influence could not long be
wanting. In fact. the occupation Of
Ujda and the bombardinent as we'll as
the occupation of Casabanca soon fol
lowed.
"All this could have been prevented
only If Germany had been inclined to
restore order in Morocco and first to
70 to war as would have been inevi
table. with the powers hostile to such
an act on her part. The course of
events will always prove to be more
powerful than the most perfectly
worded treaty provisions. and the Al
geciras act could not expect to alter
the fact that Morocco and her inhabit
ants no longer in themselves possess
ed the strength to reorganize their
country. Some enthusiasts believed
that Mulai Hafid would be able to per-
form this task. but they soon had to
recognize that Notwithstanding his
skill and ability as statesman. he did
not have the power to bring about the
necessary changes without foreign as
sistance.
For the German government there
was therefore only one way open to
protect German commercial interests
in Morocco-viz. by securing Frances
protection Of these interests. This re-
suit was achieved by the Morocco
agreement of Feb. 8. 1909. which ex-
pressly mentioned the Algeciras act as
its basis. Clearly the object Of this
agreement could only be to delay
French advance in Morocco as long as
possible, so that German traders. farm
ers and manufacturers were In the
meanwhile under this same French
protection. guaranteed by treaty. able
to consolidate their interests in Moroc-
co to such degree that French pro-
tectorate could not destroy them. No
one who knew the conditions in Mo-
rocco as they really We're and not as
one perhaps wished them to be could
entertain tne Slightest UUuDt tuttt Il
French protectorate must in the course
of time be established.
"This would have been considered
the natural course Of events had the
aspect of affairs not suddenly changed
when NJ. Pichon retired from the
French foreign office and was replaced
by NJ. Cruppi. 1t seems that colonial
fanatics who could not await the rip
ening Of the Moroccan fruit took ad-
vantage of this change to obtain the
consent Of the new minister of foreign
sfrairs for the expedition to Fez The
pretended danger of the military mis-
sion and of the European colony in
consequence of the rebellion Of tribes
In the neighborhood Of Fee formed a
welcome pretext. The capital was
reached. and military posts were estah-
lished
During all this time semiofflcial
German newspapers had constantly re-
iterated that. according to communion
lions received in Germany, the Euro
peans in Fee were not Mt all in dan
ger. When these hints proved to be