Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04
THE SPANISH RIGHTS In MOROCCO

cabinet the 14th ultimo. the eve of the
reunion Of the cortes.
Interesting four days after the
er.;.;s resignation of the
SVAA01ueuce. Caillaux ministry in
France, has been considered a curious
coincidence Just what was the nature
of the reported misunderstanding be-
tween the king and his premier has not
been clearly explained, but 1t is ascribed
to the Communication of the death sentence
by King Alfonso of one of the assassins
at C., Aera, which sentence had been
favored by the cabiret. and so II was
left with no alternative but retirement.
Nevertheless Senior Canalejas was in
duced by the king to withdraw his resig-
nation and the cabinet is retained.
The proceedings in the matter of the
Franco-Spanish negotiations. suspended
for a time, have been resumed, and hope
is expressed of a prompt solution. What
with the extraordinary threats reputed
to have been made by NJ. Caii.aux
against Spain, and the insinuations that
France was responsible for the revolt OF
the Riffians, much bad blood has been
stirred I'D at Madrid and at Paris. and
this is all the more regrettable that the
neighbors hoped that nothing but the
most friendly feelings would De 1ostere,
between the two countries
1t should be borne in mind that tnere
is a party at Madrid which dreams or an
alliance with Germany, the conquest o.
Portugal, the retaking OF Gipraltar anu
the establis 'ment of Spanish supremacy
in the Mediterranean.
The divergence between France anu
Spain dates from the negotiations AT
Paris with FL Mokri with regard 10 the
reorganization of the Cherif1an army ana
also the railway from Tangier to ESh h,n;
that article Of the treaty of 1914, Whlcn
obliged France to notify Spain, had not
been observed.
The conversations at Madrid between
Senior Garcia Prieto. M. Geoffroy and Sir
Maurice de Bunsen, Eng
Conversations lish ambassador, began
February IL, 1911. These
~ mauI1u. conversations have been
attended by the British ambassador from
their inception-a fact which has been the
subject of much comment.
The sending of the Panther by Ger
many to Agadir caused France to sus-
pect that there was connivance at Madrid
with Berlin. Senior Canalejas declared at
that time that Germany had not yet
said her last word
The French press charged that Spain
had violated the treaty of 1904 in occu-
plying Larache and El-KSar without the
knowledge and consent of France. To
this the Spanish press replied that If
there was violation of the previous con-
- IA - A-I
it in negotiating with the makhzen in
the matter of Spanish zones of influence
Moreover, the Spanish press held that the
kongo concessions had restricted Spain
action in the Rio NUM-. where her from
tiers had been guaranteed by the His
panO-Franco-E English treaty of 1907.
1t may be useful to define just here the
limits of the Spanish possessions on the
southwestern frontier and the conditions
upon which these possessions were es-
tablished.
According to the Franco-Spanish con-
vention promulgated March 70, 1901. the
Spanish territory Of the Rio NUM- on the
Gulf of Guinea extends from the NUM-
to the Campo river, and the German
Kamerun, its eastern boundary, being on
the meridian of II degrees 20 minutes
east of Greenwich. The Franco-Spanist
frontier was settled by treaty of June
%, 1900.
Spain affects to base her grievances
upon the proposed treaty of 1902. which
conceded Fee and Taxa to Spain, blu,
ence in fact. for it's ratification was re-
fused. by the minister. Senior Silvela.
~
Count Won Bernstorff, German ambas.
sador, in a recent article entitled Ger.
many and France,
Won Bernstorff's undertakes to present
49,, the German side Of
- tSAS' the Moroccan case tt
the judgment of the American public
Those familiar with the facts will read
lily discover the lapses of the author
argument. He asks, What did German!
mean by sending a gunboat to the AT
lantic coast last summer? 1t was a mott
fication to France that the Algeciras &C
was no longer recognized as controlling
the situation"
The public will judge better Germany!
meaning when we are informed Of thu
secret negotiations with the French min
lister who is now being investigated. ant
likewise of the secret negotiations o.
Spain. which 1t is strongly suspected wer'
carried on at Berlin as well as at Paris
In the present negotiations with Spain, 81
far as known, France respects the right:
OF spain rs OeIneQ Dy the treaty VI lSVf
But France holds that from an 1nterna
tional point her protectorate includes al
Morocco, and hence her responsibility fol
the Spanish zone as we'll as French. The
exercise of a. double protectOrate is in
admissible. Spain admits the principle OF
'compensations,' but she does not wish
to give up Laracha, El-ksar or Ifri
Where, then. are the so-called compensa
tons which are accepted in principle?
AS for the statement made at Madrid
that the French were responsible for the
Rifhan revolt, Senior Canalejas has causes
to be published formal denial. More
over, Senior Garcia Prieto. minister OF
foreign affairs. has called upon NJ. Geof
troy, ambassador of France at Madrid, In
order to deny that Gen. Luque. as re-
ported by Impartial. had made the
statements imputed to him.
The Madrid Ejercito Espagnol stated
that the rumor arose from the fact tina,
among the Riffian hordes many negroes
well supplied with provisions and mum
lions, had been seen. and this had ere
ated suspicious. The explanation, need.
less to add, was quite as absurd and in
sufficient as the rumor. The truth is
that the ministry of Canalejas is suspect
ed in France of desiring to give to the
policy Of Spain direction clearly hostile
to France and favorable to a Spanish
German reapproachement
An article in the Figaro by NJ. Gabrie
Hanotaux of the French Academy. and
former minister of foreign affairs, il
timely and tends to show the importanc,
Of concluding a friendly arrangement
with Spain. The ex-minister criticise!
government and public alike conform tt
engagements made in the name o
France. France has capital interes
in this moment not to engage in con
flict with Spain.
Three years ago. writes M Hanotaux
n nf