Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-19
FEAR FRACAS
IN The FUTURE
Germany and France May
Clash Over Moroccan
Situation

, NEW YORK, Jan. 19.-An article
en- Germany and France, with Spe-
cial Reference to the Moroccan Cues
ton. by Count Won Bernstorff, Ger.
man Ambassador at Washington, ap-
pears in the current issue of The
Outlook. 1t is as follows:
The Moroccan question has passed
out of its controversial stage and is
now part of history, at that we are
able to look back on it with an i'm
partial spirit and to Judge the aims
and results of the German Govern
ment's action with fairness-a fair
ness which seemed to be sometimes
lacking during the heat of the discus
sion.
1t is we'll known that un> , 1904
England and France were contend
ing with each other for supremacy
in Morocco. Then followed the An
glo-trench agreement of April, 1904,
and in the fall of the same year a
French banking syndicate contracted
a new large loan with Morocco.
Privileges CT such importance were
granted to this group of banks that
the eventual fate of the Sultan's EN-.
Dire seemed to be decided Germany,
however. intervened: the Emperor
visited Tangier, and few months la
ter the conference Of Algerians was
held. In fair words it proclaimed
the independence OF Morocco and the
sovereignty Of the Sultan. 1t also
created multitude of provisions and
stipulated tie open door" in Mo-
rocco. At the same time. however,
police powers were granted to France
and Spain in eight open Moroccan
ports, "->' furthermore, the treaty
concerning the aforementioned loan
was ratified with certain amend
ments. Above all, owing to the long
Algero-MorCccan border line, the
conference could not prevent French
influences in Morocco from continuing
aud even increasing. On account Of
the wholly unsettled and untenable
conditions in Morocco-which it is no
use denying-opportun for the ex-
ertion Of French influence could not
long be wanting. In fact, the occu-
patton Of Ujda and the bombardment
as well as the occupation of Casab-
lanca soon followed. All this could
have been prevented only if Germany
had been inclined to restore order in
Morocco, and first to 60 to war, as
would have been inevitable, with the
powers hostile to such an act on her
Fart The course OF events will al
ways prove to be more powerful than
ne most perfectly wordel treaty pro.
visions, and the Algeciars Act could
not expect to alter the fact that MO.
rocco. and her inhabitants no longer
in themselves possessed the strength
to reorganize their country. Some
enthusiasts believed that Muley Hafid
would be able to perform this task,
but they soon had TO recognize that.
Notwithstanding, his skill and 'bility
as a statesman, he did not have the
power to bring about the necessary
changes without foreig1 assistance.
For the German government there
was therefore only che way open to
protect German commercial interests
in Morocco, viz by securing Frances
protection of those interests. This
result was achieved by the Morocco
agreement of February 9, 1909. which
expressly mentioned the Algeciras
Act as it's basis. Clearly the object
of this agreement could only be to
delay French advance in Morocco as
long as possible; so that German
traders, farmers, and manufacturers
were in the mean while, under this
same French protection, guaranteed
by treaty, able to consolidate their
interests in Morocco in such degree
that a French protectorate could not
destroy them. No one who knew the
conditions in Morocco as they really !
were, and not as one perhaps wished
them to be. could entertain the slight
est doubt that a French protectorate !
must in the course of time be estab-
lished.
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 re-
placed by NJ. Cruppi 1t seems that
colonial fanatics who could not await
the ripening of the Moroccan fruit
,ook advantage of this change to OBJ
ain the consent of the new minister
If Foreign Affairs for the expedition
% Fez The petitioned danger of
he military mission and of the Euro
oean colony in consequence of the
of tribes in the neighbor-