Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-19
>. Germany and France -

the conditions in Morocco as they
really were, and not as one perhaps
wished them to be, could entertain
the slightest doubt that a French
protectorate must in the course OF
time be established.
This would have been considered I
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
took advantage of this change to OBJ
tain the consent of the new minister
of foreign affairs for the expedition
to Fee. The pretended danger or the
military mission and of the European
colony in consequence of the rebel
lion of tribes in the neighborhood of
Fee formed a welcome pretext. The
capital was reached and military
posts were TO be withdrawn to the
coast as soon as possible, it was evil
dent that the larger part of the
country would, like the SchanJa
province, soon be directly controlled
1 by French agents and military au-
/ thorities.
! During all this time semi-ofticial
German newspapers had constantly
reiterated that, according to COM
munications received in Germany, the
/ Europeans in Fee were not at all in
danger. When these hints proved
to be of no effect, the North German
/ Gazette. OF April 80. 1911, addressed
new warning to France which could
not be misunderstood, declaring that
a sultan governing with the aid of
France no longer represented the
sovereign sultan as defined by the
! Algeciras act, and that Germany
!, therefore would be entitled to resume
; its former freedom of action. This
warning was not needed. Events
= took their course, and it was soon
J clear that the south of Morocco
: would also be drawn into the grow
ing unrest. In this case the security
, of the Europeans living there
among them many Germans-might
indeed have been in danger, since
! there were no French troops in the
south, and no forces of the sultan
! which could be counted on. At any
, rate, several German firms feared
; that their interests and their officials
= were in danger. and during the month
: of June asked the German govern
ment for protection. AS a conse-
: uuence. the German cruiser Panther
was sent TO Agadir.
} The French newspapers published
5 during these days prove that, aftel
$ having been startled at first, French
2 public opinion very soon perfectly
= understood the meaning of this step
g For any one who had followed the
D course OF the Moroccan question il
was inconceivable that Germany
: should suddenly wish to conquer Mo
D roccan territory. Even during the
S most critical moments of the whole
affair Germany had always emphati
e cally declared that il pursued onl!
o economic interests in Morocco, ant
S this with good reason. For German
s the occupation of some part of Mo
s rocco-apart from the war which n
o doubt would have ensued-coul
b mean nothing else than a long an
s continual display of military force
t perfectly out of proportion to tn
o possible gain. The friendship of tn
Is Moroccans for Germany NATURAL
n would have turned into enmity a
8 soon as If followed the example c
Is France and took up the role of a
d aggressor. 1t is only necessary t
ir glance at the map and look at tn
,e sea route from Wilhelmshaven, /
IT Germany, to Morocco by way of tn
" British isles to understand what