Evening star., 1923-07-08
TANG|ER MUDDLE
NL0NDON PARLEY
Spain, England and France
: Seek Basis for Diplomatic
Conference.
By Cable to The Star.

AGNbON, July I.--AttTaCtlHs iittlc
attention because Of it's coming at
the. same time as the Anglo o-French
crisis on the general reparations
question Is a conference which seeks
to iron ont another problem full of
explosive possibilities, in which Spain
as we'll as England and France is
concerned. Meeting in the British
foreign office all week, the confer
ence Is made UP of such experts as
Arnold Robertson for England, De
Beau Marchais for France and Lopez
Roberts for Spain. The object of
the gathering is to find a common
basis on which a full diplomatic con-
ference may be held later to discuss
the status of the Moroccan port,
Tangier
This question. which has been side
tracked time and again, has now
reached point where 1T is recog-
ntzed that there must be- a settle
ment unless grave risks are to be
run OF a war cropping out. There
is a direct clash of views regarding
the future of the port between France
and Spain. both of whom lay more
or less direct claim thereto, anu,
while England raises no such claim.
her interests are divergent from those
of both countries.
Suffer. diplomatic Curse.-
Situated on the southern side of
the Atlantic at the entrance to the
strait of Gibraltar, Tangier should
be one of the first ports of the world.
but, as matter Of fact. not a single
breakwater has been built to turn
tion to account. For a period of
at least twenty years Tangier has
been suffering from what is described
as sort of diplomatic curse. The
bone OF contention between France
anu Spain came into existence when
the former country began to extend
Its influence in Morocco, where Spain
had preceded her as a colony. The
same time England and Germany
were claiming special interests. Tan
gier was consequently declared auton-
omous, under the control of the local
diplomatic corps, aided by the NUM-
cipality.
mittedly was provisional, has been
to block entirely all development of
the port. The chance of lasting
settlement seemed to have come after
the war, when Germanys influence
was eliminated, and there was talk
of an agreement whereby Gibraltar
would be returned to Spain. England
taking Ceuta, on the African side of
the straits and Tangier being con-
ceQeu TO france.
French Concession.
/ No action was taken. however, un-
til France a couple of years ago
brought the question to a. head by
causing the Sultan of the French pro-
tectorate of Morocco. who Is the titu-
lar ruler Of Tangier, to issue a proc
lamatien granting a French company
the concession for the development
or the port. Here followed a long
diplomatic controversy between Eng
land and France, the end of which be-
ing that last fall France decided to
aban ndon the project. In the mean
time Spain has been pressing for a
settlement. due to the Necessity of
impressing public opinion, which has
been disturbed by the costly but in
conclusive fighting in an attempt to
suppress a revolt among tribeSmen
in the Spanish zone of Morocco.
Tangier was one of the subjects
discussed in London between Poincare
and Lloyd George last summer. and 1t
was then decided that a tripartite
conference should be held immedi-
ately. 1t is characteristic of the
whole diplomatic handling that the
conference should assemble just now,
a year late. Commercially France
interests predominate in Tangier. The
French control 95 per cent of the real
estate. almost all the banks and at
colony, however. is numerically
stronger than the French. England.
aside from her commercial interests,
defends at Tangier her traditional pol
Icy of controlling the straits, with
Gibraltar facing Tangier as a SYM
Dol.
The position of Spain in the con-
troversy is most clearly defined of
the three. The Spanish government
fatty claims that TanGier should be
{v., = 4, - t-A
of Morocco-although strong Sec
tions of Spanish opinion favor cut
ting losses occasioned by the whole
attempt to maintain hold on the
north coast of Africa.
France opposes this, but processes
she would be ready to accept an
international regime, so long as 1t
recognized the sultan's right as re-
CARDS the police concessions, so as
to prevent Tangier from becoming
the refuge of all agitators in
Morocco. The objection to this ar
rangement is that it would give
France, In the long run. the pre-
dominant position in the port.
France fears the disorder from
tribesmen in the Spanish zone may
spread to her own proteetorate, and
claims the task Of keeping order
petent handling. The situation is
further complicated by the bad rela-
tions existing between France and
Spain, aggravated at the present
time by fierce tariff war.
Although the younger school of
English strSxegists doubts the
value of such bases. Britain main
tains the attitude that she can not
allow rival to Gibraltar to arise
on the. opposite shore of the straits
The best argument in favor of a set
tlement of the difficult problems is
the grave consequences which are
almost certain to arise if they re-
main unsettled.
Copyright. 1921