Evening star., 1936-08-06
Panther and Deutschland.

Some of the conditions in Europe to-
day present too discomforting parallel
between the call of the German war
ships Deutschland and Luchs at Ceuta,
Spanish Morocco, and the famous call
Of the German gunboat Panther at
Agadir, French Morocco, twenty-five
years ago.
In 1911, the Kaisers previously ex-
pressed warning, six years before, that
Germany was determined to share in
the distribution" of remaining "oppor-
tunities for colonial enterprise" was
given effective demonstration by the
appearance of the Panther in the harbor
at Agadir at a time when the French
were preparing to establish their pro-
tectorate. Native chieftains were invited
aboard the Panther, assured of German
sympathy and support in their resistance
to the French. Europe hung on the
brink of war for months, France and
until the treaty of Algeciras bound
France to the cession to Germany of
about 100000 square miles of territory
in the French Kongo, with other COM
mercial and economic provisions. in
return for German recognition of the
French protectorate.
The incident was one of the chapters
leading up to the World War, for it
highly inf1amed the French against Ger
many, leaving both nations suspicious
and watchfully jealous and rather
accurately forecasting the nature of the
later alliances of the World War.
The call of the German warships at
Ceuta on Tuesday, with the conferences
between the German officers and the
insurgent leader, Gen. Franco, resulted
In no one knows what agreements or
understandings. That the call was
leaders is made abundantly plain in the
press dispatches, one ensuing episode
being the adornment of insurgent uni
forms with the Nazi sWastika. But the
effect of the incident on popular feeling
In France might easily become serious
Premier Blum's efforts in behalf of
neutrality-which, strictly maintained,
Is the greatest hope of salvation from
the spread beyond SPANS borders of
her disastrous civil war-are taken not
only with the view to avoid the reper-
cussions Of intercession by another
power in Spain, but to safeguard France
internally. France is none too secure
herself from the malignant disease that
IS wasting Spain. Such manifest gestures
Of aid and comfort to the revolutionists
as given by Nazi Germany at Ceuta only
make more dif1cult Premier Blum's
attempt to hold a middle of the road
course. The same thing is true Of the
less fortnight demonstrations of SYM
pathy from Fascist Italy.
The rough road that lies ahead of
neutral course toward Spain on the
part of France, Italy, Germany and
Russia now is made apparent by the
nature of the conflict in Spain. The
Paris correspondent of the New York
Times, P. j. Philip, writes that perhaps
the worst element of the situation is
that neither side in Spain is capable
Of winning" Anything like a decisive
victory any time soon is not, apparently,
probable. And that means a protracted
conflict, continuing to present the sharp
issue as between democracy and pos
sibly Communism, on the one hand, and
dictatorship and brand of Fascism on
the other, each bidding for support from
governments to which victory for one
side or the other is highly desirable.
May history at Agadir not repeat itself
ut Ceuta!