Evening star., 1937-01-11
Morocco Again.

Twenty-six years ago, in the hectic
Summer of 1911, the German gunboat
Panther suddenly descended on Agadir.
Southwest Morocco, as a challenge to
France. A crisis ensued which all but
precipitated the World War destined to
break out three years afterward. Con-
flict was only averted by Great Britain's
action in aligning herself against Ger
man pretensions. Later, Paris and
Berlin patched up an agreement where
by the French acquired a protectorate
over Morocco except a Spanish zone
flanking the Mediterranean and directly
opposite the mainland of Spain.
1t is in that region, wherein the
Spanish civil war was incubated last
July, that the seeds of international
danger are again sprouting. Germany
is reported to be at work in Spanish
Morocco under circumstances which, be-
cause of their implications, temporarily
overshadow the Loyalist-Insurgent situ-
alton in Spain. Though corroborative
evidence Is lacking, France claims that
Germans troops are concentrating at
Ceuta, the harbor directly facing Gibral-
tar. Na1 engineers are alleged to be
building Notifications. while other mill
tary activities are said to be in progress
indicative Of Germanys intention to
occupy the whole highly strategic region.
It's possession, in addition to forming a
nucleus for a new German foothold in
Africa, would put the Reich in position
to make itself dangerous in the Mediter-
ranean alike to Britain, France and Italy.
While Berlin denies the Spanish Mo-
rocco reports. they are taken seriously
in London and Paris. Alert to any threat
to her Mediterranean position, Great
Britain is dispatching virtually her entire
home feet to the area adjacent to
Gibraltar. It will be demonstration
comparable to the armada sent into the
same waters last year as threat to Italy.
simultaneously, the French Atlantic fleet
is making ready to proceed to Casa
blanca, Morocco, while the French garri-
son in Morocco adjacent to the Spanish
zone has been heavily reinforced, with
orders to its commander to take any
steps necessary to prevent German ag-
gression.
Thus, should it turn out that Hitler
has actually ventured upon a military
diversion in Spanish Morocco the stage
will have been set for the most perilous
international turn the Spanish tragedy
has yet taken. 1t would be desperate
throw on the Nazis' part-a gamble
from which they could hardly by any
stretch of the imagination hope to
emerge victorious. The British would
not tolerate German guns in position to
sweep the Straits of Gibraltar. France,
dependent in war on an unimpeded flow
OF troops and supplies from her African
empire, could not view without anxiety
the ability of Germany to control the
entrance to the Mediterranean. Italy
would confront the same disquieting
possibility.
The Nazis may have a deal with
Franco for concessions at Ceuta in re-
turn for German volunteers" on the
insurgent front in Spain, but Berlin
must know that they could only be held
at the cost of a clash with Britain,
France and probably Italy. 1t seems
incredible that the Reich, in It's pro-
fessed zeal to thwart communism In
Spain, would risk in Northwestern Africa
an adventure which would almost auto
matically lead to European war. Mean
time that powder barrel never seemed
more nearly alight than at this critical
hour.