Trench and camp. (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, March 13, 1918, Image 12

Trench and camp., March 13, 1918, Page Page 12, Image 12

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Newspaper Page TextMOROCCO FOR LONG TIME THORN IN GERMANY’S SIDE In His Third Article Doctor Zook Shows the German Gov ernment Made Several Attempts to Keep France From Securing Control of Morocco. H 38 iK K pS |H i IW ’ j!i Ej||sl ;j ! ■ 1 10 w/ ' Pp wrUwf ' Xw W i \ * r [I H| BY DR. GEORGE F. ZOOK, (Professor of Modern European His tory, State College, Pa.) When Germany deprived France of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871, Bismarck in vited France to seek consolation for the loss of these two provinces in Af rica. The French accepted the invita tion. They extended their influnce in Algiera and seized Tunis in 1881. The French explorers added thousands of square miles of territory on the Congo, Niger, and Senegal rivers. They even dreamed of finding away across the upper Nile to the Red Sea, and thus be able to establish French territory from west to east .across Africa. This dream was rudely shaken, however, when Major Marchand with several hundred- French soldiers encountered Lord Kitchener and his army at Fa shoda on the tipper Nile in 1898. Both claimed the territory for their respec tive countries, and" these two countries which had long peen at odds over Af rican affairs were perilously near war. At length the French yielded. They withdrew from the upper Nile and the “Fashoda. Incident” passed away. Six years later these two nations which had almost been at one anoth er’s throats in 1898 settled their dif ferences and fornied what is usually referred to as the “Entente Cordiale.” This rather sudden change in policy resulted from the bitter feeding often expressed b£ the Germans against Great Britain in the Boer War and from the enormous growth in German trade and industry, which made Eng land and France feel as if Germany was to be the rival of the future. In the entente, therefore, France ceased her opposition to England’s supervis ioon of Egyptian affairs. In return for this, the French were to be allowed to have a free hand in “assisting” the Sultan of Morocco in effecting “finan cial, administrative, ana military re forms” in his country. Morocco Free. Morocco was at that time a free and independent - country. It had never been conquered by the Turks and therefore the Sultan enjoyed both reli gious and political authority. In cer tain regions of the country, however, local chieftains have largely usurped the Sultan's functions, and therefore, often pay only a nominal tribute to their ruler. Such a condition makes it impossible in many instances for tire Sultan to guarantee protection to for igners within the country. Also, rov ing bands often ravaged French prop erty across the border in Algeria. There seemed no doubt, therefore, from th standpoint of the foreigners and especially the French, that it was highly' desirable that the government of Morocco should have “assistance” in "financial, administrative, and mil itary reforms.” Garmany’s Ultimatum. When the - French began to exert pressure upon the Moroccan govern ment for these reforms, they promised to respect the integrity of the Sultan's authority and territory and to insure Saqual commercial opportunities to all foreigners. Within a short time, the Germans suddenly became very much interested in Morocco. So far their t rade to Morocco had been inconsider able. On the plea that France was quietly preparing to assume entire control of Morocco without consulting anyone but Great Britain, the German Emperor disembarked from his pleas ure yacht at Tangier's on March 31, 1905, long enough to deliver a little speech ostensibly to the Sultan, but -really to the European Powers, to the effect that the independence of Mo rocco against I>. each aggression should be maintained. This was a nov el way of calling' the Moroccan ques tion to the attention of the world. La ter the Germans demanded that the status of Morocco be settled by an in ternationl Conference. The Germans manded, moreover, the dismissal of Delcasse, French minister of Foreign Affairs, who was especially distaste ful to the Germans. Since Russia, France’s ally, was busy with the Jap anese war, France could do nothing but yield on these points, and the con ference assembled at the sleeply little ’town of Algeciras on the Spanish coast, early in 1906. There Germany found herself almost without friends. Only Austria-Hun gary supported her. Germany was therefore unable to dominate the con ference as she had done in the matter of summoning it. It was recognized that France had “special interests” in Morocco and therefore, the organiza tion of the Moroccan police and the matter of preserving order was left to the French military officrs. On the other hand, precautions were taken to insure equal trade opportunities among all foreigners in Morocco. New Disturbances. Not long after the Algeciras confer ence had adjourned, fresh internal dis turbances occurred in Morocco and the French undertook to preserve or der, especially in the port towns. In doing so the French found it necessary to bombard the own of Casa Blanca and a number of natives wer killed. It was also decided to hasten the taking of the custom houses In Morocco, Page 12 TRENCH AND CAMP which measure had been decided at Algeciras, in order to insure the pay ment of interest and principal on for eign loans made to the Moroccan gov ernment. French Use In the meantime the Mannesaman Brothers, German capatailsts, and friends of Emperor William, succeeded in obtaining some valuable concessions from the Sultan in Southern Morocco. As long as the quarrels of French and- German capitalists added to the an archy, it was impossible to brink any archy it was impossible to bring any order out of the chaos. The French were about as far as they could be from preserving order in Morocco ac cording to the injunction of the Alge ciras conference. The French therefore decided to use stronger measures. First they dispafched a body of native troops under French officers to the capital at Fez. Then in May, 1911, they sent a number of French soldiers who suc ceeded in occupying the capital. Germans Again Protest. By sending troops to Fez, the French really announced to the world that henceforth they intended to use mrli itary force in the preservation of or der in Morocco. Striped of all subter fuge* this meant that Morocco had really lost its independence and was well on the road to the status of a French' colony. The Germans un doubtedly realized that such a disposi tion was almost inevitable, but they decided that it should not take place without a challenge. Emperor William, therefore, sent the German war ves sel, the Panther, to Agadir on the Mo roccan coast to protest against French actions in Morocco, on the grounds that they were breaking the' agree ment made in 1906. Once more the world was astounded at this unusual method of calling up the mooted question of Morocco. The Agadir incident resulted in a number of “conversations” between French and German diplomats in which it developed that the Germans realized that Morocco must be left to France. They concluded, however, however, that they should have some compensation in other parts of the world. The French were aware that British and -Russian’support could now be depended on and, therefore, they were not so ready to comply with Ger many’s demands as they were in 1905. They maintained that Germany had nothing in Morocco to lose and there fore nothing to be “compensated” for. They finally agreed, however, to salve Germany’s feelings b£ ceding- a con siderable strip of somewhat valueless territory in the Congo region. Thus passed the second Morocco incident. In 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate, and so passed out of the sphere of international controversy. Decided by German People. The two Morocco incidents were of great importance in the history of in ternational affairs. The German gov ernment had virtually delivered an ul timatum to the French in 1905, which action was questioned in Germany it self. In the election of the reichstag, which occurred in 19107, the Socialists challeneged the whole colonial policy of their government. The election was waged with great bitterness, but the imperialists won. The Socialists lost one-half of their members in the Reichstag, and the German people by returning members of other parties pledged the country to an imperistic policy in colonial affairs. It was a momentous decision and it should be noted again, one which the people of Germany themselves made. Two years before, the British people -had returned the Liberal party to power. This party has long laid greater stress on inter nal reform than on a strong foreign policy. Os Vital Importance. If the first Morocco incident aroused strong feeling in Germany, the second in 1911 was perhaps of even greater consequence. It was the direct cause of the increases effected in the Ger man army and navy, which increases were answered in a corresponding -way in France. England and Russia. This incident passed without bloodshed, to be sure, the same as previous inci dents. However, as one studies the history of international relations dur ing the last fifteen years, one is struck with the fact that war seemed immi net upon a number of occasions. The fact that up to 1914, one side or the other always backed down, is all that explains the absence of hostility. Dur ing all these years the great European nations had been maneuvering for po sitions. When the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary was killed, no one yielded. Each side stood its ground and the inevitable war was on. —Cour- tesy of Penn. State Collegian. When Looks Are Deceiving The Paris edition of The New York Herald for January 17, 1918, has the fol lowing story i.»m its London corre spondent : “Rising from dinner at* the Eagle Hut l of the Y. M. €. A. the other day, a The Lenwood #-T»r RIGHT AT CAMP HANCOCK American and European Plan. Special Rates for the Families of the Army . . .. ' " " ~ , ■ - ■ ' - Club Breakfast Table de Hote Lunch, SI.OO \ Dinner, $1.50 —or A la Carte. Music 6:30 to 8 P. M. Special Rates for Overnight for Room with or without Private Bath. Sunday Evening Concerts. BEAUTIFUL BALL ROOM. Just the place to hold Balls, Social Affairs, etc. THE PATRONAGE OF THE ARMY SOLICITED. young American soldier thought he was know, voluntary workers, just waiting doing the right thing in placing a tip on you for the joy of the thing.’ under his plate. A ‘waitress,’ one of the “ ‘You don’t get any salary for work many Americas voluntary workers, gent- ing here?’ ly told him that tips were not required in “ ‘No, we have all got plenty of money.’ the Eagle Hut. “ ‘Gee!” exclaimed the soldier, ‘you “ ‘We are all American women, you certainly don’t look it!” FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS We Deliver by the FLORAL TELEGRAPH DELIVERY to any part of the civil ized W orld STULB NURSERY AS USUAL The House of Dorr is for those who wish the better grades of things to wear. Trench Coats, Rain Coats, Jaeger Underwear, Sweaters, Hosiery, Etc. Officers’ Uniforms Made in Our Own Shop, $65.00 and $75.00. August Dorr’s Sons 724 Broad Street ■ - - T March 13.