THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILYS SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1919. GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17140, 21 April 1919, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILYS SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1919. GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

The announcement that Germany will be required under the Peace Treaty to give up all claims in Morocco appears a small matter in comparison with, the vast political changes which are talcing placa all over the world. Its significance lies •in the fact that Morocco has become a sort of mirror in which Europe has watched the reflection of German militarism. Twice Morocco has brought France to the brink of war with Germany. It was the occasion of the diplomatic humiliation which resulted in the resignation of M. Delcasse in 1905 and of the conferences in 1906 and 1911 which repudiated Germany's shadowy pretensions, and first intimated that the Anglo-French Entente had become a factor in European affairs and that if Germany challenged' France without just cause she would have to fight Britain also. The recent history of Morocco is full of striking instances of the recklessness and untrustworthiness of Germany, her ignoble intrigue, her selfish opportunism, her calculated aggression, and the explosive violence of her pre-war diplomacy. As early as 1904 Germany expressed her acquiescence in the treaty under which France gave Britain freedom of action in Egypt and Britain gave France freedom of action in Morocco. The following year the Kaiser went to Tangier and • interfered in a most improper manner in Moroccan affairs. The circumstances of Morocco had not changed, but Russia, France's ally, had been defeated at the hands of Japan, and Germany deemed the moment oppor- ! tune to assert her influence in Europe. The resultant conference was a disappointment to Germany because it proved that if France had temporarily lost the effective support of one ally she had gained another and more powerful one. Germany was again compelled to acknowledge the privileged position of France, but this by no means exhausted her capacity for making mischief. In 1909 Germany came to another agreement with France, in which she put on record that her interests in Morocco were " only j economic.'' In 1911 she claimed I special privileges and sent a warship I to Agadir to enforce them, thereby precipitating a crisis which would have led to war had Germany not been by the united front of France, Britain, and Russia. She was not ready for " the day." These Moroccan incidents were only intended as diplomatic preliminaries. Theoretically Germany has few interests in Morocco which she may be! called upon to surrender unless she 1 is to lose the equal trading rights i which France has guaranteed to all | . nations. In reality she has consider-1 able influence with certain tribes> and during the war she has been able to embarrass the French GovI eminent to a very considerable extent. On paper Morocco is divided into three spheres of influence. The greater part of the country is under French protection, but the district round Tetuan and portion of the north-west form a Spanish zone. Tangier and 200 square miles to the east and south are international territory, which was to have been policed by Britain, Franc®, and Spain, but which has become a no man's land in which international authority in only slightly upheld. Both France and Spain have found difficulty in occupying effectively their respective "spheres. Frunce has undertaken several campaigns, but the tribes arc warlike and are expert in taking advantage of the difficult country of the interior.

Several have recently been corrupted by German gold and influence and for their subdual France has had to take, vigorous military action. This has resulted in the more thorough penetration of her protectorate than ever before and, save for portion of the Middle Atlas Mountains, France may claim to occupy the whole of her protectorate, With Spain it is different. She does not hold effectively more than one-tenth of her much smaller zone, and it is in the- unoccupied portion of the Spanish district that the unofficial and quite illegal German sphere of influence exists. It is large enough to include three tribes and into their territory no Europeans save Germans have for a long time dared to enter. In the whole of the Spanish zone, even in the parts where Spain does enforce her authority, German and other enemy agents have had practically a free hand during the whole period of the war. They established submarine supply depots on the coast and conducted an antiFrench propaganda which was' not confined to the Spanish territory, but created much trouble for France within her own protectorate until the stern logic of events in Europe taught the tribes that in serving Germany they were playing a losing game.

The Peace Congress is not only bound to take measures to suppress German influence in Morocco, but it will probably also feel impelled to make certain decisions for the better government of the country. The international zone is a farce and the Spanish zone is largely unoccupied. All the mountain region is held by Raisuli, a noted • brigand, who has been in German pay, but is equally ready to take French money or British money, or failing other profitable employment to seize European travellers and hold them to ransom. The Spanish authorities recently made an effort to restrict Raisuli's activities, but with little success, and to-day's cables indicate that Raisuli is retaliating vigorously. Should he eventually be defeated he will retreat to French territory, one of the anomalies of the present situation being that any chief who is a fugitive from one zone can find asylum in either of the others. Whatever action is taken by the Peace Congress must be in the direction of Ftrengthenins: French authority. The internationalisation of Tangier has failed so palpably that the congress ran hardly resist the conclusion that the town and district should be given to France, which has ruled Morocco firmly and justly, and established a 10-o-p. measure of order and security. Had Spain done as well in her district the economic development of Morocco would be- much further advanced. It will be a question for the congress whether pressure should not be placed on Snain to vindicate her authority as the protector of Northern Morocco, and so make possible the oven progress of the whole country.