Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY. SEP. 2, 1908 STEALING A MARCH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11371, 2 September 1908, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY. SEP. 2, 1908 STEALING A MARCH.

[ Probably nine out of ten persons m I the civilised world' evince not the slightest interest m tho question of who shall be top. dog m Morocco, aiid the policy of the European" Powers has' been to discreetly , \yithdraw from that turbulent country until the unruly elements have fought themselves to a standstill. The cablegrams a few days ago announced that after the wildest scene of treachery and panic Abdul Aziz had barely . escaped with .his life, and that hie brother Mulai Hafid had been proclaimed Sultan, at Tangier. This apparent ascendancy of Mitlai Hafid has not been allowed time to mature into actual reality befotfa Germany, with that eagerness to steal a march over his rivals that is characteristic of the Kaiser, has -art Ambassador on the scene coquetting with the new authority. It will be seen from to-day's cable news that Germany's precipitancy- has caused some little stir m diplomatic circles, and that it will meet with very just adverse <:riticism from Europe. There is more m this move of Germany's- than meets the eye of the casual observer. By the defeat of Abdul Aziz the -position m Morocco underwent a startling change. The French secured their foothold m Morocco under the regime of Sultan Abdul Aziz, and under the same regime their position m the country was regularised by the Algecirics convention. But now that Sultan Abdul Aziz is a defeated fugitive and his brother Mulai Hand, champion of the policy of Morocco for the Moroccans- is m power, it is probable that foreign interests m that -..country will receive a considerable shaking up. Mulai, it has transpired, has. been m correspondence riot only with the French Socialists, who are opposed to the policy of M. Clemenceau, but with "envoys" m Berlin, and he announced recently through a German friend that he in-, tended to crush Abdul Aziz, and that he would then place large orders m Germany for weapons and tents. The prospect, therefore, of tranquility being restored m Morocco is far from reassuring. Any change m Morocco which increases French embarrassments m that country and makes it more difficult for France to maintain a semblance of order, while at the same time keeping, the strict letter of the Algeciras agreement, as an Australian contemporary points out, may be regarded as very welcome to Germany, and particularly to the persistent and clamorous clique who are never tired of urging Germany's right to a fair share of Morocco, the port of Mogador, on the Atlantic coast, being the prize most eagerly desired. Mulai Hafid, the writer goes on to state, has come to be regarded as the candidate who would have Germany's vote and interest, while Abdul Aziz was the nominee of France. Mulai Hafid is the stern contemner of infidel institutions. He scorned tlie bicycles and motor cars and four-in-hand coaches, and other toys of Western civilisation, which appealed so strongly to Abdul Aziz. The way of his ancestors was good enough for him, and he openly professed himself utterly opposed to the introduction of j European influences. But the Times' correspondent at Tangier intimates that, even Mulai seems likely to fall under I the spell of European civilisation, and to become "as amenable to loans" as his brother. European Governments have long since discovered that the easiest way of destroying the power of any semi-civilised ruler is to lend him money. lb is far cheaper as a rule than going to war with him. Hence it is expected that Mulai's reactionary sentiments and fierce desire to bust all Europeans from Morocco will vanish as soon as he finds it possible to borrow from them. And the Government from which he. borrows the most money will be his master. With a load of foreign debt round his neck he will be powerless to protest against the Europeanisation of the country. If Mulai had sufficient- strength of character to avoid falling into this snare he might possibly delay at any rate the gradual civilisation of his country. And if he had sufficient diplomatic finesse he might play off one European Power against the other, as the Sultan of Turkey managed to do for so many years, and thus keep his country in* tlie condition of primitive

wililncsrf wliich is his ideal. Whether Abdul Aziz or Mulai Hand reigns m Morocco is a matter of .supreme indifference to the rest of the world, except m so far as the personality of the ruler affects- the ambitions of the nations who aspire to hold territory m Morocco. It was hinted some time ago that Germany was bidding for French support for the Bagdad railway scheme by promising as a quid pro quo not to embarrass Fiance m Morocco. But the prospects of the Bagdad railway have been affected by the bloodless revolution — for it amounts to that— in Turkey, and it may suit Germany therefore to make mischief m Morocco m the hope of securing foothold ins tlie country m the confusion. It seems possible that the accession of Mulai Hafid to the Sultanate may greatly strengthen Germany's hand m the intricate game that is still going on m that country.