Taranaki Herald. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1908. GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13746, 8 September 1908, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1908. GERMANY AND MOROCCO.

Morocco has long been and is likely to remain for some . time yet a bone of contention among certain of the Powers. It is a rich country, and when it is opened up to commerce and industry, as it will be some day, the most favoured nation will reap a rich harvest. Hence, no doubt, Germany's somewhat unusual, if not underhand, course of procedure with respect to the recognition of Mul»i Hai'id, the Pretender who lias succeeded in deposing Abdul Aziz from the Sultanate. Less than two years ago the Algeciras Act came into force, under which the principal Powers, including Germany, agreed upon certain reforms in the government of Morocco. Before many [months had passed a German firm was concerned in a direct contravention of the Act in connection with a public works icontract at Tangier, and the Diplomatic Corps at Tangier stepped in and forbade the signing of the contract. It has also been suspected that German officials have for long maintained secret relations with the Pretender and encouraged him in his aspirations. Indeed, Mulai Hafid has had his envoys in J3eiiin, and the Berliner

Tageblatt declares tliat in a letter from him to them, to he openeJ, in the event of their absence, l.y a German " business friend,'' tlie Pretender announced his determination to defeat Abdul Aziz, and promised liis German friends and supporters that it' they would colitinuc to give him- their confidence and support he and Allah would reward them. The nature of tho reward was hinted | at in a passage signifying his intention to shortly place consi-i derable orders for weapons and tents. Officially and openly, of course, Germany pursued a more correct course. The probability of tho Pretender defeating his bi other was recognised, and the Cologne Gazette, so long ago as Juno, stated that "for the moment the German and French Governments are merely agreed on the general point that the Powers will be best advised if, when the moment for acknowledging Mulai Hafid has arrived, 1 they jointly and simultaneously proclaim their recognition of the Pretender's claims.'' The organ of the German Chancellor, Prince von Bulow, about the same time admitted that if the Powers should ultimately have to. recognise Mulai Hafid as Sultan it would be desirable that all the signatories of the Algeciras Act should be agreed, and that in the meantime no Power should attempt to influence the cause of either one or the other of the rivals. The expected happened. Mulai Hafid defeated his brother and proclaimed himself Sultan — and the German Consul at Tangier, Dr. Vassel, secretly left Tangier for Fez, where Mulai Hafid had set up his court. Germany promptly explained that the journey had no political significance, Dr. Vassel having merely gone to Fez upon private business. Well, that may be so, but it is an explanation which will be received with more or less reserve, while the cables have informed us that the Moroccan tribes are everywhere acclaiming Dr. Vassel, in the belief that lias recognised Mulai Hafid, before tlie other Powers have done so. The incident fits, in remarkably well with the policy pursued! l»y Germany for several years with regard to Morocco — a policy of meddlesome unjustifiable interference in a sphere which is noi, hers. The design apparently is to secure some measure of most favoured nation treatment from Morocco's new Sultan. \ What the other nations think of it is shown by the cool manner in which Germany's official proposals have been received. The incident has -a decidedly unpleasant flavour, and it is not a little unfortunate that at such a juncture — though it is, of course, only a coincidence — France and Germany should be conducting army manoeuvres on a lauge scalo in and on the .^orders of AlsaceLorraine. With all the material at hand, the friction over Morocco might easily furnish the spark necessary to cause a conflagration in which the two nations might again become involved in a death struggle. The events of 1870 are not forgotten in France, and before to-day great wars have been bi ought about by lesser trifles.