THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7989, 19 March 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1906.

For some time past the newspapers have constantly published cable messages relating to the Oonforenoe now in course of progress at -Algeciras, and we may assume that in the Australasian colonies, at any rate, they have attracted but little attention at the hands of the great bulb of the readers of "the press." The serious nature, however, of the Conference at Morocco is one that is very real, and the Powers are, no doubt, watching the proceedings with a considerable degrae of anxiety. The acouracy of cable messages in regard to a Conference where diplomatic abilities are "matched," may not be trusted as being unimpeachable, but, at the

. ame time, we may gather from the general tenor of suoh messages whether peace or disonrd exists. ***** It is not unreasonable to assume t.hat the Algeciras Conference is not progressing smoothly. In the first place Germany, or that enter prisi,ug politician the Kaiser of Gemany, desires—for reasons which, however obvious they may be, cannot be considered as being consonant with what is regarded as honourable between nations —that Germany shall obtain certain privileges in Morocco which Prance cannot possibly agree to. The Kaiser, of course, could "demand" part of Prance, but would the French people agree to any proposal of the kind? They certainly would not do so unless they were absolutely humiliated by force of arms. Morocco, it may be remarked, is Blmost a part of Prance; at any rate nearly a* much so as "outlying" - India is a part of the British Empire. For some time paat. it has required but a most cursory interest in "the affairs of nations" to realise that Germany's demands must be refused by the dominant Power in Morocco, viz.. Prance. *****

A cable published in our issue of fchia morning states that the Algeoiraa correspondent of The London Tines reporbs that "the ohance of a rapture at the Conference is great. Neither France nor Germany is able to agree as to the extent of the interuationalisation of Morocco." France occupies Algeria, which, einoe 1830, has been gradually taken possession of by her, and is now regarded by the French people as being an outlying part of France rather than a colony of that country. Morocco, of course, is adjacent to Algeria, and is Deopled largely bj people of a similar race, though the different raoes in Morocco have been the cause of various disturbances, and are really the influences that are making for the partition of the country. Briefly, France, through being in possession of Algeria. looks upon Morocco as a natural Held for the extension of her power, and the semi-interference of Germany in France's designs in Morocco can only be considered as unwarrantable prefumption. Apparently, the Powers generally are in full sympathy with France, and there is not the slightest prospeot of Germany's demands being acceded to, while there is every reasoa so suppose that France is infinitely better prepared for war than in 1870. The situation is certainly interesting.

Aoccording to a most careful analysis made by an expert accountant at the request of Mr W. P. Massey, M.H.R., Leader of the Opposition, omitting constituencies where contests were brought about by candidates nominated by the prohibition party, the voting at the recent elections contain some interesting comparisons, and the number of voters in the colony who declined to vote for the Government nominees is very much larger than appeared at the time of the elections. The Government secured 185,141 votes, the Opposition 137,912, the Independents 32,047, New Liberals 6,972, and the Labour candidates 5,543. Thus the Government majority over the Opposition was 47,229, and the total of the Government votes exceeded half the number of voters by only 1,573>£.