GERMANY AND MOROCCO.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."] AIR,—The report circulated both in the Austrian and German Press that three imperial cruisers have proceeded to the coast of Morocco has met with curt and scandalised "official" denial, yet, "cruisers or no cruisers," the following com- munique to the Frankfurter Zeitung is sufficient to indicate the " tone " pitched when allusion is made to the situation in Northern Africa :- "France has assured us that her only intention is to see to the safety of her subjects, and that without molesting the sovereignty of the Sultan, and also with- out occupying Fez. It is expected that France will adhere to this programme, for diverging therefrom would mean an infringement of the Agreement of Algeciras which, while freeing all the Powers concerned from their liabilities, might lead to consequences such as at the present moment can hardly be foreseen. Even now, at the end of eight days, it is not easy to look ahead ; presumably the French Government itself does not as yet know how far it may have to go in Morocco, how matters will develop, and• when and how France will he in a position to withdraw again. Such things do indeed develop slowly, and even those responsible for action can see but a very short way ahead; and so long as this is the case it will be well for sensible politicians to accept the fact that the German Government, as has already been stated by the Norddeutsche .Allgemeine Zeitung, will not depart from the attentive and waiting attitude it has assumed. Serious political affairs such as the present need calm and the art of waiting. There can be no doubt as to Germany holding strictly to all those rights laid down by the Algeciras Agreement ; yet, should the trend of affairs serve to show France seeking to set aside or infringe German rights and interests, then, indeed, Germany will make use of her regained freedom to act, and Germany not being alone, we can but suppose that as the Norddeutsche pointedly observes, all the other Powers concerned having recovered their freedom of action, it will behove France to show that she is not of opinion that she is going to be allowed to increase her power and rights at the expense of those of other parties."—I am, Sir, &c.,
IGNOTUS.
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