The news from Morocco received on Friday may prove of
serious import. The Sultan has definitely signed the rejec- tion of the French demands, and is now proposing to invite the Powers to hold a Conference on the Moroccan question. There can, we think, be little doubt that this suggestion comes from the German Foreign Office. How should it be met by P In our opinion, the British Government should be guided entirely by the action of France. If France agrees to a Con- ference, we should, of course, agree also. If she refuses, we must not only support her refusal by a similar answer to the invitation, but do our best to induce other Powers to do the
same. That this determination to act with France will be the position adopted by our Government we do not doubt ; but meantime we do not conceal from ourselves the fact that the situation may at any moment prove very grave. We should like in this context to endorse the wise warning of the West- minster Gazette that in supporting France we must refrain from seeming, out of a well-meant but ill-judged enthusiasm, to be inciting France to take anti-German action. It is not for us to do anything which may be capable of being represented as "using" France. All we have got to do is to act as loyal friends, who, though prepared to help in an emergency, will do nothing to inflame a quarrel, but instead will endeavour to compose it.
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