The Progress of the World. 



551 



interest-;. We could not recognise any new arrangements that 

 might be come to wiihout us. 



No direct request was made for information as to German 

 proposals. The conimuniotion was merely a notification that 

 we inteiuled to have a voice in the settlement, whatever it miijlit 

 be. As (jermany had already stated that her negotiations with 

 Krance were aimed at a settlement in accordance with the 

 interests of the other signatory Powers, she did not deem 

 it necessary to do nmre than take note of the British 

 declaration. 



July 7 — Statement by .Asquith in House of Comniuns. 



July 12. Wednesday. — lirilish Ambassador remarked to 

 Kiderlin-Waechter that as Germany, !•' ranee, and Spain were 

 negolialiny together, the inference had been drawn that we were 

 to be excliide<l from the settlement. Kiderlin-Waechter said, 

 " Tell your Government there never had l>cen any such idea." 



No intimation whatever appears 10 have been made by the 

 British C'lOveinment that they were di-;saiisfied with this assur- 

 ance, nor was any request made for further inforn>atioii. 



July 20. Thursday. — The 7V»/('^ published a statement that 

 Germany had asked for the whole of the French Congo as 

 compen.-ation for leaving .Morocco to trance, and that p'rance 

 would never consent. 



July 21. Friday. — Gruy lells Metternich France will never 

 agree. Complains that it might even be that the (Jernian flag had 

 been hoisted at Agatlir, the most suitable port on that coast fur 

 a naval base. If negotiations broke down we should be obliged 

 to do something to watch over British interests and to becon'ie a 

 party to the discussion 01 the matter. The longer the Germans 

 remained at .Vgadir the more difficult would it be for them to 

 withdraw, and the more necessary for us to lake some steps to 

 protect British interests. Metternich said Germany had not 

 slightest inenlion of injuring British rights or interests. If any 

 English interests were injured let Gn y name them. If France 

 rejecteil German propos.iU she must put up with presence ol 

 foreign warships in Ag.nlir ;rs pari of bargain. If France wanted 

 Morocco she nmst oOcr an equivalent. Grey seemed to have 

 one measure for France and another for Germany. "If you 

 regard .Morocco as inviolable, why not request explanations from 

 ■ France?" Germany hatl no intention ol acquiring commercial 

 monopolies or unfairly prejudicing British interests. 



Grey replied thai ii Germany remained in possession of a 

 closeil port, that involved at least a monopoly of commercial 

 opportunities. "I say plainly that the i/i'/«ii/r/;^ at .Agadir would 

 lead to explanations (<7'//i' Aiispmchc) between Kngland and 

 Germany, and England might be obliged to take up a 

 position." 



July 21 (later). — After receiving these positive assurances that 

 Germany would respect British interests, .\squith, Grey, and 

 I.loyd George concocted the famous speech, the purport and 

 point of which was that where British interests were aft'ected 

 they were not to be treated as of no account. 



The speech reverlxjratcd roumi the world, and set everyone 

 thinking that Germany had threatened to ignore British interests, 

 which was the one thing she had expressly declared she did 

 not intend to do. 



July 24. Monday. — Metternich told Grey not a man had 

 been landed at Agatlir. Germany had never thought of creating 

 a naval port on the coast of Morocco, and never would. Such 

 ideas were hallucinations. Germany had no designs on Moroc- 

 can territory. If France rejected her demands, Germany would 

 insist only on the execution of the Algecir.as Treaty in its letter, 

 spirit, and in its entirety. " We counted on the support of the 

 other I'owers, cspciially Kngland, for the restoration of the 

 slaliit i/iw aiiU." Grey said, "May I repeat this statement in 

 Parliament ? " Metternich replied, " Wait till I ask my 

 Government." 



Meantime the German Press was raging over what it regarded 

 as the menace of I.loyd (Jeorge's speech. The French and the 

 British Press were Iwating the war drum. 



July 25. Tuesday. — .Metternich communicated to Grey 

 excecilingly stiff despatch, sent off previous day from Berlin. 

 Germany said her propo^.iU to France were entirely loyal and 

 acceptable. They rcleiii-d to regions in which British interests 



were neither directly nor indirectly concerned. Lloyd GeorgeS 

 speech was everywhere regarded as a threat. If the British 

 Government had had intention of complicating and confusing 

 political situation and bringing things to a violent outburst it 

 could have chosen no better means than Lloyd George's speech. 

 Untler these circumstances Germany did net wish her assur- 

 ances to be communicated lo Parliament, as it was not consistent 

 with her dignity to give explanations. Grey defended Lloyd 

 George, and said it was not consistciit «ith our dignity to give 

 explanations of his speech, which was moderate, dealing in 

 general terms with remote contingencies. 



July 27. Thursday. — Metternich communicaled to Grey 

 despatch xlated 26th : " Our pourparlers with France do not 

 touch British interests. We are pledgeii to secrecy. But could 

 you not make a public statement that you would be pleased lo 

 SL-e them come to a successful conclusiiui without giving any 

 details of confidential communication 't It would calm public 

 opinion." 



Grey said dispatch of Ptiiidur to .'\gadir, a closed port most 

 suitable for naval base, had mobilised British public opinion. 



Afternoon of same day. — Asquilh made statement in House 

 of Commons, 



From that date onward there were no further difficulties 

 between the German Government and ourselves about the 

 .Morocco negotiations. 



tjrcy says : " Except perhaps once or twice on subsidiary 

 points of purely economic detail in .Morocco itself, we were able 

 lo say that British interests were not involved by ihe proposals 

 or counterproposals made iir the course of the negotiations 

 between France and Germany." 



I confess that I cannot read over 



National Humiliation 'he official narrative of the cotu- 



and munications which passed between 



Disgrace. .1 . /-- . -.i .. r 1 



the two Cjovernments without feel- 

 ing a keen sense of humiliation anil disgrace. Not 

 since Lord Beaconsfield did his best and his worst to 

 involve us in war with Russia in 1876-8, not since 

 Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Milner did their best and 

 their worst to provoke war with the South African 

 Republics, has the world seen a worse exhibition 

 of provocative diplomacy tiian that of the British 

 (Government. From first to last Sir iidward Grey 

 took up a position which if it had been taken 

 up by any German Minister in relation to British 

 negotiations would have provoked a storm of resent- 

 ment from all classes in this country. What was 

 that attitude ? It was one of a cynical disregard 

 of every German assurance, of the constant im- 

 putating of sinister motives, and of an utter absence of 

 straightforward dealing. I hold no brief for German 

 diplomacy in this matter. I think it took the wrong 

 ground in acquiescing in the French seizure of Fez, 

 and that the despatch of the Panther to Agadir was a 

 betise which could only be paralleled by the speech 

 [mt into Mr. Lloyd George's mouth by Sir Edward 

 Grey. But none of Germany's blunders betray 

 anything approaching the same hostile animus that 

 characterised Sir Edward Grey's action from first 

 to last. If this seems strong language, look at the 

 facts. 



