Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/1036

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984
MOROCCO

of 1911-2. In the critical period 'of domestic politics which began with the budget of 1909 he played a somewhat prominent part. He defended Mr. Lloyd George's budget in the great debate of Nov. 1909, and, while admitting that the Lords had the legal right of rejection, said that to assert it was " a gambler's throw." He poured cold water on proposals like Lord Rose- bery's for House of Lords reform, and like Lord Lansdowne's for a referendum; and gave warm support to the Parliament bill, which would repair the national machinery. Owing to the temporary failure of Lord Crewe's health, Lord Morley led the House of Lords during most of the Session of 1911, in which that bill was passed; and it was he who read out to the House on the last night of debate the definite assurance from King George which finally secured the exiguous but adequate majority of 17: " His Majesty would assent to a creation of peers sufficient in number to guard against any possible combination of the differ- ent parties in opposition by which the Parliament bill might be exposed a second time to defeat." He not only took charge of the India Office during Lord Crewe's illness, and of the Foreign Office in Sir Edward Grey's short holidays, but he was an outstanding figure in the Home Rule debates of 1913 and 1914. In moving the second reading of the Amending bill on July i 1914, he said that the National Volunteers had dispelled the illusion that the masses of the South and West of Ireland had lost their care for Home Rule; the danger was lest the constitu- tional agitation for self-government might give place to older methods of violence and disloyalty.

The outbreak of, the World War brought Lord Morley's official career to an abrupt termination. He made no public explanation of his reasons for resigning, but withdrew to the retirement of his Wimbledon villa, where he occupied himself with writing two most interesting volumes of Recollections, which were warmly welcomed on their publication in 1917. In the introduction he said: " The war and our action in it led to my retirement from public office. The world is travelling under formidable omens into a new era, very unlike the times in which my lot was cast. . . . The world's black catastrophe in your new age is hardly a proved and shining victory over the principles and policies of the age before it." In 1921 his publishers brought out a complete edition of his works in a handsome format.

See Viscount Morley, Recollections (2 vols., London, 1917).

(G. E. B.)

MOROCCO (see 18.850). The year 1911 was rendered memorable in Morocco by the Agadir crisis. Mulai Hafid had become unpopular through his dependence on the French and the exactions of his grand vizir, El Glawi. There was a general rising of the tribes round Fez in Oct. 1910. Meknes (Mequinez) was captured, and Fez itself besieged in March-ign. French troops were sent in April, and again in May, to occupy the city and pacify the district. El Glawi was dismissed. This French oc- cupation of Fez, though the need for it had been duly notified to the Powers, was resented by Spain and Germany. The former countered it by the sudden occupation (June) of El Qasr and Laraish (El 'Araish). The German Government on July i 1911 announced to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs its decision to send a gunboat to Agadir, and dispatched the " Panther " forthwith. The alleged motive was to safeguard German subjects and property against disturbances in the Sus; the real one was to challenge the extension of French influence in Morocco as con- trary to the Agreements of 1906 and 1909. The situation became extremely critical, and for a time it seemed as if war were in- evitable. The protests of France were unavailing until Great Britain declared her intention of standing by the Entente, and her formal objection to Germany's obtaining territorial influence in Morocco. A series of diplomatic " conversations " resulted in the Franco-German Treaty of Nov. 4 1911, by which France was to cede some of her Congo territory to Germany in return for the recognition by the latter of her political protectorate over Morocco, economic equality being reaffirmed. (The word " pro- tectorate " was not used in the actual treaty, but it was in the letters accompanying it.) Spain at first objected, but, through the intervention of Great Britain, a Franco-Spanish treaty was

concluded on Nov. 27 1911. This arranged such debated points as customs, the management of the projected Tangier-Fez rail- way and the appointment of the Sultan's khalifa (deputy) at Tetuan. It slightly revised the Franco-Spanish boundaries determined by the Convention of Oct. 3 1904. The boundary of the northern Spanish zone follows the Muluya (Mulwiya) from its mouth to near Meshra el Klila, thence, turning W., it runs immediately N. of the Wad Waghra to Jebel Mulai bu Shta; thence it strikes N.W. to the Wad Lekkus, follows its course and, afterwards, lat. 35 N., to the Atlantic coast. Both banks of the Lekkus and El Qasr and Laraish fall within the Spanish zone. The treaty also recognized the rights of Spain in the S. over the enclave of Ifni, bounded to N. by the Wad bu Sedra, to S. by the Wad Nun, to E. by a line about ism. from the coast. The negotiations of 1911-2 between the Powers resulted in the inter- nationalization of the Tangier zone, consisting of Tangier, its environs and the territory of the El Fahs tribe to S. and W. of it about too sq. m. in all. By this understanding Tangier was " to be given a special regime to be agreed upon later." In 1921 Spain maintained that the possession of Tangier was indispensable to her in order to round off her protectorate zone, both from an economic and a territorial point of view. France on her side put forward claims to the town based upon her general position in Morocco and the Mediterranean. Meanwhile the Sultan is sovereign and the town and the harbour are administered by an International Commission.

On March 30 1912 Mulai Hafid signed a treaty with France accepting the protectorate, which was subsequently recognized by the Powers, who withdrew their diplomatic representatives. General Lyautey was appointed resident-general. The pro- tectorate has an office in Paris at 21, Rue des Pyramides.

There were continued risings in the Fez-Sifru district and in the Rif during the autumn of 1911, and Fez was again besieged in March-April 1912, when the Sherifian army mutinied and killed several of their French instructors. In August a new Pre- tender appeared in the Sus, Hamed el Hiba, son of the notorious religious agitator Ma el "Ainin, who had died at Tiznit (Oct. 1910). El Hiba occupied Marrakesh (Aug. 1912) but was driven thence in Sept. and fled south. Mulai Hafid abdicated on Aug. 12, appointing his brother, Mulai Yusef, as his successor. Hafid was pensioned by France and lived for a time at Tangier; after the outbreak of the World War both he and 'Abd el 'Aziz resided in Europe. In Oct. Gen. Lyautey occupied Agadir. Fighting in western Morocco continued for some months among the Shiad- ma, Haha, Zayan and Tadla, the most powerful chiefs being two rival kaids of the Haha and Moha u Said of the Tadla. But this district and that round Fez were pacified by the spring of 1913, and attention became increasingly centred on eastern Morocco, and the need for securing communications with Algeria by the occupation of the important strategic position of Taz'a. This was accomplished in May 1914, in the face of much hostility from the local tribes. The following month saw the capture of the scarcely less important fortress of Khenifra in the Zayan country. These two essential positions had barely been secured when the outbreak of the World War necessitated the withdrawal of French regular troops, whereupon ensued the immediate revolt of the powerful Branes, Ghiata, and Beni Waghrain round Taza, and the Zayan in the west. The diminished French forces, however, gallantly held their own, and the great kaids of the Atlas and the bashas of Tarudant and Tiznit in the S. remained loyal. The latter kept El Hiba's forces in check. With a view to maintaining confidence, public works were continued and exhibitions and fairs were held at Casablanca (1915, 1918), Fez (1916) and Rabat (1917); these were visited by thousands of natives, and created an immense effect.

All through the war German money, arms and military in- struction were lavished on the anti-French tribes through Ger- man agents harboured in the northern Spanish zone, while arms were repeatedly smuggled through Ifni and Rio de Oro. The attempt of the submarine U2o, however, to land 6,000 rifles at the mouth of the Wad Nun (Oct. 1916) was frustrated. Through- out 1915 and 1916 there was fighting along the Wad Waghra,