In 1900 France had directed the attention of Europe to the disorderly condition of Morocco, and had proposed to intervene to restore order, on the understanding that she should not annex the country, or interfere with the trading rights of other nations.  Some states agreed; Germany made no reply, but made no objection.  But owing to the opposition of Britain, who was then on bad terms with France and feared to see an unfriendly power controlling the entrance to the Mediterranean, no action was taken; and in the next years the chaos in Morocco grew worse.  By the agreement of 1904 Britain withdrew her objection to French intervention, and recognised the prior political rights of France in Morocco, on the condition that the existing government of Morocco should be maintained, that none of its territory should be annexed, and that ‘the open door’ should be preserved for the trade of all nations.  But, of course, it was possible, and even probable, that the existing Moroccan government could not be made efficient.  In that case, what should happen?  The possibility had to be contemplated by reasonable statesmen, and provided against.  But to do so in a public treaty would have been to condemn beforehand the existing system.  Therefore a hypothetical arrangement was made for this possible future event in a secret treaty, to which Spain was made a party; whereby it was provided that if the arrangement should break down, and France should have to establish a definite protectorate, the vital part of the north coast should pass under the control of Spain.

To the public part of these arrangements, which alone were of immediate importance, no objection was made by any of the other powers, and the German Chancellor told the Reichstag that German interests were not affected.  France accordingly drew up a scheme of reforms in the government of Morocco, which the Sultan was invited to accept.  But before he had accepted them the German Kaiser suddenly came to Tangier in his yacht, had an interview with the Sultan in which he urged him to reject the French demands, and made a public speech in which he declared himself the protector of the Mahomedans, asserted that no European power had special rights in Morocco, and announced his determination to support the ‘independence and integrity’ of Morocco—­which in existing circumstances meant the maintenance of anarchy.  What was the reason for this sudden and insolent intervention—­made without any previous communication with France?  The main reason was that France’s ally, Russia, had just been severely defeated by Japan, and would not be able to take part in a European war.  Therefore, it appeared, France might be bullied; Britain might not be willing to risk war on such an issue; the Entente of 1904 might be destroyed; the extension of French influence might be prevented; and the preservation of a state of anarchy in Morocco would leave open the chance of a seizure of that country by Germany at a later date, thus enabling her to dominate the