ser
und Reich_, p, 228; Reventlow, _op, cit._ pp. 254, 279, 298, etc.; and
by Rohrbach, _Der deutsche Gedanke in der Welt_ (ch. vi.), where he says
that King Edward's chief idea from the outset was to cripple Germany. He
therefore won over Japan, France, Spain, and Russia, his aim being to
secure all Africa from the Cape to Cairo, and all Asia from the Sinaitic
Peninsula to Burmah.]

The chief danger to public tranquillity arises from the vigorous
expansion of some peoples and the decay of others. Nearly all the great
nations of Europe are expansive; but on their fringe lie other peoples,
notably the Turks, Persians, Koreans, and the peoples of North Africa,
who are in a state of decline or semi-anarchy. In such a state of things
friction is inevitable and war difficult to avoid, unless in the
councils of the nations goodwill and generosity prevail over the
suspicion and greed which are too often the dominant motives. Scarcely
was the Bosnian-Turkish crisis over before Morocco once more became a
danger to the peace of the world.

There the anarchy continued, with results that strained the relations
between France and Germany. Nevertheless, on February 8, 1909 (probably
owing to the friendly offices of Great Britain[531]), the two rivals
came to an agreement that France should respect the independence of
Morocco and not oppose German trade in that quarter, while Germany
declared that her sole interests there were commercial, and that she
would not oppose "the special political interests of France in that
country[532]." But, as trade depended on the maintenance of order, this
vague compact involved difficulties. Clearly, if disorders continued,
the task of France would be onerous and relatively unprofitable, for she
would be working largely for the benefit of British and German traders.
Indeed, the new Chancellor, Bethmann-Hollweg, admitted to the French
ambassador, Jules Cambon, that thenceforth Morocco was a fruit destined
to fall into the lap of France; only she must humour public opinion in
Germany. Unfortunately, the "Consortium," for joint commercial
enterprises of French and Germans in Morocco and the French Congo, broke
down on points of detail; and this produced a very sore feeling in
Germany in the spring of 1911. Further, as the Moorish rebels pushed
their raids up to the very gates of Fez, French troops in those same
months proceeded to march to that capital (April 1911). The Kaiser saw
in that move, and a c