Multinational Conventions and AgreementsALGECIRAS CONVENTION

TREATY AT A GLANCE

CompletedApril 7, 1906, at Algeciras, Spain

SignatoriesGermany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, the United States,

France, Great Britain, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal,Russia, and Sweden

OverviewThe convention was the result of a conference of European diplo-mats called to settle Germany's challenge to the impending parti-tion of Morocco by France and Spain. Germany's chief motive wasto dissolve the Anglo-French Entente of 1904 (see ENTENTE COR-

DlAlE); in fact, as a result of the Algeciras Conference and Con-vention, the entente became stronger.

Historical Backgroundorthern Africa became the focus of much European

power politics at the beginning of the 20th century. TheFrench had tried and failed to gain control in the Egypt-ian Sudan in 1898 and so sought to strengthen theirhold on Saharan Africa. In 1904 France reached a secretunderstanding with Spain over the partitioning of theSultanate of Morocco, while at the same time reachingagreement under the Entente Cordiale with Britain notto oppose her ambitions in Egypt in exchange for a freehand in Morocco. France immediately moved onMorocco, presenting the sultan with a new economicprogram and a series of so-called political reforms,which basically established French hegemony.

All of this irritated Germany, whose rise to GreatPower status had been premised on Britain's "splendidisolation" from the European balance of power. Britain'snew rapport with France troubled a number of Euro-pean countries, but it seemed to unhinge Germany'sKaiser Wilhem II, who arrived in Morocco from Tan-giers and, in a dramatic show of imperial power,declared from his yacht on May 31, 1905, that the tra-ditional open-door policy was still in effect concerningMorocco and that he backed her independence andintegrity.Perhaps Wilhelm's temper was an indication ofthe volatility surrounding the budding naval arms race

between Britain and Germany, perhaps merely an exam-ple of his near-crazed competitive spirit when it came tohis English cousin, Britain's King Edward VII. In anycase his actions resulted in an international panic that,came to be known as the First Moroccan Crisis.

If the kaiser's hope was that his demonstration ofpersonal pique would prompt England to back downfrom its recently concluded Entente Cordiale withFrance, he was to be sorely disappointed. Instead, Wil-helm's action served to draw England and France, tra-ditional rivals, even closer together. The sultan ofMorocco requested an international conference atAlgeciras from January 16 to April 7,1906, to resolvewhat was developing into a crisis that could result inwar. The tension was relieved when the Germanemperor, evidently realizing he had overplayed hishand, prevailed upon U.S. president Theodore Roo-sevelt to help bring about the conference and to serveas mediator, much as he had the year before when hebrought the Russo-Japanese War to an end with theTREATY OF PORTSMOUTH.

TermsThe Algeciras Convention included detailed "chap-ters" concerning the establishment of a paramilitary

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474 E CYCLOPEDIA OF HISTORICAL TREATIES AND ALLIANCES

police force; the creation of a largely French-con-trolled state bank; reform of tax laws, customs, anti-smuggling controls, and public works and servicesadministration. The chapter establishing a police forcefor Morocco is an apt demonstration of how imperial-ism gains a foothold in an ostensibly sovereign power.

Chapter IDeclaration Relative to the Organization of the Police

IThe conference summoned by His Majesty the Sultanto pronounce on the measures necessary to organizethe police declares that the following provisionsshould be made:

IIThe police shall be under the sovereign authority ofHis Majesty the Sultan. It shall be recruited by theMaghzen from Moorish Mohammedans, commandedby Moorish Kaids, and distributed in the eight portsopen to commerce.

IIIIn order to aid the Sultan in the organization of thispolice, Spanish officers and noncommissioned officersas instructors, and French officers and noncommis-sioned officers as instructors, shall be placed at Hisdisposal by their respective Governments, which shallsubmit their designation to the approval of HisShereefian Majesty. A contract drawn between theMaghzen and these instructors, in conformity to theregulation provided by article IV, shall determine theconditions of their engagement and fix their pay,which must not be less than double of the pay corre-sponding to the rank of each officer or noncommis-sioned officer. In addition they will be allowed livingexpenses, varying according to their residences.Proper lodgings will be placed at their disposal by theMaghzen, which will likewise supply them with theirhorses and the necessary fodder.

The Governments having jurisdiction over theinstructors reserve the right to recall them and replacethem by others, accepted and engaged under the sameconditions.

IVThese officers and noncommissioned officers for aperiod of five years, to date from the ratification of theact of the conference, shall give their service to theorganization of a body of Shereefian police. They shallassure instruction and discipline in conformity withthe regulations to be drawn up in respect thereto.They shall also see that the men enlisted are fit for mil-itary service. In a general way they shall supervise theadministration of the soldiers and superintend thepayment of their salary, which shall be effected by the"Amin," assisted by the accounting officer instructor.They shall extend to the Moorish authorities investedwith the command of these bodies their technical aidin the exercise of the said command.

The regulations to assure the recruital, discipline,instruction, and administration of the bodies of policeshall be established by mutual agreement between theShereefian Minister of War or his delegate, the inspec-tor provided by article VII, and the highest rankingFrench and Spanish instructors.

The regulations shall be submitted to the Diplo-matic Body at Tangier, which will formulate its opin-ion within a month's time. After that period theregulations shall be enforced.

VThe total strength of the police shall not be more than2,500 men, nor less than 2,000. It shall be distributed,according to the importance of the ports, in groupsvarying between 150 and 600 men. The number ofSpanish and French officers shall be between sixteenand twenty; of Spanish and French noncommissionedofficers, between thirty and forty.

VIThe funds necessary to maintain and pay soldiers andofficers and noncommissioned officer instructors shallbe advanced by the State Bank to the Shereefian Trea-sury within the limits of the annual budget assigned tothe police, which shall not exceed two million and ahalf pesetas for an effective strength of two thousandfive hundred men.

VIIDuring the same period of five years a general inspec-tion shall be made into the working of the police. Suchinspection shall be intrusted by His Shereefian Majestyto a superior officer of the Swiss army, who will besubmitted to His approval by the Swiss Federal Gov-ernment. This officer will be styled Inspector-Gener-aland reside at Tangier.

He shall inspect at least once a year the differentbodies of the police, and after such inspection he shalldraw up a report which he will address to the Maghzen.

In addition to such regular reports, he will, if heregards it as necessary, draw up special reports withreference to the working of the police.

Without directly intervening either in the com-mand or the instruction, the Inspector-General willascertain the results obtained by the Shereefian police,as regards the maintenance of order and security in theplaces where this police shall haye been established.

VlIIA copy of the reports and communications made tothe Maghzen by the Inspector-General, with referenceto his mission, shall at the same time be transmitted tothe Dean of the Diplomatic Body at Tangier, in orderthat the Diplomatic Body be enabled to satisfy itselfthat the Shereefian police acts in conformity to thedecisions taken by the conference, and to see whetherit guarantees effectively, and in conformity with thetreaties, the security of person and property of foreigncitizens, subjects, and proteges, as well as that of com-mercial transactions.

IXIn the case of complaints filed with the DiplomaticBody by the legation concerned, the Diplomatic Bodymay, upon notice given to the representative of theSultan, direct the Inspector-General to investigate andreport for all available purposes in the matter of suchcomplaints.

XThe Inspector-General shall receive an annual salaryof 25,000 francs. In addition, he will be allowed 6,000francs for the expenses of his tours. The Maghzen willplace at his disposal a suitable residence and will lookafter the maintenance of his horses.

XlThe material conditions of his engagement and of hisestablishment, as provided by article X, shall be thesubject of a contract drawn up between him and theMaghzen. A copy of this contract shall be communi-cated to the Diplomatic Body.

XIIThe staff of instructors of the Shereefian police (offi-cers and noncommissioned officers) shall be Spanishat Tetuan, mixed at Tangier, Spanish at Larache,French at Rabat, mixed at Casablanca, and French inthe other three ports.

The United States assented to the convention but,characteristically, excluded itself from what GeorgeWashington would have called a "foreign entangle-ment." The convention concluded:

The Government of the United States of America, hav-ing no political interest in Morocco and no desire orpurpose having animated it to take part in this confer-ence other than to secure for all peoples the widestequality of trade and privilege with Morocco and tofacilitate the institution of reforms in that countrytending to insure complete cordiality of intercoursewithout and stability of administration within for thecommon good, declares that, in acquiescing in the reg-ulations and declarations of the conference, in becom-ing a signatory to the General Act of Algeciras and tothe Additional Protocol, subject to ratification accord-ing to constitutional procedure, and in accepting theapplication of those regulations and declarations toAmerican citizens and interests in Morocco, it does sowithout assuming obligations or responsibility for theenforcement thereof.

In Executive Session, Senate of the United States.Resolved (two-thirds of the Senators present concur-ring therein), That the Senate advise and consent to

TREATIES 475

the ratification of the general act and an additionalprotocol, signed on April 7, 1906, by the delegates ofthe powers represented at the conference which met atAlgeciras, Spain, to consider Moroccan affairs.

Resolved further, That the Senate, as a part of thisact of ratification, understands that the participationof the United States in the Algeciras conference and inthe formation and adoption of the general act and pro-tocol which resulted therefrom, was with the sole pur-pose of preserving and increasing its commerce inMorocco, the protection as to life, liberty, and propertyof its citizens residing or traveling therein, and of aid-ing by its friendly offices and efforts, in removing fric-tion and controversy which seemed to menace thepeace between powers signatory with the UnitedStates to the treaty of 1880, all of which are on termsof amity with this Government; and without purposeto depart from the traditional American foreign policywhich forbids participation by the United States in thesettlement of political questions which are entirelyEuropean in their scope.

ConsequencesSince the conference included an affirmation of theindependence of Morocco, Germany was, on the sur-face, placated; but France was accorded much controlof this "independent" country, including regulation ofthe Moroccan police and finances, just as she hadplanned all along. Contrary to German expectations,only Austria-Hungary had backed the German positionat the conference, while Italy, Russia, and, more impor-tantly, Britain and the United States had lined upbehind France.

For the true Significance of the conference lay pre-cisely here, in this substantial diplomatic support forFrance from the two English-speaking powers. Algeci-ras foreshadowed their actions in World War I, forwhich the Moroccan Crisis was a prelude. Wilhelmintervened again in the region in 1911, by sending agunboat to Agadir after French forces punitively occu-pied the Moroccan capital of Fez. Faced with the samealliance, Germany backed down completely duringthis second crisis, and recognized French rights inMorocco. In 1912 most of the area became a Frenchprotectorate. Soon after, of course, the two countrieswere fighting the world war over the Balkans that theyhad avoided fighting over Morocco.