which France had neglected to consult. England and
Spain could dispose of the rights of their own subjects
in Morocco if they wished, but they could not pretend
to dispose of the rights of Germans. Germany inter-
vened to protect her interests, which were being dis-
regarded without asking her consent. The importance
of these interests was secondary; it was not necessary
to prove that Germany had important economic inter-
ests in Morocco. If these minor interests should be
abandoned without protest the world would think that
similar action would be permissible where larger in-
terests were at stake. The German situation was well
summed up in a French phrase: "Cet animal est trés
méchant, quand on l'attaque il se défend. ¹

On the following day, in a despatch to the German
embassies in the various capitals of Europe, von
Bülow made M. Delcassé responsible for the German
action and indicated that the German plan was for a
new conference: "It is false that the Franco-English
convention concerning Morocco has been brought to the
knowledge of the German government either verbally
or by writing. M. Delcassé, it is true, did give here
and there to the Imperial ambassador some general al-
lusions to the untenable situation in Morocco, and to
the necessity for France to consider the security of
her Algerian frontier. But when last summer, long
after the Anglo-French convention, the German am-
bassador addressed to M. Delcassé a question in re-
gard to the tenor of this convention, the foreign min-
ister merely replied: 'Sie finden das alles im Gelb-buch

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