So he had done so in the dark, verbally, by me, knowing
that so he served the best interests of his empire.
The rest is contemporary history. You remember how, on Sunday
morning, July 7, the _Panther_ steamed to Morocco, how it forced its
way into the harbor of Agadir and created an international sensation
by remaining there more than two weeks. You remember how a French and
an English warship came simultaneously, how they formed in what was
equivalent to common line and how, with officers and everybody itching
to open fire, war just missed being precipitated. You may not know
that the British and French officers sent an ultimatum to the Captain
of the _Panther_. Unless he left Agadir he would be forced to leave.
That meant war.
Now, had the Captain of the _Panther_ not received the private message
from the Emperor, he would have been forced by his naval code to
resist this ultimatum by force. Had he gone there acting under the
original official orders, red war would have blazed across in Agadir
Harbor. The slightest slip would have caused it--the report of a
rifle. But the _Panther_ steamed away.
And this is the cleverest part of the Emperor's scheme; he knew that
France and England were allies, he didn't know, though, just how
sincere this alliance was. By sending the _Panther_ into Agadir he
learned that the _entente cordiale_ really meant something, that
England and France were allies, that they were prepared to resist
Germany shoulder to shoulder in war.
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