:53:02
Captain.
:53:03
I must say, we've been awaiting your
arrival with a great deal of anticipation...
:53:07
...and I must say,
not a little nervousness.
:53:09
You see, gentlemen,
what we have here...
:53:12
...is a problem of enormous
diplomatic complexity.
:53:18
Now, the sultan of Morocco... Make
yourselves comfortable, gentlemen.
:53:22
The sultan of Morocco
favors the German kaiser.
:53:26
While the bashaw,
who is the real power here...
:53:30
...is leaning toward the czar of Russia.
:53:33
Now, in the middle of all this...
:53:36
...an American woman is kidnapped
by some desert pirate...
:53:39
...and our president, of course,
gentlemen, only wants to know...
:53:43
...what kind of a rifle
this brigand carries.
:53:48
And he probably wants to build
a canal too, for all I know.
:53:54
- It's been done before, you know.
- Now, now, admiral.
:53:57
Mr. Dreighton, see if the gentlemen
care for a cigar. Would you, please?
:54:02
You and I are both old men and we've
seen these disasters come and go.
:54:07
Now, our problem is to make
this one go...
:54:10
...and make it look good.
:54:12
I must remind you, sir,
that I was at Santiago Bay...
:54:15
...when this president
was running up San Juan Hill.
:54:19
We'll have to do more than
just look good this time.
:54:22
Well, what did you
have in mind, exactly?
:54:27
Military intervention.
:54:29
Yes. We are at this moment the most
powerful naval force in Tangier harbor.
:54:36
Well, I don't see what that
has to do with anything.
:54:39
We are a major power at this moment.
We carry the biggest stick.
:54:44
Just how many men
do you have, captain?
:54:47
- Two reinforced rifle companies, sir.
- Well, you see, the sultan of Morocco...
:54:51
...has three foreign regiments in Fez.
- That's right, sir. They're at Fez.
:54:57
The bashaw has only his
household cavalry and guard here.