Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/100

AFRICAN M. E. CHURCH The disposition to be made of the former German colonies in Africa was announced at the Peace Conference, May 6, 1919. The official statement was as follows:

Togoland and Kamerun—France and Great Britain shall make a joint recommendation to the League of Nations as to their future.

German East Africa—The mandate shall be held by Great Britain.

German Southwest Africa—The Mandate shall be held by the Union of South Africa. See WORLD WAR.

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. See METHODISM.

AFRICANUS. See SCIPIO.

AGADIR, an Atlantic seaport of Morocco, 64 miles from Mogador, and 375 miles from Tangier. It has a population of about 1,000, and its sole importance lies in the fact that it was the scene of a famous diplomatic episode in 1911. At that time France was establishing a protectorate over part of Morocco, when, without previous announcement the German warship, "Panther," entered the harbor. Intrigues were entered into with the Moroccan chiefs who were invited on board the "Panther," sumptuously entertained, and promised German support in resisting French plans. What promised to be a serious crisis arose, and both nations mobilized troops. Great Britain, however, supported the French position, and Germany was forced to recede. An accord was established Nov. 3, 1911, by which Germany recognized the right of a protectorate over Moroccan territory and France ceded to Germany 230,000 square kilometers in the French Kongo, with other economic advantages. Both parties agreed to secure the consent of other nations to this arrangement.

AGAMEMNON (ag-a-mem´non), king of Mycenæ and Argos, son of Atreus and Eriphyle, brother of Menelaus and commander-in-chief of the Grecian army at the siege of Troy. He married Clytemnestra, sister of Helen, who was the wife of Menelaus. The Trojan war arose out of the abduction of Helen by Paris, son of Priam, King of Troy. During the siege of Troy, protracted for 10 years, Agamemnon appears superior to the other chiefs in battle and in council, and maintains, under all circumstances, the dignity of a commander. The most memorable event of the siege of Troy is the quarrel of Agamemnon and Achilles, the subject of the "Iliad," in which the former placed himself very completely in the wrong. Returning from Troy, Agamemnon was treacherously murdered by his wife. His son ORESTES (q. v.), and his daughter Electra eventually avenged their father's murder. These tragic events formed a favorite subject of Greek dramatists, the most famous tragedy on the subject being "Agamemnon" by Æschylus.

AGAÑA (ag-an´ya), the principal town of Guam, the largest of the Ladrone Islands, 1,500 miles E. of Luzon, Philippines, and 1,300 miles S. of Yokohama. As a result of the war between the United States and Spain in 1898, the former took possession of the Island of Guam. Pop. about 7,500.

AGAPETUS, the name of two Popes: (1) from June, 535, to April, 536, festival day, Sept. 20; (2) from 946 to 955, a native of Rome.

AGARICUS (ag-ar´ē-cus), a genus of plants, the typical one of the fungus or mushroom family, consisting of species which possesses a fleshy pileus or cap, with a number of nearly parallel or radiating plates or gills on its lower side, bearing spores, the whole being supported upon a more or less lengthened stalk. More than 1,000 species are known. They may be separated into five natural divisions according as the color of the spores is white, pink, ferruginous, purple-brown, or black. There are many sub-genera. Some species are poisonous. See MUSHROOM.

AGASIAS (ag-as´ē-as), of Ephesus, a Greek sculptor who flourished about 400 B. C. The celebrated statue in the Louvre Museum, called "The Gladiator," is his work.

AGASSIZ, ALEXANDER (ä-gä-ga-sē´), an American zoölogist and geologist, son of J. L. R. Agassiz, born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Dec. 17, 1835. He came to the United States with his father in 1849; graduated from Harvard in 1855; and received the degree of B. S. from the Lawrence Scientific School in 1857. In 1859 he went to California as assistant on the United States Coast Survey. From 1860 to 1865 he was assistant curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard University; and, from 1866 to 1869, superintendent of the Calumet and Hecla mines, Lake Superior. On the death of his father in 1873, he was appointed curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, holding that position until he resigned in 1885. In 1900 he completed a series of deep sea explorations for the United States Government. His chief works are "List of Echinoderms" (1863); "Exploration of Lake