▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁when ▁Spain ▁began ▁as ser ting ▁its ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁the ▁Carol ines , ▁it ▁made ▁no ▁effort ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁German ▁Empire ▁from ▁gain ing ▁a ▁fo oth old ▁there . ▁Britain ▁also ▁raised ▁no ▁ob jection ▁to ▁a ▁German ▁prote ctor ate ▁over ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁German ▁recognition ▁of ▁Britain ' s ▁rights ▁in ▁the ▁Gilbert ▁and ▁El lice ▁Islands . ▁Imperial ▁Germany ▁established ▁a ▁cons ulate ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁and ▁signed ▁a ▁treat y ▁with ▁various ▁R al ik ▁chief s . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁the ▁gun bo at ▁ ▁under ▁Captain ▁Fritz ▁R öt ger ▁brought ▁German ▁em iss aries ▁to ▁J al uit . ▁They ▁signed ▁a ▁treat y ▁with ▁I ro ij lap lap ▁( param ount ▁chief ) ▁Kab ua , ▁whom ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁earlier ▁recognized ▁as ▁" K ing ▁of ▁the ▁R al ik ▁Islands ", ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 5 . ▁ ▁Sub sequently , ▁seven ▁other ▁chief s ▁on ▁seven ▁other ▁islands ▁signed ▁a ▁treat y ▁in ▁German ▁and ▁Marshall ese , ▁and ▁a ▁final ▁copy ▁witness ed ▁by ▁R öt ger ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁Foreign ▁Office . ▁ ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁ere cted ▁a ▁sign ▁declaring ▁an ▁" Im per ial ▁German ▁Prote ctor ate " ▁at ▁J al uit . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the