The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
MALCOLM CLARKE'S
LETTER FROM BERLIN
Copyright. 1907. by W. R. Hearst3

Copyright, 1907. by W. r. Hearst)
~ ERLIN, March 23.-At the expressed
n wish of the Kaiser, ! am told on
excellent authority, the minister
of justice is endeavorlng to find some law
under which Count Reventlaw, the ia
nous naval critic, may be punished for
his recent disclosures of the weakness OF
Germany's naval strength.
The Count, who for years had been
very productive writer in the daily press
as well as in technical magazines. and
who is recognized the world over as
naval expert. committed high treason
in the opinion of the Kaiser, when in
recent article he made the astonishing
statement, which has been greeted with
joy by the French lingo press, that UNI
der no conditions dare Germany even
think OF war with a frst-cass power until
1920 because most of her battleships are
floating collins of the same kind as Rus
sia's famous Baltic squadron destroyed
by the Japanese in the Straits of Tsu-
shima.
seventeen of our battleships which
figure as formidable fighting units the
Count says, ARE about as useless as 1t
they were old wooden tubs, and were
the. to be sent against an English,
Japanese or other modern fleet, they
would go down with every man in less
than half an hour"
TAat there may be no doubt the Count
gives the names of the seventeen ships
and points out that the building of new
battleships is progressing so slowly that
thirteen years will pass before Germany
can contemplate the possibility of naval
war with equanimity
that an article of this kind has caused
CONSERVATION In Germany is easily I'M
derstood, but furious though the Kaiser
is at its writer, he still appreciates That
it will help the passing of the new navy
bill which the government Will propaply
lay before the Rechstag this fall.
Another article which created almost
as great a sensation appeared IN Dle
Welt am Moutag'' the other day.
The paper, which Is the mouthpiece OF
the German imperialist liberals, declares
that it has positive proof OF plot pS
England. France and Italy to secure de-
sirauts parts of the Turkish empire as
soon as Sultan Abdul Hamid dies.
England is to seize the whole western
part of Arabia, thus securing coast
line from the north to the south Oh tne
Red sea, which thereby becomes a Brit
ish lake, surrounded on all sizes pS
British territory or protectorateS,
France Is to annex extensive districts
in Asia Minor, including Palestine, ana
italy will take Tripoli and Albania.
II Is said to be an open quesuoh
whether Russia and Austria snall JON
In this partition scheme and take tier
respective shares of Turkey or coihpiae
with Germany In opposing such an az
tempt to dismember the ottoman eii-
pire. 49,, ,of. orr
In the cold, and the Kaiser's government
is criticised for having peeh iooieo Wy
smarter diplomats.
Count Won Tattenbach, the representa-
five of the Kaiser in Lisbon, has offlclai-
~ notiaed the Portuguese foreign office
that unless King Carlos, parilainehl
grants a license to establish a gamphns
resort on the lines of Monte carlo on
Madeira, Portugal will have 10 pay %
100000 to a syndicate under concession
held by Prince Hohenlohe for canceiia-
ton of the concession.
Prince Hohenlohe, while German chah-
cellor of the empire. floated German
company for the purpose of establishing
a sanatorium for consumptlVes at Ma
deira and, incidentally, first-class hotels
shops, coal depots and water works;
Later another company was formed TO
81 ,0OC, and 1t WAS then proposed to IN
clude il, the scheme a large hotel with
casino such as at Biarritz.
The Portuguese people and parliament
being strongly opposing gambling
license, reform.cs and ministers are con-
demning the action OF the Kaisers repre-
sentative in trying to coerce them into
granting a franchise of this kind.
Nearly 10000 school children are on
strike In eastern Prussia as protest
against being Germanized Their native
language. Polish is forbidden IN the
schools and the German authorities are
tr.ing to suppress it altogether. Polish
nationalist agitators have urged the
children to revolt, while the scholars not
on strike refuse to answer questions in
German.
NInister of Education Studt in the
Prussfan diet announced that severe meas
ures would be taken If the present means
are unsuccessful in suppressing the
strike, and promised concessions If the
ya1 flor ro1iCy brings the children back