The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-18
Diplomats and Members of the Douna Believe Trouble
 k Coming
TROOPS ARE GATHERING
 ON TURKISH FRONTIER
With the Indifference on Part of Euro- pean Powers to Suppress Turkey Russians Believe Fighting is
 Inevitable.

St. Petersburg, February 1.-The alarmist reports of the possibilities of hostilities between Russia and Turkey, which have permeated all stratas of Russia society have assumed the pro portions of veritable war scare, to which the sensational press is devot- ing it's biggest head lines.
 The situation is taken seriously not only in military circles. but also by conservative politicians. Guchkoff, the leader of the majority in the Douma announced his intention tonight of raising at the next meeting of the commission of national defense the question of the nations readiness for war. This he believes of the most vital Importance in view of the news from the Caucasus.
 He also proposes to interpellate the minister of communications on the ability of the railroads. particularly in the Caucasus and trans-Caucasia to transport troops quickly to the south ern and southwestern frontiers.
 The Douma, according to M. Guchkoff, will be guilty of criminal negligence if it permits the country again to be drawn into war for which 1t is wholly unprepared. The surest means to avoid rupture, he said. is serious preparation for any eventuality.
 Situation Is Grave.
 M. Khvostichinsky, the vice presi- dent of the commission, also thinks that the situation is grave and takes issue sharply with a number of gener- als who appeared before the commits sion and said that the possibility of hostilities this year was excluded.
 The general staff continues to give J the situation the most serious consid- eration. although as yet no reports have been received here regarding the movement of troops in the interior. But persons arriving from Siberia say that for several months there has been an unbroken movement of Siberian troops to the southwest in the direction of the trans-Caspian district and Fur kestan, from which they could be most easily concentrated on the Turkish frontier
 Tifis advices to the Associated Press indicate that preparations are steadily making for any eventuality. A compe- tent diplomatic opinion, however, takes a more optimistic view.
 The ambassadors of five leading powers, when interviewed today, considered hos tilites as being almost out of the ques- ton. Their opinion is that the Turkish mobilization in Asia Minor and the war like preparations in Russia are parts in the gigantic game of bluff.'' which neither side will be able to carry to a finish on account of the lack of sinews of war. But they cherish no illusions over the speedy termination of the Aus tro-Russan difficulties in the Balkans, and look forward to long period of fric- ton before the powers again unite to ex- ert the necessary pressure on the Sultan.
 Only Alternative.
 Diplomats friendly to Austria endeavor to acquit Baron von Achrenthal, the Austrian foreign minister, of the respon- sibility of disrupting the European con- cert. They said today that the prospect of carrying through the proposed judi cial forms in Macedonia had vanished into thin air before the Austrian scheme was proposed The possibility that Tur- key, with Russia's encouragement, might find means of evading her quasi-promse to permit the construction of the line Is admitted but the general opinion is that in this case Baron von Aehrenthal would have no alternative but to resign. Dis patches from London indicate that the rumor, believed to have been started in Vienna, that Russia contemplated the construction of railroad from the Danube to the Adriatic sea in compensa- ton for the Salonika line has been taken seriously abroad. but the Russian foreign office emphatically reterates Its denial that such a project is entertained, the necessary money, above ail being lack