The Holly chieftain., 1908-02-21
WAR SCARE HAS GREATLY Ex-
CITED THE RUSSIAN
PEOPLE.
MOVEMENT OF TROOPS
FOREIGN AMBASSADORS DO not
REGARD THE SITUATION As
SERIOUS.

st, Petersburg.-The alarmist re-
ports Of the possibilities of hostiiities
between Russia and Turkey, which
have permeated all strata OF Russian
society, have assumed the proper
tions OF veritable war scare, to which
the sensational press is devotiAg its
biggest headlines.
The situation is taken seriously,
not only in military circles, but also by
conservative politicians.
The duma, according to M. Ouch.
koff, will be guilty of criminal negli-
gence If 1t permits the country again
to be drawn into war for which it is
wholly unprepared. The surest means
to avoid a rupture, he said. is. serious
preparation for any eventuality.
M. Khvostchinsky, the vice presi-
dent of the commission, also thinks
that the situation is grave and takes
issue sharply with q number Of gen
erals, who appeared before the COM
mission and said that the possibility Of
hostilities this year was excluded.
The general staff continues to give
the situation the most serious consid
Grafton, although as yet no reports
have been received here regarding
movements 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 direc-
tion of the trans-Caspian district and
Turkestan, from which they could be
most easily concentrated on the Turk.
ish frontier.
Tiflis advices indicate that prepars-
tions are steadily making for any
eyentuality. A competent diplomatic
opinion, however, takes a more opti.
mistic view.
The ambassadors of five of the lead
ing powers, when interviewed Monday
considered hostilities as being almost
out of the question. Their opinion is
that the Turkish mobilization in Asia
Minor and the warlike preparations in
Russia are parts of Gigantic game
of bluff" which neither side will be
able to carry to finish on account OF
the lack of sinews of war. But they
cherish no illusions over the speedy
termination Of the Austro- Russian diff
Guilty in the Balkans, and look forward
to long period of friction before the
powers again unite to exert the neces-
sary pressure on the sultan.
Diplomats friendly to Austria en-.
deavor to acquit Baron Won Aehren-
thai, the Austrian foreign minister. of
the responsibility of disrupting the Eu-
ropean concert. They said that the
prospect of carrying through the pro-
posed judicial reforms in Macedonia
had vanished into thin air before the
Austrian railway scheme was pro-
posed. The possibility that Turkey
with Russias encouragement, might
find means of evading her quasi.prom-
ise to permit the construction Of the
line is admitted. but the general opiL-
ion Is that in his case Baron Won Aeh.
renthal would have no alternative but
to resign.
Dispatches from London indicate
that the rumor. believed to have been
started in Vienna, that Russia CON
templated construction of a railroad
from the Danube to the Adriatic sea,
In compensation for the Salonika line,
has been taken seriously abroad. But
the Russian foreign office emphatically
relterates its denial that such a pro
)ect is entertained. the necessary
money, above all, being lacking.