The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28
DOES ENGLAND WANT WAR WITH GERMANY2 Kaiser Decides to Spend Sum-
 mer at Home
  THINGS DOING IN RUSSIA All Sorts of Complications In Inter- national Diplomacy Are In the Air
 Across the Water-officers
 Are courtmartialed.
THINGS DOING IN RUSSIA
By MALCOLM CLARK.

6eflfn, June zi-Inat EnSidnu wants to force Germany into war in which she evidently hopes to destroy the German navy is the general opinion, and the many rumors that fill the air were strengthened the other day when it was unexpectedly announced that the Kaiser had given up his intention of leaving for his annual cruise to Norway on July ,, and that he might not go at all. The effect of this statement was felt very much on the Berlin stock exchange, where nearly all securities took a sud- den tumble.
 In spite of all denials, the English yell low press continues to circulate the speech the Kaiser is said to have made at the review of the cavalry of the guard at Doeberitz, near Spandau, in the presence of the foreign military attaches, when it is alleged he said that it looked very much as if certain powers were trying to surround Germany, but that they would find Germany prepared and that Germans had never fought better than when they had to defend themselves on all sides. It is emphatically denied that the Kaiser ever said anything which might be interpreted to mean this
 In the meantime, something ss happen ing at St. Petersburg. which may alter the European situation
 It is reported that Count Sergius Wtte, known to Americans as Russia's pleni- potentiary at Portsmouth, is about to re- gain his lost power, and that the Czar ie, i,, ;,aa1 t1 Ha1i hn ic only man in Russia who is able to face and solve the various problems troubling the Russian government, and that it is Witte's own enemies who are responsible for the change which has taken place in the mind of the ever-vacillating Czar Nicholas.
 The St Petersburg correspondent of the Berlin Tagebattt writes that a fight 10 finish is on between the Russian min- ister of finance, Kokowzew, and Count Witte.
 who is strongly in favor of the building of the Amur railroad which Witte op- poses, asked the president of the coun- cl of the empire for permission to make public Count Witte's report to Czar Alex ander III concerning the railroad made in 1892 when Witte heartily recommend- ed the construction of the road.
 President Aklmow who is brother-in- law of Dunrovo, gave his permission, hop ing it would crush Witte, and hurriedly sent the report to the government printer.
 In the meantime Witte was informed of the intrigues against him, and with his characteristic frankness he declared he was delighted the report was to be made public, but that in the interest of truth he must insist that the minutes of the &t. o{..,, Ds,,t1 tx discuss the question of building the Sibe- ran road through Manchuria be als, made public as well as the wording of the secret agreement with the late Lii Hung Chang.
 The counts demand created sensation. Only a few persons knew that if these documents were made public they would clear Count Witte of the accusation made against him that he was responsible for the collapse of Russia's politics in the Tar East
 These documents show that the count was the strongest advocate of the integ- rity of China and that misfortune over took Russia from the day the government against his warnings leased Port Arthur and sent Russian troops to Pelxin under General Linevitch. They also show that had the government followed Witte's ad~ vice Marquis Ito would never have been forced to advocate a Japanese English al- lance and the Russo-Japanese war woul1 never have been fought
 As soon as Czar Nicholas had consented to Count Wittes wish Kokowzew with drew his papers from the government Irntlng office, and now declares they are not to be made public, Witte however. insists on having the whole affair gone through in the open, and if he succeeds there is every prospect that he will once more be all powerful in Russia.
 Should Witte again get into favor it Is apt to offset all England's anti-German plans, and the Kaiser IS said to be using all his influence with the czar in favor of the much-abused Count Sergius Witte.
 For having committed the most horrible cruelties against recruits under their com mand eight non-commissioned officers of the German army have just been court martialed.
 One of them, Sergeant Thamme. of the First regiment of field artillery was sem fenced to 15 months Imprisonment at hard labor and the other to shorter terms
 Thamme was accused of no less than 800 separate acts of cruelty to privates. some of which defy all description. Not content with abusing the men himself, Thamme compelled older men in the regi- ment to torture the younger recruits. ani one man was driven to commit suicide, because he could -tand the abuses no longer.
 Every one of the other accused men was convicted of more than 40 acts of cruel treatment of recruits.