The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-16
SETTLEMENT OF
CRETE QUESTION
r~--vr--r
Great International Problems
Are Being Worked Out
TURKISH LOAN rs LARGE
Must be Raised Soon or the Sublime
Forte VIII be Placed In Serious
h Difficulty-Dumont Inter-
EE terested In Astronomy


dent that the preponderating influence of
France in the Imperial Ottoman bank is
a cause of umbrage. The Turks want to
see 1t transferred to Constantinople and
deprived of its powers of control.
Europe forgot that the knife cut both
ways and 1t expressed its contentment
so highly at the advent of the new re-
gime. THE sublime porte will be master
in it's own house. The capitulations in
dicated. dependency and distrust; they
are to be swept away. The protectorate
of France over Christians in the Ottoman
empire Is regarded as an anachronism,
and will be swept away. European in
difference is resented all round, and II
Turkey associates herself with Germany
end Austria it is as by her own free act
and not because she is driven to it. And
II this approachment is made with such
a flourish of trumpets It is to let the
world know that the European concert
has had it's day and will be heard of no
more. "a
The final settlement of the Crete ques-
ton, at which all the powers should as
' 800 seiS NJ" 70 iAlu0 ~ ."
sense favorable ito Greece German IN
terests are rapidly becoming SO inter-
twined with Turkish Interests that to at
tack one will be to attack the other.
Not all the Young Turks are mad.
There are some sensible writer's among
them who lament the drift of events,
and foresee the day when the Ottoman
,,,,o. s,,,i, h,.4o-, ro. A.. ..trr;,,,o
-,
error tney are committing
The Turkish loan. about which so
much has been said, will have to be
raised somehow, or the sublime porte will
be placed in serious difficulty. The
new regime had no sooner established
drafted at an estimated outlay of s35,000,
900. Three ironclads of 5000 tons, armed
with guns of the same type as the Brit
ish have been ordered In England and
in Genoa other Turkish ships are on the
stocks Two more old warships of the
type Kaiser as well as three gunboats,
have been purchased from Germany, If
young Turkish information in Paris is to
be believed. The Notifications at the en-
trance of the Bosphorus have advanced
so extensively as to arouse the protests
of Russia.
Developments in armament by land and
by sea seem to be the chief features of
Turkish activity. Much money has been
spent, but much more has to be spent,
or the porte will be compromised, as we'll
as checked.
If these enterprises had been prompted
by national pride and national patriot
Ism only, France would have raised no
objections to the Turks borrowing $780,
o00,0 900 in Paris, for the government of
the republic. heir to the French revolu-
ton, approved and encouraged Turkish
regeneration. But from the moment it
was clear that Turkey was inspired by
motives that could only benefit Germany
and Austria, ii was quite another matter.
Turkey has lost a powerful friend. The
temper of this country Is reused.
The smokers Of France have after
bloodless war of four months capitu-
lated and surrounded Internationally to
the minister of finance, thereby proving
their own weakness and furnishing their
enemies with a weapon which will now
undoubtedly be used in all countries the
world over where the government is in
need of money-and what government is
not nowadays.
The French minister of finance puffs at
his Havana with truculent joyfulness.
French smokers have ad1ectly justified
him. His arrogant assertion was that
the more you come down on the smoker
for taxes the more he will smoke. New
imports on all tobacco cigarette and
cigars, except the unavoidable brands,
having been' laid last May, the smoker
during June and July derided the treas
ury. The minister of finance fancied he
was going to have him, but he wasn't.
To spite grasping treasury he would
go the length of self-sacrifice, and in
stead of smoking more would smoke less.
The, treasury would be the only one to
suner ana II goaded much 1urtner the
smoker would give up smoking alto
gether and drive the state bankrupt.
The returns for June and July Justified
the rebellious smoker, and he was wreak-
ing his revenge. The treasury had
heavy deficit to record and the Society
Against the Abuse of Tobacco was con-
sidering the propriety of sending the
minister Of finance and illuminated ad-
dress Of congratulation.
But the treasury merely bided its time,
trusting in the fiabbiness of the smok
er's will power, which Is emasculated by
tobacco. as Tolstoy has told us.
growls again. He has given up the
struggle. He must smoke more and
more, whatever the cost. When the
cigars cost their weight in gold he will
pawn the clothes off his back to smoke
The returns for the end of September
not only showed continued falling off
IN receipts from tobacco duties but a net
Increase Of nearly 81 .sO0.OO0 as eompared
with the corresponding eight months of
ed upon Thus smokers have not only