The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-16
POLITICAL CLOUDS
THREATEN EUROPE
AS Usual The Storm Is Gather
ing In the Balkans
"A NEW COMPLICATION
both Russia and Austria Are Spelling
For Fight and Recent Move
ments May Precipitatc
Matters In War

the always disturbed southeastern corner
of the continent-the Balkans. For many
years Europe has suffered under the
never ceasing disturbances In the Balk-
ans, and war has only been averted be-
cause Russia and Austria, while both
wanting to seize new territory there, were
too much afraid of each other to go to
any extreme that might be considered a
casus belli. That this was the only rea-
son was amply proved when Austria
promptly took advantage of Russia's tenn
porary weakness to seize Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Now, however, a new and
| far more dangerous complication has
arisen and the danger point has moved
from the frontiers of the trouble terri
tory into It's very heart. The eyes of
every statesman In Europe are fixed on
Athens and Constantinople, and all the
imps of the International mischief are
ready to obey the whim of an unknown
Greek statesman called to govern the
politics of his native country from the
wlds of Crete or of some passing Grand
Vizier placed at the helm of the Ottoman
empire by some conspiracy of army Off
| GERS
Both countries are spelling for fight,
and their leaders inspire no confidence.
M. Venezelos is the embodiment of Greek
national ambitions, and the young Turks
are only united in a mad desire to re-
store their countrys vanished prestige.
| Nothing Is, therefore, surer than that
the Cretan question will be re-opened and
that with each side determined not to
yield an inch, and each looking for ex-
ternal support. In this regard Greece
| is the more fortunate of the two for
her territorial integrity is guaranteed by
the powers. Turkey, on the other side,
is keenly watching events in the diplo-
matte field and has naturally become con-
WINGED that the European concert is
rapidly dissolving into two groups.
Bulgaria has betrayed the impending
collapse by breaking with Austria,
whose further advance on Salonika
would conflict with her own territorial
aspirations. Next, Italy, rendered ner-
vous by the annexation of Bosnia, is
agog to prevent an Austrian swoon on
Albania Their nervousness has i'm
PEELED both countries toward Russia
| and the two little Serb states which
move in Russia's orbit. Behind this
group of territorially interested pow
ers stands Britain and France. The
other group consists of Germany, Aus
tria and Roumania. The latter at
tached to Germany by dynastic ties and
| to Austria by virtue of the surrender
of Bessarabia, which Russia enforced
a generation back.
| In spite of the Kaisers assurances
| of friendship backed up by the bluff
OF the Deutsche bank, which offers to
take care of the new German loan,
while barely able to look after Ger
man financial sch emes, Turkey will un-
| doubtedly turn to the first group, be-
cause France has the money Turkey
must have and England the ships that
will settle the Cretan question If the
! worst happens. But the knowledge of
/ this is gall and NORWOOD to our Ger
man jingoes and adds to the bitter feel
| ing against England in certain circles
here, which many people think will
ultimately lead to an English German
war.
| Evidence of German dreams of ex-
pansion in Turkey and the near east
is contained in the plans of the two
banks specially organized for opera
| lions in that region. Both of them, 1
learn, have decided to double their
capital for the purpose of extending
their sphere of activity.
The larger of the two, the Deutsche
Orient bank will increase it's capital
from $4,000, 900 to 100000, and the
Deutsche Palestine bank from $780,
600 to $o,O00,000. The two institutions
are confessed rivals, and this increase
of resources denotes common purpose
of waging more active campaign for
concessions and other business as we'll
as lively belief in Germany's future
in the near east
| Chancellor Won Bethmann- Hollweg has
| let 1t be understood in private CONVEX
sation that he means to rally the mid
die classes-abouc three-fifths of the pop
BATTLE-GROUND the standard of protection
under which Germany has. made such
| progress in prosperity. He hopes thereby
| to stay the rising current of popular
| opinion in favor of a. revision. of the tariff
| treaties which begin to expirt coincident-
| ly with the general elections, ~ or 10
months hence, and at the same time COM
mand majority sufficient to crush the
hundred or hundred and fifty social DEM
ocrats expected in the next reichstag.
There is unmistakable easiness at the
increasing cost of living. The agitation
for the admission of foreign meat is
one proof Of it, and there is feeling
among the middle and lower classes that
the aGrarianS. large land and
farmers, are favored by the treaties at
their expense.
But one may hazard the prophecy that