The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-27

ness and outspokenness of the radical members of the duma A year ago mo- body would have dared to assert openly that the second duma was dissolved by Stolypins police spies, but the other day this assertion was openly made by the so- cialists of the present duma, who recalled the fact that on July r, 1907, Stolypin de- manded that no socialistic members must be surrendered to the government and IS of them must be arrested on the spot be- cause they were connected with a crim- inal society, the aim of which was to de- throne the Czar and overthrow the gov ernment. Then came the dissolution of the duma, followed by trials of the ac- cused members, many of whom were de- ported to Siberia, where they are still forced to do convicts' work in the mines Now the socialstic members of the pres ent duma offer to prove by confessions made by the former police spy Brodski that the whole plot against the Czar was planned by the chief of the Okrana of St. Petersburg, General Gerassimow, and his chief M. Trussewitch, in obedience to an order issued by the late M. Stolypn him. self
 Gerassimow himself selected the sol diers, it is said, ordered them to meet in l the house of an officer of the secret police
 
 cialistic party, which he and his helpers 1 had written, and on the basis of which | the government pronounced it's own prov I ocation a plot against itself, demanded the surrender of the members sof the | duma, dissolved the duma and sentenced l the accused by secret trial.
 l The socialists were forced to reconsider ] this grave accusation. but they are de- termined to bring it forward again very shortly in another form, and then will l follow scenes the like of which has never been witnessed, not even in the Russian parliament.
 The recent retirement of the chief of the Austrian general staff Baron Conrad | Non Hoetzendorf, is a source of deep an- noyance to Germany, where it was well | known that he was one of the strongest champions of the German cause. Even in official circles it is admitted that the general situation in regard to the triple alliance is anything but gratifying to Germany and that it may collapse almost any' 'day. That the bonds which unite Italy with it are loosened is evident and Germany does not seem quite certain of Austria Hungary.
 The Rhenish Westphallan Gazette points out that so long as Italy is in the triple alliance she would at least remain neutral in case of a European war, and 1t is a source of qualification that the Austrian government is desirous of avoiding a breach with Italy. There is also a gen eral feeling that Baron Von Hoetzendorf' 5 policy were not to provoke a conflict, but to be prepared for eventualities, which corresponds with the German programme.
 The Leipziger Neueste Nachrichten as serts that Count Aerenthal has not proved himself to be particularly friendly towards Germany either in the Bosnian or the Morocco crisis, and it contends that he must feel now as Pyrrhus did after the battle of Asculum. when he declared Another such victory, and I am lost" Moreover, 1t adds. the future is in the hands of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, , and the Emperor Francis is over 80 years of age.
 Looking at the disappearance of General Baron Von Hoetzendorf with an unbiased mind the majority of the German people fully realize that it was blessing in dis- guise, for had the General been permitted to remain in power there would undoubt- edly have been war between Austria and Italy and where would the triple alliance have been then?
 The powerful warike party led by Baron Conrad and other high officials and per sonages with the puissant support of the heir presumptive behind them, wished to mass troops on the Italian frontier in a manner which Italy would regard as prov ocative. Some members of this party, which is not confined to army men. but included many clericals, aristocrats and others, defend this policy as necessary to prevent Italy from upsetting the equi- librium of the Balkans by attacking the Turkish from the mainland Others de- clare roundly that war between Austria and Italy is inevitable in the near future and urge that the present is a good op- portunity to take the initiative while Italy is engaged elsewhere If reminded that Italy is still the ally of Austria. they repeat the reports about Italian officers in Tripoli declaring that the next cam