The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-11
TWO CAPITALS HOLD INTEREST IN EUROPE Germans Watching Turkey
 With Interest YOUNK TURKS BEATEN Visit of Japanese Prince Katsura to St. Petersburg Started RumOrs
 of Russo-Jap Alliance.
 Flushing Ports
YOUNK TURKS BEATEN
By FREDERICK WERNER

| | Berlin. August 10.-special )-Political in terest in Europe at present is centered ligerents were friendly. Italy being our St. Petersburg, for nobody pays much attention to what is happening in Portu- gal, and everywhere else things are quiet German statesmen have been following events in Turkey with great interest ever since the war with Italy broke out, but l it cannot be denied that opinion here mas 1 undergone great change during the last | 10 ,--Yonths The outbreak of the war
 came as a rather unpleasant surprise to 1 Germany, whose relations with both bel l ligerents were friendly. Italy ebing our
 ally and Turkey. In way, our ward At first the sympathy was with the Ital-
 ians, whose marvellous promptness and
 masterIy transport of their troops across
 the sea were greatly admired but grad
 ually however strong feeling in favor l of Turkey set in, and it is with great
 regret that the German people realize | that as matters now stand in Turkey l every hope of that country retaining | Tripoian Cyrenaica must be given up. 1 Statesmen, however, realize that from an international point of view, Italy's pos | l In Turkey itself events have evolved l with such amazing rapidity that one hardly realizes that the young Turkish 1 party which three years ago swept every thing before them and drove Abdul Hamid into exile in practically no time
 are now crushed and beaten by the very
 clements which originally carried the party into power. Now, as then, it is
 the Turkish army at Salonika that has brought about the revolution and 1t is | the Military league which is master of l the situation.
 l Nobody can have ony pity with the I Committee of the Union of Progress
 which has certainly itself made the bed I on which it must lie. They have had every chance of success, for when three years ago they proclaimed themselves 1 the saviors of the country the Turkish l people believed and trusted them. but I they have made but the slightest en- deavor to keep single promise and their l career has been one long row of uncheck- ed violence and misdeeds.
 | The Military league which has now
 taken upon itself the heavy task of set- | ting the house of Osmanli in order was l formed barely year ago by major of | infantry of formerly an enthusiastic ad- l mirer and follower of the committee, whose evident sincerity soon made men | flock to his banners
 II warrant when after the dissolution of | the Turkish parliament at the beginning i of the year it decided to tamper with the elections and no subterfuges were left untried to secure the election of only government supporters. Opposition can
 didates were thrown into prison or poi soned and the people of the country then
 realized that their position was now far
 worse than under Abdul Hamid when they had onlt one tyrant to fear while | now the number of petty tyrants ran up 1 into many hundreds.
 The Military league has triumphed all over the line and 1t seems determined l to clean the Augean stable thoroughly, but the process will at least temporarily l throw the whole empire into confusion l for every nominee of the Committee of l Union and Progress will be removed from office, dangerous experiment at a time | like the present.
 l The situation in Turkey certainly is very critical Much is expected from
 the new cabinet, which the bayonets of the military have now forced upon the
 weak. inexperienced Mohammed " It is composed of some of the ablest men in Turkey-sta tesmen and soldiers who have 1 grown grey in the service of their coun- l try. Moukhtar Pasha. the new grand vixier, Is now in his s0th year. He has | filled administrative positions in Albania, l Crete and Egypt He covered himself with glory in the Russo-Turksh war of 1877, and the proud title of phazi mean ing victorious, was conferred upon him for his success against the Russian hosts in Asia Minor.
 His son. Moukhtar Pasha, is the new Minister of Marine.
 It is certainly the swing of the pendu- lum, and in the hands of the new com bination Turkey may be said to breath freely again. Grazi Moukhtar Pasha and his col leagues are statesmen of wide exper- fence. They will certainly attempt to govern constitutionally.
 In Albania the situation is alarming. One of that provinces most prominent leaders expressed 1t exactly when he said to a German correspondent a few
 days ago:
 'I can only say that we Albanians are
 one with our love and attachment for
 the Ottoman empire. Three years ago
 we pulled the chestnuts out of the fire
 for the young Turks. As thanks they
 have not fulfilled the most modest of
 our wishes. Today we would welcome
 anyone who would free us from the yoke
 of slavery. for we have only one wish
 separation from Turkey"
 It was the recent visit of the Japanese Prince Katsura to the Czar's capital
 which drew the attention of Europe to
 St. Petersburg. The air Immediately
 filled with rumors of Russo-Japanese
 alliance and some enterprising newspaper
 correspondents even asserted that they
 had seen drafts of the treaty which pro- vided for the partition of Manchiiria and Mongolia between Russia and Japan. Later events, however, have revealed all these rumors as unfounded on fact, and that though some arrangement con corning the far east may be reached later between the two countries. Prince Katsura came to Russia to become ac- quainted with Russia statesmen and Rus sian sentiment before taking office at home hut not as bearer of any official or sem-official message. No treaty of alliance between Russia and Japan Is in preparation.
 The reason is not at all because the common aims of these empires are other than the European press represents them.
 but no such treaty is needed. The polit- ical interests of the countries are so man l ifest and so vital that the merest tyro in
 politics can discern them, and the most Loadicean of patriots on both sides would join forces to safeguard them If they
 were endangered.
 Russia and Japan have become, and are resolved to remain, the supreme arbters misuse of that overlordship in their deal ings with the other powers But If their own special interests. which are so much alike as to be virtually identical, be threatened. they will support each other vigorously in diplomacy. as they have recently been doing. confident that their -l-- ..1