The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-07
POLITICAL SKY IN GERMANY GLOOMY Apprehension Over Russia's
 Action in Turkey TROUBLES IN ITALY The Italians Are Holding the Marrow Strip of Land Along the
 Coast With the Greatest
 Difficulty
ax FREDERICK WERNER

Berlin. April 6.-(Specia1 )-The po- litical sky at present quite resembles the actual sky above, which wears US most unsettled and capricious April as- pect. There is no danger of political bIizzards or thunderstorms, but equinoc- tial disturbances may be quite un- pleasant. and there are signs of political storm clouds everywhere I shall pass lightly over the industrial unrest which, originating in the British isles. para lyzed the trade of Albion almost com pIete1y, and moving eastward was feit' though much less severely, In tho French and German coal mining dis tricts, and take up more important po- litical events.
 All Europe received a sudden and un- expected shock of the unforeseen dis missal of M. Tchrikoff, Russian minister to constantinople, which was imme- diately taken to foreshadow new and hostile development of Russian policy towards "the sick man" of Europe.
 Dark and inscrutable are ever the paths of Russian foreign politics and wise indeed is the man who foresees their trend. As a rule there are, therc- 
 fore, almost as many Ideas of Russia's secret plans as there are statesmen and chancellors in Europe, but in this par ticular case the German and Austrian press agreed that the recalling of the Russian minister from Constaptinople could mean nothing but a further step in the process of liquidating Russia's forward policy in Turkey.
 From Turkey. however now comes another explanation and 'si non were ben trovato." At any rate 1t has the ring of truth and it has been in- dorsed by the 'Frankfurter Zletung," which is known very often to voice the opinion of Baron Marshall von Bieber- stein. The explanation was that M. Tcharik off, who is a cry young. and impulsive diplomat, had conceived the ambitious plan of achieving immortal glory by persuading Turkey to open the straits of the Dardenelles to Russia. which is always smarting under the treaty that bottles up her Black sea squadron and makes 1t unavailable for general use. At first M. Tcharikoff's plans seemed to progress very favor ably. The Turkish foreign minister, Asim Boy, listened willingly to his verbal proposals, which had never been officially indorsed by the Czar. At last, however when everything seemed set tied and only smooth sailing ahead, the willy Assim induced tAe Russian diplo- mat to put his proposals in writing, thus giving them the appearance of emanatinf from the Russian govern ment 4af l.
 As soon as Assim Bey had this paper in his possession he dropped M. Tschar- ikoff, whose whole cardhouse collapsed, when the Turkish foreign minister com municated the Russian proposals to the diplomatic representatives. of the other great powers in Constantinople.
 Russia, which would have found no honor too great for her ambitious am bassador, had he succeeded, because his proposals were just what she desires more than anything else in the world was forced to disavow him and recall him as an unfaithful public servant, who had misrepresented his government at time when the latter was ostensi- bly endeavoring to make peace between Turkey and Italy without any ulterior selfish motives
 The report of the anarchists revolver which came so near depriving Italy of her King has proved blessing to the war party by reviving the dying pop ularity of the war In Trpoli, which has long been kept alive by artificial means. If only half of the reports of the Italian victories were true, all Tripoli would have been conquered long ago. The truth, however, is that practically the whole country Is still held by the Turks and Arabs only a narrow strip along the coast, in no place more than eight miles wide, is in Italian possession, and to defend this the Italian soldiers must fight night and day, always living in constant dread of attacks by omnipresent and ever ready Arab hordes. There Is no doubt that, if the people of Italy knew this,