The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-16

ference between militarism in England and Germany In England the govern ment may increase the navy as much as it wants to with a perfectly clear conscience, for in England the whole people want a strong navy and the money Is at hand to build it, but in Germany the upper classes make enor- nous demands and coolly expects the poor people to supply the money un- aided.
 Uncertainty still rules in the foreign situation and the outlook continues grave, perplexing and unsettled There is more' than a possibility that the everlast- ing Turco-Itallan war may bring about crisis which is apt to be fatal to the general European peace, principally due to the fact that Russia and certain Balkan states are taking advantage of the situ- alton to further their own ends in a way which the other powers cannot permit.
 Never has the danger of a reopening of the whole eastern question been as threatening as now If Italy, to end the decides to force the Dardanelles. the spark will fall into the International powder barrel and an explosion will follow that is sure to shake all Europe.
 Why should Italy do such q thing when she is aware of the inevitable result :? There are two very powerful reasons. One is that in very near future she will either have to withdraw from her Tripol- itan adventure or force Turkey into an unconditional surrender. The other req son is that certain things seem to point out that Russia is encouraging her to do so hoping that if an Italian fleet forces it's way through the Dardenelles that ia nous strait will hereafter become an open passageway to the Czar's ironclads sta- toned at Sebastopol and odessa.
 The greatet danger apt to arise from an Italian attack upon European Turkey is the fact that the Turkish government may not give in, and If Turkey decides to resist Italy's demands even in face or a threatened bombardment of Constanti- nople, the whole east will flare up. If Turkey does give in, the situation does not become much better.
 The other Balkan states, seeing herein sign of weakness, will make all kinds of demands from Turkey. War would be almost certain to break out in the Bal kans, and S,O00O00 furious Arabs would protest. The protest would spread and the Ottoman empire would be wiped off the face of the map, and be divided among the hungry powers, but no final settlement would come until torrents of blood had been shed.
 Should the present chancellor fall and disappear from political life as did his predecessor, Prince Won Buelow, there is no doubt but that his successor would be another personal friend of the Kali ser, Admiral Von Tirpitz, who, at pres ent. in his capacity of secretary of the navy. is at loggerheads with his political chief.
 There is no doubt in the public mind but that Admiral Von Tirpltz Is by far the stronger of the two.
 In prestige, influence and popularity the secretary of the navy has all the best or it. He enjoys the undoubted confidence of the Kaiser. Public opinion looks upon him as the true creator of the German navy The "Berlinger Tageblatt' recent ly credited him with having sufficient in fluence with his sovereign to thwart some of the chancellor's own plans regarding the defense bills" Nothing appears to be more certain than that if one of the two men is to be sacrificed because of their irreconcllable differences, if will not be Admiral von Tirpitz. The idea that so popular an idol had been overthrown in order that Herr von Bethmann might remain would provoke storm of pro- test The suggestion made in some quar- ters that he himself might be selected to occupy the chancellor's famous Eek platz" is possibly q mere product of the imagination.
 The step. as even the Chauvinst organ, Die Post" admits, would be too gratui- tously provocative of England. But while he may not succeed Herr von Bethmann in the one post, he in all human prob ability will long outlive him in the other.
 An interesting case Illustrating the spirit of Prussian administration is re- ported from the former Danish prov ince of Schleswig Holstein. Just a year ago a meeting of the Danish youths was held at Sonderburg, and a number of those present adorned their buttonholes with paper flowers In red and white. the coors of Denmark. For this 'of- fense' the local police court condemned them to fine by virtue of a law dating from 1865 and forbidding the wearing of Danish eolors and Danish cockades.
 The condemned boys appealed. to the district court o6 Flensburg and were acquitted, as 1t was discovered that a subsequent law issued in 1872 forbade the use of the Danish flag, the Danne- prog, but not the wearing of the Dan ish colors. The police authorities ap- pealed and the so-called chamber court. which is the highest court of appeal, upset the judgment of the district court and ordered the revision of the case.
 The district court then found that the boys were guilty and the chamber court confirmed the judgment and laid down the law that the public wearing of Danish colors was punishable of feuea