The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
EXPECT SHAKE UP IN GERMAN EMBASSY Crusade Started Against
 Cats in Berlin CAUSE OF DISEASE Doctors Say Cats Pick Up Germs on Streets-Crown Prince Is Demo-
 cratic-How Sweden
 Builds Navy
CAUSE OF DISEASE
By MALCOLM CLARKE

Fly MALCOLM CLARKE
 Berlin, June 1.-(Special)-A genera
 shake-up In Germany's representation a
 foreign capitals is expected to follow thu I transfers necessitated by the supercessior
 of Wolff -Meternich at London by Mares
 child von Rieberstein. This, however
 will not mean any change in so far a:
 the German embassy at Washington il
 concerned Such, at least. is the opinion
 in the best informed circles here. The
 Kaiser has been fortunate in his choice of the present ambasssdor to the United States and everybody seems to agree that l 1t would be a mistake to switch horses'' at a time when important commercial questions are undecided, but in the best hands possible to realize an understand ing satisfactory to both nations.
 Cats will soon be an expensive luxury in Berlin if crusade which has just started gain the headway which its promoters expect 1t will. One of our most dlstin- guished medical men tells us that cats are responsible for two-thirds of lnfantile ailments. The child will play with Tom or Tabby and neither Tom nor Tabby will refrain from wandering now and then along the tiles. In their nocturnal pere- grinations, says the doctor, they pick up diseases which they transmit to the nur- sery. There is only one remedy-kill off all the cats. This doctor has made num- erous experiments. testing both children and cats, and he finds that in infancy certain feline tendency is observable in all mankind. He says 1t is this kin dred spirit which draws children and el- derly women towards cats Nattlfe Is speaking in the sub-conscious ego. and to quote him: All cats are abominable. They have no sense of discrimination ,' A short while ago we had a general ven detta against the poor little twittering sparrow. Now it is the sparrow's chief enemy who is doomed to the headman's E block. As Berlin women are particularly fond Of cats-many splendid specimens of the Persian, Angola and Maltese are to be seen in Berlin boudoirs-there is just chance that the aristocratic cats may obtrude between the common, work-and- atch-mice-for-their- "meowlers."
 The crown prince of Germany is one of the most democratic men in the empire He does not care to have his rank parad- ed and frequently shocks ultra conserva- tive people by his fondness for chance ac- quaintances. He delighted one of the Wright brothers when he made an aero plane ascension and insisted upon going as high as possible. Tt would not be safe to go higher" the aviator protested when they reached certain altitude
 Do you ever go higher?" responded the prince. Sometimes yes,'' replied Wright. but never when I have an heir apparent for a passenger Don't mind the heir" said-t crown prince of Germany. '1et,s l have some more air instead" And he in- sisted upon getting it. He never makes speeches and never grants interviews; but he spends a lot of time going among the poor and doing good where he can.
 
 Sweden, the home of many enterprising suggestions, delighted the German social
 sts by the hint given in battleshIp build
 ing by popular subscription. Recently a deputation waited upon the King of Sweden and presented his majesty with 12.000,000 kronor (about $350O, ,00O to pro- vide new batteship for the Swedish navy. In addition to this substantial sum the Swedish navy fund volunteers have s1 100000 tucked away for coast defense purposes, and subscriptions are still com ing along.
 Good for the Swedes,' say those who object to Germany's heavy load of mili- tary taxation. Why should not those who demand immense navies pay for them? Let the militarists pay for the cost of militant propaganda" The cue from the northern kingdom, coupled with the practical plan of Gen. Harrison Gray Otis to end all wars. came at an opportune moment--when Lord Haldane was again
 in Berlin, merely for the benefit of his health.' of. course. but even statesmen knew how to combine business with pleas ure and recuperation The Otis peace programme meets with warm approval from some of the greatest minds in the empire. It is pointed out that Europe already provides precedents in parts for a peace pact which would really give as- surance of lasting peace and progress has been made to the point when the world is ready for plan of the magni- tude and force proposed by the great American. who speaks with personal knowledge of the horrors of war. There are many German campaigners who know General Otis intimately and they speak very highly of his military skill. This esteem from the professional war riors, very naturally, makes his advo- cacy of peace on practical basis all the more authoritative
 A man in Budapest Is seeking to divorce his wife because she gave him sponges soaked in cream as dessert. This was evidently "a ''trifle' too much for him.