The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 50, October 21, 1897

Various

The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 50, October 21, 1897 / A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

The new Prime Minister of Spain is Señor Sagasta. After several days of uncertainty the Queen decided to appoint him.

No sooner was her decision known than a report was circulated that Weyler had sent in his resignation; it was also rumored that Sagasta had stated that one of his first official acts would be to remove Weyler from Cuba.

The truth of the matter is that Weyler does not intend to leave the island if he can help it.

Just before the ministry resigned, when it was known that they could not remain in power many days longer, he hurried off a long report of the work he had done in Cuba; this he hoped would help him with the new Minister, and enable him to keep his place.

In this report he said that Western Cuba was pacified, and that he had effected a great improvement in the condition of Cuba since his arrival there. He stated that he had given Cuba a fresh lease of life, that trains were running regularly throughout the island, the telegraph was in working order, and the troops, in spite of the fact that their pay was six months in arrears, were in excellent health and spirits. Every one of these statements is declared, by those who are in a position to know the real state of affairs in Cuba, to be absolutely false.

Having this letter safely in the hands of the Government, the General waited for developments; then as soon as the ministry under General Azcarraga had gone out of office and that of Señor Sagasta had come in, he cabled to the new Prime Minister, saying that he had no intention of resigning his office, but instead, begged to offer his services to the new ministry.

A great excitement is being worked up over him in Cuba, which his enemies declare is being done by his orders. Soldiers are parading the streets, crying, "Long live Weyler!" Merchants are hurrying to the palace, begging him not to resign, and a rumor having been circulated that it is the United States that has been asking that he be sent away from Cuba, the soldiers are adding cries of "Death to the United States!"

The Cuban and American residents of Havana are terror-stricken. Much as they desired to be free of the tyrant, they now dread his downfall lest it shall cause more trouble for them.

It is said that Señor Sagasta will try to bring the war to a close by offering liberal terms of Home Rule to Cuba.

In fact, the new cabinet has already held a council in which it was agreed to establish reforms in the island with as little delay as possible.

The Colonial Minister has been instructed to prepare a draft of the scheme for Home Rule, and to have it ready to present to the cabinet officers at their next meeting.

The Cubans, however, declare that they do not want Home Rule. They have been fighting for freedom, and nothing less will satisfy them. They are willing to buy their freedom from Spain, but they declare that they will never lay down their arms until Cuba is free.

A despatch from the Philippine Islands brings the news that Spain is faring badly in that direction also.

In a recent battle four hundred Spanish soldiers were killed. It seems that the rebels in the Philippines fight in the American Indian fashion; that is to say, they get under cover, behind bushes or trees, and, taking careful aim at their enemy, make every shot tell. In this manner they are able to inflict great injury without suffering much themselves.

It is reported that an entire battalion of Spanish soldiers, eight hundred strong, has deserted in a body to the rebels.

The soldiers in the Philippines are suffering just as severely for food and pay as their brother soldiers in Cuba, and finding that the rebels feed their soldiers well, and treat them better than the Spaniards, great numbers are constantly deserting and joining the rebel ranks.

Affairs in Greece are still unsettled.

When the Prime Minister told the Boulé1 or parliament the terms of the treaty, there was much dissatisfaction expressed by the members.

Mr. Ralli, the Prime Minister, stated that he was fully aware how hard the terms of the treaty were, but he thought that Greece must accept and make the best of them.

He told the Boulé that it was not possible for Greece to continue the war; she had neither men nor money to do it with; but he wished it understood that he was merely stating his opinion; he would not attempt to advise the nation on such a serious point.

If the Boulé decided to accept the terms offered by Turkey, he stated that the ministry was prepared to carry them out, and do all in its power to assist the country in the crisis; he, however, asked the Boulé, on behalf of the ministry, for a vote of confidence, that is, an expression of belief that the ministers were doing the best that could be done for the good of the country.

When Mr. Ralli had finished speaking, a member of the House rose to his feet, and began to blame the ministry for all the ills that Greece was called upon to endure. This turned the members against Mr. Ralli and the rest of the ministers, and the vote of confidence was refused. Mr. Ralli was thereupon obliged to send his resignation to the King.

King George has already chosen the new Premier, and a Greek prince of high rank has been selected to go to Constantinople and arrange the treaty, the Boulé having decided to accept the terms offered.

Both Spain and Greece now have new ministers who are undertaking the difficult task of piloting their countries through their difficulties.

It was just as well that we did not put too much faith in the story that the war on the Indian frontier would be ended with the defeat of the Haddah Mullah.

News has reached us that the British forces have once again been checked by the tribesmen.

This time it was the Mohmads who were the victors. These men, if you remember, professed themselves ready to submit to English rule, and when the troops arrived in their neighborhood, offered their allegiance to the British officers.

They were, however, told that to prove their good faith they must, one and all, give up their rifles. Upon hearing this they became sulky, and refused to do anything of the sort.

The British waited the two days they had promised, and then began to destroy the villages of the rebellious tribesmen. On one of these expeditions they were in turn attacked by the Afridis, and defeated.

In the meanwhile the Ameer of Afghanistan is uneasy over the advance of the British into the hills that form his frontier. He is afraid that the British will not be satisfied with punishing the tribesmen, but will endeavor to take possession of lands belonging to him. He has therefore sought the aid of Russia, and has obtained the Czar's promise to help him in case the British attempt to encroach on Afghanistan.

He is at the same time keeping faith with the English. He has issued a proclamation, forbidding his subjects to leave the country under penalty of a heavy fine, so that it will not be possible for them to go and join the tribesmen. He is doing all in his power to keep faith with England, but it is said that he is much pleased that he has secured the aid of Russia to protect him in case of need.

In the Soudan, the English are steadily advancing on Khartoum.

The Mahdists are making a strong stand there, and it is expected that the decisive battle will be fought in the near neighborhood of that city.

A newspaper correspondent who is with the Soudan expedition writes a most interesting account of the rapid way the soldiers are building a railroad across the desert. The road is being finished at the rate of nearly two miles a day, and when completed will enable the army to bring men and supplies from Cairo in a few days instead of the many weary weeks which are now required.

The building of the railway through the desert has been entrusted to the engineer corps. These engineers are soldiers whose duty it is to build fortifications, railroads, bridges, or any works which the commander of the force may think necessary.

In building a railroad the first thing to be done is to prepare the road-bed, so that it will not give way under the weight of the trains that are to pass over it. This is done by digging out or banking up the earth so that the bed shall be level. When the earth-bank has been made as high and as solid as necessary, huge wooden beams, called sleepers, are placed across it at regular intervals, and on these sleepers the rails are laid.

The correspondent describes the laying of the rails as follows:

"A great sight was the actual work of laying the line. We went out in a car drawn by a spare engine, to see this at the place where the work was in progress. The second construction train had reached the scene of active operations just before we arrived, and the desert fairly hummed with busy turmoil. It has been given but to few to see a railway line made and used while you wait. Yet we had that experience on this afternoon. Everything was done at once. The long train moves slowly toward the end of the rails, getting as near to the bare bank as is possible. So soon as she stops, an eager army of workers attack her, with, of course, much wild noise of strange rhythmic chant. To the uninitiated this onslaught of the workers on the train bears all the appearance of a raid, yet, should one watch awhile, it gradually dawns upon one that marvellous orderliness and most studied method underlie every seemingly wild movement. The engine stops—say, ten rail lengths from the end of the track—and the game begins. The rail-cars are in front, just behind the tender, with the rails neatly ranged on racks. At once to either side of each rail-car rushes a party of, if Egyptians, eight men, if blacks, ten, upon whose padded shoulders the ton of sun-heated metal is placed by the car party. Then they run—they do literally run—away with the unwieldy thing to its destined place, where, once it is placed on the sleepers, the gaugers and strikers get at it, and it is put in position and pinned (to each alternate sleeper, the operation being completed after the heavy train has passed over the newly laid rails) in an incredibly short time, at the end of which a bugle sounds, the steam whistle blows, the engine moves slowly forward over the rails that less than five minutes ago were stacked on the cars behind her, and the whole operation is repeated."

Hawaiian affairs continue to progress peacefully, notwithstanding the fact that the story of Japanese soldiers being introduced in Hawaii disguised as laborers has been confirmed by so many people that our Government has no longer any doubt of its truth.

Orders have therefore been sent to the commander of the fleet at Honolulu to be on the alert, and in case Japan should attempt any hostile movement to land a company of marines and sailors, run up the American flag, and take possession of the island in the name of the United States.

The gunboats Wheeling and Concord have been sent to the Sandwich Islands, and a cruiser and several gunboats will be kept at Honolulu until all fear of trouble is over.

The Japanese ship, the Naniwa, has gone back to her own country to be cleaned and repaired, but will return to Hawaii as soon as this has been done.

During her absence our Government is taking advantage of the opportunity to make some necessary changes in the ships stationed at Honolulu, and when the Japanese cruiser returns she will find quite a fleet of American ships waiting to receive her.

A statement has been made that the Japanese Government is willing to settle the immigration dispute with Hawaii for $100,000.

Hawaii is not anxious to make any such arrangement. She is a little afraid that if she consents to do so, Japan will declare that she is bound in future to let in as many Japanese immigrants as the Mikado chooses to send. She is anxious to reserve the right of declaring what citizens she will allow within her boundaries.

The annexation of the islands is by some people regarded as assured.

The Senators and Congressmen who have visited the islands declare that there is no opposition to the idea. Some few followers of the Queen Liliuokalani would prefer to have her once more on the throne rather than to be under the government of a foreign president, but there is no serious opposition to the treaty.

With this news comes the information that Mr. Spreckels, the Sugar King of Hawaii, has offered to withdraw his opposition to the treaty when he is convinced that his rights in the island are not to be interfered with.

Mr. Spreckels is a millionaire who has made most of his money through his vast sugar interests in the Sandwich Islands. He was so afraid that his business would be hurt by annexation, that he threatened to spend half his fortune to prevent it.

Besides his sugar interests, he owns a line of steamers between Hawaii and San Francisco, and he controlled so many votes in Hawaii that he was a dangerous enemy to the project.

President Dole of the Sandwich Islands has been endeavoring to break Mr. Spreckels' power, but has made very little progress until the other day, when he granted permission to one of the Pacific mail steamers to enter into competition with Mr. Spreckels' boats for the carrying trade of the islands. The permission stated that the President would allow the Pacific Mail Company to increase the number of vessels on the line if they desired to do so.

This was a dreadful blow to Mr. Spreckels.

The carrying trade with Hawaii is hardly large enough for several companies to make money at it, and as the new line will endeavor by reduced rates and increased accommodations to get the trade away from Mr. Spreckels, the chances are that he will lose a good deal of money through it.

It is in consequence of this that he is reported to have promised not to oppose the annexation of Hawaii if his interests are not interfered with.

It is said that President Dole is so anxious that nothing shall interfere with the annexation treaty that he is willing to promise Mr. Spreckels anything he asks in return for his assistance.

Central America is in a very disturbed condition once more.

Revolutions are in progress, or have just been suppressed in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua; and Honduras is again in an unsettled state.

In addition to this, there is bad feeling between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which may break out into war at any moment.

As this last quarrel concerns the Nicaraguan Canal, in which our country is so much interested, it is perhaps better to tell you about it before we speak of the more serious troubles in Guatemala.

The cause of the unpleasantness between Nicaragua and Costa Rica is the boundary line which divides them.

This boundary question involves the mouth of the Nicaragua Canal.

In 1858 it was agreed between the two countries that the channel of the Rio San Juan del Norte at its exit into the ocean should be the dividing line between them.

Owing to changes of current and other causes, the course of this river has changed, until it is now several miles farther south than it was in 1858.

Costa Rica claimed that the boundary should be the spot where the old channel was; Nicaragua, that the treaty called for the channel of the river where it emptied itself into the sea, and that therefore the new mouth of the river is the boundary.

It is a serious matter for Nicaragua, for the opening to the Nicaragua Canal on the Atlantic Ocean side is through the Rio San Juan del Norte. If Costa Rica were to own the mouth of the canal while Nicaragua owns its body, there would be no end to the complications and troubles which would arise.

The matter was therefore submitted to arbitration, President Cleveland appointing the arbitrator.

The decision has just been rendered, and is against Costa Rica. The arbitrator decides that the old treaty holds good, and that the boundary line of Nicaragua is the channel of the river as it flows into the ocean, and that no matter how far the Rio San Juan del Norte creeps down into Costa Rican territory, Nicaragua will always own to the channel where it flows into the sea.

Costa Rica is of course angry that the decision was against her, and she may try to secure her lost territory by force of arms.

This is the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican trouble. The disturbance in Guatemala is in the shape of a revolution, which, if the accounts we hear are true, is of a serious nature.

We have told you before of the many revolutions that are constantly taking place in South America, and that the people have become so accustomed to them that they take very little notice of such things, and no one regards a Central American revolution as a serious affair.

Now while it is amusing to make fun of these toy revolutions, some of the best people of the country suffer severely through them, and to these people they are very real and terrible. Those who suffer most are the merchants. During the disturbances caused by constant changes of government, trade cannot properly flourish, and many of the merchants of Central America wish heartily that a means may be found to restore order and give them a government which will be likely to last.

Some time ago a plan was made to form the five republics of Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica into one republic, under one government.

At this time Mexico objected to the plan. She was afraid that a strong republic at her doors might give her more trouble than she was likely to have from the five weak little countries.

Attempts were made to carry the plan through, but it was finally abandoned.

It was not, however, forgotten, and in January of this year the first step was taken toward such an arrangement, by the union of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Salvador, forming together the Greater Republic of Central America. It was hoped that Guatemala and Costa Rica would also join in, and in June of this year Guatemala did join the other republics.

Mexico still disapproved of the plan, and was not at all pleased that the Greater Republic of Central America had been formed.

The level-headed men of Central America then suggested that Mexico should be asked to join the union, and one vast Central American Republic be formed.

To this President Barrios of Guatemala objected. He is perhaps the most ambitious man in Central America, and undoubtedly aims to be the president of the Central American Republic. Were Mexico to become a part of this great federation, Barrios would have a strong rival in the beloved President Diaz of Mexico, and so he steadfastly set his face against union with Mexico.

The friends of solid government were much disappointed at this, and it is stated on good authority that they then formed a plot, which has resulted in the present disturbances throughout Central America.

It was decided that as Barrios of Guatemala and Diaz of Mexico were opposed to the plan, they must both be removed from office as soon as it could be managed.

According to this story, Barrios was the first to give his enemies the opportunity they sought.

We have told you that he is a very ambitious man. In Guatemala presidents are elected for six years, and are not allowed to be re-elected.

President Barrios is very near the end of his term, and he could not bear to think that in a few months he would go out of office, and lose all chance of rising to the heights he wished to attain. He therefore had himself proclaimed dictator of Guatemala, and announced that he intended to have a law passed which would allow a president to be elected for a second term.

This meant of course that he intended to be elected again, and that it would be another six years before there was any hope of forming the federation.

The people of Guatemala strongly disapproved of Barrios' action in making himself a dictator instead of a president. A president is guided by the wishes of the legislature, and though he has the power to veto, or forbid the passing of, a law made by congress, that body has also power to overrule his veto, and pass the laws in spite of him. So you see the power is pretty equally balanced. Then, too, a president can be impeached, or called to account, if he neglects the duties which he has agreed to fulfil.

With a dictator it is very different. He has absolute power in the government of the state. His word is law, and he is not accountable to the legislature for his actions.

A dictator is sometimes appointed in times of war or great trouble, but he should always be a man whom the people love and honor, and to whom they can entrust this great power.

The reason for appointing a dictator is, that not being accountable to the legislature for his actions, he is able to do as he thinks best, without waiting for the long delays that must follow the submission of plans to congress.

While the people were so opposed to the idea of giving these great powers to Barrios, it was thought to be a good opportunity to overthrow him, and so a revolution was begun, with Gen. Prosper Morales at its head.

This revolution has steadily grown stronger. Most of the important men in Guatemala have joined it, and success has attended the rebel arms.

They have captured one of the most important towns of the country, and it seems as if the overthrow of Barrios was assured.

If the rumors of this great plot are true, the revolution in Guatemala is but the commencement of the great rising which is to end in the formation of the new republic.

That there is some truth in these rumors is shown by the fact that a cowardly attempt which was made to kill President Diaz of Mexico, a short time ago, was found to be connected with the present disturbance in Guatemala.

It was found that the man who had attempted to do this wicked deed was the agent of some persons in Guatemala; and thinking that there was something strange in this, the Mexican authorities handed the prisoner over to one of the highest police officials, with orders to keep him under close guard until further inquiries could be made.

The man to whom the criminal was given in charge was General Velasquez, one of the most trusted officials of the Government.

In the middle of the night after this arrest, pistol shots were heard coming from the place where the prisoner was confined, and when the soldiers ran out from their barracks, they were informed by General Velasquez that a mob had broken into the prison and killed the prisoner.

A crowd had meanwhile gathered round the prison, so the soldiers arrested every one in sight; but when these people came to be examined they were found to be only citizens who had been attracted by the sound of the firing, just as the soldiers had been. The men who had broken into the jail and killed the prisoner had disappeared.

The matter had by this assumed such a suspicious character that the authorities decided to arrest General Velasquez, and hold him until something could be found out.

A few inquiries showed that the General and the man who had tried to kill President Diaz were both connected with Guatemala, and members of some society there.

This suspicion was considerably strengthened when the General was found dead in his prison, the morning after his arrest. People then said that both men were concerned in the great plot, and that both had died rather than be forced to confess.

All Mexico is very much puzzled and troubled over this mysterious occurrence.

The meteorite has been safely landed, and is now on the dock at the Brooklyn Navy-Yard, where it is to remain until Lieutenant Peary decides what he will do with it.

In appearance it is a smooth, mud-colored rock, that looks like a great boulder. The meteorite is ten feet long, eight feet wide, and six feet thick. It weighs over ninety tons.

It was no easy matter to get this great stone on board the Hope. It lay a short distance from the shore, and the sailors had to drag it to the water's edge.

As soon as the Hope arrived in Melville Bay, where the meteorite was found, the whole crew, armed with shovels and picks, went ashore and began digging around it.

The job of digging it out of the frozen ground was enough to have discouraged these men at the outset. It was half covered with snow, and frozen solidly to the surrounding earth. The sailors had to dig through seven feet of frozen ground before they finally reached the lower surface of the meteorite, then more digging followed, and at last, after five days of this hard work, it was free and ready to be moved.