The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 18, March 11, 1897

As usual, when anything goes wrong in Europe, Russia is blamed. Russia has so long been the naughty girl of Dame Europa's school, that the moment mischief is in the air Russia is suspected.

If she is in this new trouble, she will have hard work to escape punishment. She has been posing as the dear friend and protector of Turkey for the last few weeks, and has put stumbling-blocks in the way of the other Powers when they have attempted to force the Sultan of Turkey to do as they wished.

If she has suddenly veered round, and is now encouraging Greece against Turkey, her conduct will be hard to explain.

It will be interesting to watch what comes of this, for it seems that the Bismarck revelations, about which you can read in No. 4 of The Great Round World, have brought many strange things to light in European politics.

You will remember that it was found that Germany had a secret understanding with Russia, which quite undid her open agreement with Austria and Italy—the Triple Alliance, as it was called.

Now it appears that nearly all the European nations have been playing the same sly game.

It would seem that most of them have secret, underhand agreements to play false to their best friends, whenever it suits their purpose.

Every one is sure that Greece has some strong country at her back to make her so bold, and while all the diplomats are wondering which it can be, no one dares to ask any questions. There is so much treachery and deceit going on, that each ambassador is afraid that any inquiry on his part may lead to the discovery of things about his country that would better be kept in the dark.

This daring attitude of Greece may involve the whole of Europe in a vast war, and it may be passed quietly over, and Greece be allowed to snatch her prize from under Turkey's nose, and walk away unharmed with it, because none of the other nations dare to call "police!" for fear of being arrested themselves.

All sorts of rumors are flying around. One is that the Powers are not really angry with Greece, and that if the bold little country can take possession of Crete and hold it, the Powers will not let her be interfered with.

It is also said that Turkey does not want Crete very badly, and will let Greece take it and keep it, if she will only promise not to interfere with Macedonia, which is another ancient Greek province, inhabited by Christians, and now under the control of Turkey. Macedonia is on the borders of modern Greece.

Outwardly, the Powers are very fierce over the whole matter, and have warned Greece that if she does not withdraw her army from Crete in two days, they will make war upon her.

Greece is, however, taking her own way very quietly and decidedly.

While the four combined fleets of Europe are keeping Prince George at bay at Canea, fifteen hundred Greek soldiers under Colonel Vassos have been safely landed in Crete, at Platania about sixty miles from Canea.

This battalion, which is made up of artillery, engineers, and infantry, is called the "Corps of Occupation," and Greece went wild with joy when the report of its safe arrival reached Athens.

The commander of the corps, Colonel Vassos, is reported to have issued a proclamation to the Cretans, in which he says that the troubles in Crete have been deeply felt by their brother Greeks. The Cretans are but one nation with the Greeks, despite the fact that they are under a foreign rule, and Greece can no longer allow a people of her race and religion to be under the Turkish rule; she has therefore decided to occupy the island, and add it to the country ruled by the King of Greece.

The proclamation goes on to say that Colonel Vassos, in the name of the King of Greece, promises to protect the lives, honor, and property of the inhabitants, and to bring peace and law to them.

He then demanded of the Turks that they surrender, and give up the island.

While this was going on, the combined Powers, through their ambassadors in Greece, demanded that the Greek warships be withdrawn from Crete under pain of Europe's displeasure.

They promised that the Turkish reforms should be properly enforced in Crete, and that, in the conference which will follow as soon as the fear of war is passed, the Powers will consider the question of reuniting Greece and Crete.

There is a rumor that the Powers will get home rule for Crete, and that the Emperor William of Germany is trying his best to bring this last scheme about.

Matters are very far from settlement. Volunteers are rallying to the Greek flag in great numbers, and all Greece is echoing to the cries of excited patriotism.

The Greeks have won their first victory in Crete. They attacked a fort called Fort Aghia, captured it, and took four hundred prisoners. One hundred of these were Turkish soldiers, the rest were Moslems, who had taken refuge in the fort.

The details of this affair have not yet arrived, but it is supposed that the fort surrendered on the demand of Colonel Vassos.

Greece is also reported to have landed four thousand more troops in Crete.

Turkey is strengthening her forts along the Greek frontier, and has sent word to the Powers that they must restrain Greece, or she will be obliged to follow her own course.

No progress has been made toward the passage of the Treaty with Great Britain.

Their eyes once opened to the dangers that may underlie the fair words of the Treaty, the Senators are putting it under the microscope of discussion, and are anxious that it shall not leave their hands until it can be considered to be truly beneficial to the country.

It is certain that it will not be brought to any conclusion during this session of Congress.

Senator Sherman, who as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations has charge of the bill, says that he will present it at the extra session of the Senate, which will be called on March 5th by the new President.

It is said that the Nicaragua Canal Bill has been the real means of preventing the Senate from arriving at any conclusion about the Treaty this session.

Senator Morgan has been working very hard to convince the Senate of the importance of settling the Canal question before the Treaty is ratified, and has at last succeeded.

He has been very clever about it. He announced to the Senate, some days ago, that in consequence of the amount of business that must be got through before the end of the session, he was willing to let his bill stand over till the extra session. He warned the Senate, at the same time, that when the extra session came, he should fight for his bill with all his strength, and do his best to have it made into a law.

This looked as though the Senator had made way for the Treaty, and did not really care so much about his bill being passed before the Treaty was ratified.

But that was not Mr. Morgan's idea at all.

He withdrew his bill because he did not want to have it hurried through, and voted on carelessly, and perhaps lost. He withdrew it the more willingly because he had a nice little scheme in his head, which would easily prevent the Treaty being passed before the extra session, when he would again be on hand with his bill.

His plan was this:

He would unearth the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, confront the Senate with that, and as it deals very directly with matters that concern both arbitration and the canal, Senator Morgan was sure that it would give the Senate enough food for discussion to last it through this session of Congress, without touching the Treaty again.

The Clayton-Bulwer treaty was made between Great Britain and the United States in 1850.

One part of the treaty stipulates that neither Great Britain nor the United States shall ever control the Nicaragua Canal, nor build forts along it.

When this treaty was made, Nicaragua had given the right to build the canal to an American company. This company did not belong to the government; it was a mere business undertaking by a business firm.

The company did not build the canal; the work required too much money, and the affair fell through.

At the present time it is the American Government that proposes to build the canal, and if the Government is to put in the enormous sums of money that will be needed, it is only right that the Government shall control it. Nicaragua is not wealthy enough to build the canal herself, and if we do not undertake it, some other country will, and it will certainly expect the control of the canal in return for the money invested.

Senator Morgan asked the Senate to consider the matter of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and decide whether or no we are still bound by it, before the Arbitration Treaty be signed. He insists that if the Senate decides that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty is still binding, England must agree to release us from it before we can discuss another treaty, as it is too absurd to suppose that we will put our money into the canal and have no right to control it.

In the time that must be taken up in the consideration of this very important point. Senator Morgan will have time to get his bill properly considered, and with the new light that he has thrown on canal affairs through the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, he is more likely to get his bill passed.

There is news of a great victory for the Cubans, which is called one of the most brilliant successes of the war.

It was won by General Gomez.

He set out to lay siege to the town of Arroyo Blanco.

When he arrived before the town, he sent word to the mayor that he was about to open fire with his dynamite-gun, and he requested that all the women, children, and non-fighting men should be sent out of the city.

In accordance with the rules of civilized warfare, he sent a permit for these people to pass out of the town in safety.