Part 2

In contradiction of Sherman's statement, one of the Madrid newspapers which is known to express the views of General Weyler declares that it has the authority of one of the chiefs of the army, supposed to be Weyler himself, for saying that there are no submarine mines beneath the harbor of Havana.

* * * * *

After staying for only a few days in the harbor of New York, the _Vizcaya_ quietly sailed away to Havana.

Her departure was a great relief to our Government, not because she was a menace to the safety of New York, but because it was feared that harm might come to her while she was in American waters.

The presence of the vessel, however, in the greatest of our ports at so critical a time made the War Department realize the importance of protecting New York more carefully. So the United States monitor _Terror_ was sent to New York harbor and will remain there for the present. Work is being pushed on other war-vessels that are in the shipyards for repair or in process of construction, as it is quite possible that we may need our whole strength at any time.

* * * * *

Last week we referred to the report that a strong feeling was growing in Washington in favor of putting an end to the Cuban war by having the United States purchase Cuba.

The report has reached Spain and has brought out the following despatch from a correspondent in Madrid:

"I have it on the highest authority that Spain will never, no matter what government is in power, consider any such suggestion or any compromise in Cuba beyond the broad measure of autonomy drafted by the liberal government.

"This is an absolute, irrevocable decision. People who suggest anything else are only wasting time and arousing unfounded hopes in the minds of the rebels."

Spain's feeling whenever mention is made of possible interference in Cuba by another power was lately shown by the indignation expressed in Madrid at the report that Bismarck wanted the war to be settled by arbitration. The Spanish Premier, Señor Sagasta, refused to believe the rumor, and declared that "No one would dare to propose such an absurdity," and that "No Spanish government would listen to or dream of such a proposal."

In view of this news, the present attitude of Congress toward Cuba is by no means reassuring. Many of the Republican Congressmen are strongly in favor of passing the Senate resolution recognizing the belligerent rights of the Cuban insurgents. This resolution was "shelved" some time ago by being referred to the House Committee of Foreign Affairs. So warm is the sentiment in favor of Cuba throughout the country, that many members of the House of Representatives are said to believe that they must pass a definite measure in support of the insurgents before Congress adjourns.

* * * * *

It is reported that Consul-General Lee has been quietly advising the American families in Havana to leave Cuba. On the other hand, we have good authority for the statement that the captains of the American ships in the harbor of Havana have been informed by our Government that they are in no danger, and may, with assurance of safety, remain in the harbor.

This is an example of the contradictory news that is constantly coming to us from Cuba.

The fact remains, however, that there is in Havana a strong anti-American feeling. The Spaniards seem to believe that we are not sincere in our declarations that we do not want to interfere in the war or to secure possession of the island.

The friends of General Weyler seem to be particularly hostile to us. It is said that, in case the destruction of the _Maine_ is found to have been caused by a plot, they will join forces with the other enemies of the United States in Cuba and attack the Americans in Havana.

* * * * *

On February 26th, while King George of Greece was riding through the streets of Athens with his daughter, the Princess Maria, two men fired several shots at him. The driver of his carriage whipped up the horses and the King escaped injury. One of the footmen was wounded in the arm.

King George displayed great bravery. As soon as the first shot was fired he rose from his seat and stood between the Princess and the would-be assassins.

It is supposed that the attack was due to the unpopularity which the King acquired among many of his subjects during the late war between Greece and Turkey. The King's escape, however, was made the cause of great rejoicing and thanksgiving in Athens. From all parts of the civilized world, too, telegrams of congratulation were sent to him.

King George is the second son of the King of Denmark, and brother of the Princess of Wales. He was born in Denmark in 1845, and was elected in 1863 by the National Assembly at Athens to fill the vacancy in the Greek throne. Four years later he married the Grand Duchess Olga, niece of the late Emperor Alexander II. of Russia.

Until the Græco-Turkish war broke out, King George was one of the most popular monarchs in Europe. He believed in a liberal form of government and he lived in a very simple and democratic style. His wife, too, was highly esteemed for her fine character and abilities. She soon became known for her great love of the sea, and she is said to be the only woman in any navy in the world who holds a commission as admiral.

When, about a year ago, King George defied Turkey and the great powers of Europe in his brave defence of Crete, and actually went to war with a power vastly stronger than his own little kingdom, he was applauded for his courage in nearly every country of the civilized world. It was even thought that Greece was on the verge of winning back her old glory.

But the result proved to be a bitter disappointment. The Greeks were utterly routed, and King George and Crown Prince Constantine, his son, were accused of having shamefully mismanaged the war. At one time it looked as if the royal family would be driven from Greece. It was reported also that King George intended to abdicate.

Since the close of the war, however, the King has appeared in some measure to have strengthened his position in Athens. The attempt on his life, however, suggests that the feeling against him among his people must still be strong. It is reported that during the last few months his life has been repeatedly threatened.

Two days after the attack was made on the King, one of his assailants, while being searched for, gave himself up.

He proved to be an ignorant man named Karditza. It is thought that his mind had been inflamed against King George by the severe criticisms made on the King by some of the more violent newspapers in Athens. He has made a confession showing that a conspiracy was formed by a political society against the King's life.

A dynamite-bomb was discovered by the police near the spot where the shooting took place.

* * * * *

England has maintained her firm position with regard to her claims in Western Africa. She has informed France most emphatically that she does not propose to be interfered with there as she was by the French colonists in Madagascar.

She has practically persuaded France to agree that she shall have absolute control of the Niger River. This means that the river will be kept open to the commerce of the whole world.

It is said that at first Monsieur Hanotaux, the French foreign minister, did not believe that Lord Salisbury would maintain his position in the matter, and that this belief encouraged him to send the French troops into Western Africa. But, with the assistance of Mr. Chamberlain, who is a shrewd diplomatist as well as a man of nerve, Lord Salisbury held firmly to his point.

It is now known that the difficulties have been practically settled, and that France, though she has secured some concessions, has practically backed down in favor of England.

Nothing pleases the English more than to have their own way against the French. The English and the French have been natural enemies for generations. The feeling of the French toward the English is even more bitter than their hostility to the Germans.

* * * * *

The Chinese loan, about which we have heard so many different reports, has at last been definitely granted by a combination of English and German capital. The loan has been described as "semi-private," but this does not prevent it from being considered a distinct success for Lord Salisbury's negotiations, though regret is naturally felt in England that Germany should have a share in it. As a result of the loan, England has secured new concessions from China, which greatly strengthen her influence in Chinese territory and place her in a stronger position from which to insist upon her policy of open ports.

The news comes by cable that China has agreed to allow the control of the imperial maritime customs to be placed in the hands of a British subject "so long as the British trade with China exceeds that of any other powers." As the British trade is now reported to be nearly ten times as great as that of any other power, there is no immediate prospect of a change.

* * * * *

The sentence of Zola to a year's imprisonment and to the payment of a fine of $600 has been only the beginning of extraordinary proceedings in France, resulting from his trial.

Colonel Picquart, who has been a strong champion of ex-Captain Dreyfus, has been expelled from the French army without a pension, and he is also for three years to be constantly watched by the police.

Furthermore, the papers and the public men who have been conspicuous in their defence of Zola and of Dreyfus have been warned to cease their agitation. Even some of the foreign correspondents have received hints from the governmental authorities that if they are not more careful in their statements with regard to the Dreyfus case, they will be obliged to leave the country.

* * * * *

It is hard to believe that such a state of affairs can exist in a civilized country. The position of the French Government has been so clearly defined, however, by the French Premier, Monsieur Méline, that it is plain the French republic has for a time become almost a despotism, ruled by a tyrant known as the French army, which is, of course, the cause of all the trouble. In the Chamber of Deputies the other day Monsieur Méline remarked:

"After military justice civil justice has declared itself. It has proclaimed that the members of the court-martial were honest men, who obeyed their consciences. The Zola trial has ended the confusion made by those who presumed to put themselves above the laws of the country. Those who appeared in court were not there as subordinates of the Minister of War, but as individual witnesses under nobody's orders.

"Certain generals may have been led on too far, but they were led on by the defence. One general no doubt spoke a word too much, but remember the accusations that were flung in his face. They ascribed to officers hidden intentions to undermine our institutions, but the French army cannot be an army of one man. There is not a single officer capable of an attempt against the country, for our officers have other dreams."

From this speech it is plain that the French Government is exerting its power to crush the present movement in favor of Dreyfus. But those who have followed the Zola trial carefully and impartially are convinced that the Government will fail. What the result will be, no one can tell. But there are many who believe that one result will be a revolution ending in the overthrow of the republic.

This, however, is an extreme view.

No one really believes that Zola will be kept in prison for a year, even if he does go there. He himself has borne his sentence like a hero, and is willing to accept it without an appeal. His lawyer, however, and his friends will do their utmost to save him from suffering so gross an injustice.

Even if Zola were guilty of libelling the army, his intentions were so honorable and unselfish that any fair court of justice could not have failed to have acquitted him, or at most to have given him merely a nominal punishment.

* * * * *

It is plain that behind the Zola case there lurks a very deep feeling against the Jews. It is thought by students of French life at the present time, that this is the real cause of the terrible bitterness of the French people against ex-Captain Dreyfus and his defenders. They believe that the Dreyfus party represents the Jews of France, for whom they have an intense hatred.

It should be explained here that the Jews have acquired an immense power in France, as they have, indeed, all over Europe. They are the great financiers of the world, and their power is so extensive that it has created the alarm and jealousy and malice now finding expression in Paris.

* * * * *

The Government of France is now in so dangerous a situation that there is a good deal of discussion as to what will happen in case the republic is overthrown.

The President of the republic, Félix Faure, is popular throughout France, but he has hardly strength enough with the people to become a great leader. A few months ago he won enthusiastic approval by the skill with which he arranged his visit to the Emperor of Russia, and by the dignity and simplicity which he displayed during that visit.

President Faure is essentially a man of the people. For many years he has been prominent in the commercial and the political life of France, and he has always been a champion of the people's rights. But he is not the kind of leader that would appeal strongly to the army, and, as we have seen, the army practically controls France at the present moment.

Consequently, if a revolution were to take place in Paris as a result of the Dreyfus affair, it would probably bring forward a popular military man as a candidate for leadership. Such a man is to be found in General Boisdeffre, who figured in the Zola trial and made a bombastic speech glorifying the army.

A revolution would also, of course, bring up the rival claims in France of the Royalist and the Napoleonic parties.

The Royalist party is at present headed by the young Duke of Orleans, who thus far has done very little to distinguish himself. In the event of a crisis, however, France might recall the fact that a few years ago the Duke, though exiled from his country, as all the pretenders to the French throne have been in recent years, forced his way into Paris and demanded that he be given the right to join the army. This was a very youthful and theatrical attempt to excite the enthusiasm of the French people. It failed, however, for the republican Government succeeded in placing the Duke in a rather ridiculous position. He was kept in prison for a few months, and then quietly released.

The Bonapartist party has for leader Prince Napoleon Victor Jerome Bonaparte, grandson of Prince Jerome, youngest brother of Napoleon the First.

Prince Victor has had almost no chance of making himself known to the world, and at the present time his chances of succeeding to the throne of France seem very slight.

* * * * *

Our Government has been quietly making provision for strengthening our navy and coast defences in case of war.

This fact does not mean that the governmental authorities believe that war is sure to break out. It means simply that they are taking precautions to be prepared for any circumstances which may arise.

The Department of the Navy has been hampered by being obliged to wait for the approval of Congress before it can carry out certain important work. It has, however, lately put two more vessels in commission without the approval of Congress and on its own responsibility. They are the monitor _Miantonomoh_ and the harbor-defence ram _Katahdin_.

Since the disaster to the _Maine_, the Government has received a great number of applications for the regular army and for the naval service.

* * * * *

During the past few months some very rich "finds" have been made in the Klondike, and a great deal of excitement has been created there. The facilities for carrying on the work are now greater than they have previously been, and to this fact is attributed the new discoveries.

If the latest reports are to be credited, the gold region is proving to be as valuable as it was thought to be during the first excitement. Nevertheless, it is only the few who win great profits, while the majority suffer.

The Canadian Government is taking an active interest in the Klondike, and it will probably undertake before long to have surveys made to discover the best route from the interior of Canada to the Yukon, and will also have the Mackenzie-River route improved. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has lately expressed the belief that there are gold regions in the Rocky Mountains yet to be discovered.

Our Government has several questions to settle with Canada, arising out of the conflict of opinion regarding the boundaries between the American and the Canadian Klondike. These are likely to be settled, however, in a perfectly friendly way.

We continue to hear reports of suffering among the miners, and the Government is doing its best to provide relief. The best relief it can provide, however, is to keep out of the gold regions those who are not sufficiently provided with supplies to keep them alive for a long period.

An American correspondent from Dawson City has lately given a gloomy picture of the way affairs are managed in the gold regions. The Canadian Government, he claims, is doing more for the miners than our own authorities. The Canadian mail service, for example, is much better than our own. Throughout the Klondike, governmental discipline seems to be very poor. Most of the money used is United States money, but the store-keepers and the owners of saloons do their best to keep it out of circulation; they naturally find gold more profitable. According to the correspondent, the miners are the men who are making the smallest profits in the gold regions for this very reason, as the store-keepers have their own methods of measuring the gold and estimating its value. No doubt by next summer banks will be established where miners may exchange their gold, at full value, for money.

Progress

Invention and Discovery

* * * * *

THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

The Nicaragua Canal has been so often referred to lately that it will prove interesting to our readers to know more about this project and what its successful completion will mean to the maritime nations of the world, and especially to the United States.

After Columbus had discovered America and it was known that the Indies had not been reached, but that a new continent barred the way, the early discoverers sought a short route past this continent. Hudson, Baffin, and others sought this route in the North, and others tried every available opening in both North and South America, but of course unsuccessfully, as it was soon known that no such route existed.

It must be remembered that the expeditions sailing to the new continent had no knowledge of it geographically. It is hard to understand now, maps are so familiar to all of us now, and we can in a moment call up the shape of the continents, that then they had no knowledge of the Western hemisphere except what could be obtained by their ships slowly crawling along the coasts.

It was not unnatural, therefore, when they sailed into what we now call the Gulf of Mexico and observed how far west they went before coming to land, that they should expect to find the passage there.

When you look at the map that we print herewith, you will see that it is but a short step--for the mind--from the strait that was not found to the idea of connecting the two oceans by a manufactured strait or canal. Much more than a century ago the suggestion was made, and ever since efforts have been made to build such a canal.

The Panama Railroad, a regular steam railroad for passengers and freight, was built across the narrow part of the Isthmus, as indicated in the map, in 1850 to 1855, and at that time negotiations were definitely entered into looking toward the construction of a canal.

Ferdinand de Lesseps, a Frenchman, who made himself famous by building the Suez Canal, organized a company in France, and work was commenced on the Panama route. His plan was to construct what is known as a sea-level canal across the very narrow part of the Isthmus (see map). "Sea level" means that it was to be merely a cut in which the water would be all the way at the same level--an open clear waterway from one ocean to the other. This proved impracticable on account of engineering difficulties and the crossing of the Chagres River, and in 1887 it was decided that it could only be built with locks.

The system of using locks allows the water in different parts of the canal to be at different levels. This is done by closing both ends of each section of the canal with gates; a second pair of gates is placed a short distance beyond, and the space between these is called a "lock." If a vessel is to be taken into a section of the canal higher than that from which she has come, she goes into the lock; water is then let into this lock from the higher level by opening a water-gate until enough has entered to float the vessel up to the level of the higher section of the canal; the gates before the vessel are then opened and she passes out into the new section. If she is to be taken to a lower section, the reverse of this operation accomplishes this: the water is let out until she is on the lower level.

Mr. Eiffel, the engineer who designed the great tower in Paris which has his name, designed locks for the Panama Canal, but in March, 1889, work was stopped on account of lack of money.

How extravagant an operation this canal was, is told by the figures. Two hundred and fifty millions of dollars were spent, and only one hundred and forty millions' worth of work can be shown for it. This great difference created a scandal throughout France, especially as the poorer French people had been led to invest in canal shares, in the belief that they would yield great profit.

The Nicaragua Canal plan is a very different one. The distance across the Isthmus at the point chosen for this route is much greater than for the Panama Canal, and yet there are fewer difficulties in the way. Although the route is one hundred and seventy miles long, there will have to be only twenty-seven miles of actual canal and only six locks. This is on account of the use of Nicaragua Lake and the rivers. The lake is the largest of any lying between the Great Lakes of the United States and Lake Titicaca in Peru.

The route, as laid out after many exploring expeditions have been sent to Nicaragua, is: From Greytown on the Caribbean Sea to the San Juan River by canal, through this river to the lake, through the lake a distance of over sixty miles in clear open water, then by the Lajas River and by canal to the Pacific Coast at Brito. It will be seen that about seventy-five miles of the course is in the rivers and over sixty miles in the lake. Of course the waterway of the rivers will have to be improved, but the cost of this is small compared to making an entirely new cutting. The engineering expeditions have been over every inch of the route to be traversed, and have made thorough examination both of the surface conditions and of the formation of the soil, etc.

All engineers who have investigated the project unite in believing it thoroughly practical and not subject to any extraordinary difficulties.