Various

“ This is the story of the Greco-Turkish war. The great Powers stood quietly by and let Greece be sacrificed, and then insisted upon a shameful treaty, that will bring ruin and distress to a sister country, because the financiers were unwilling to lose money they had invested.
The Powers are, however, by no means satisfied with the result of their fifteen weeks of deliberation and discussion. They feel that the Sultan has got much the best of them at every point, and even though he has agreed to do so, they are uncertain whether he intends to keep faith with them about either Crete or Thessaly. ”

“ Spain's troubles are increasing daily, and it seems more than likely that she will be willing to accept our friendly intervention, and allow the cruel and expensive war in Cuba to cease.
The report that more troops are to be sent to the island has been confirmed, but it is now said that only 6,000 will be sent, instead of the 27,000 promised.
The reason for this is that Spain is having trouble in raising money. Money she must have, as her treasury is empty, and the enormous expenses of the war still continue. ”

“ The new government that was formed after the death of Canovas does not seem to have the strength to deal with the situation. It is constantly rumored that it is about to resign, and that Señor Sagasta, who has such liberal views about Cuba, is to be called to form a new government.
While things are in this state of uncertainty and public confidence is thus shaken, it is but natural that the financiers should be unwilling to loan Spain more money, lest they should not get it back. ”

“ The Government in England is much distressed that the check should have occurred. For the sake of England's position in India it is necessary that the British should sweep all before them, and show the tribes that they are not to be trifled with. That the punishing expedition should have been beaten and forced to retreat will make the work England has to do in India still harder for her.
The tribesmen are alive to the value of their victory, and have continued to attack the troops with the utmost persistence. ”

“ All ships that are long in these southern seas have to have their hulls scraped every now and then. Many of the war-vessels that are now in Cuban waters have been a year without this necessary cleaning, and to make it possible to do the work in Cuba, without the loss of time necessary to go back to the Spanish navy yards, the Government has gone to the expense of building the floating dock. ”

“ There is a story that in her distress the Queen Regent has sent a personal message to Don Carlos, begging him not to begin a civil war at a moment when Spain has so many other enemies to fight.
A civil war is a war carried on between citizens of the same country. ”

“ If the great Spanish general keeps on at his present rate of progress, it will be a long time before he gets both ends of Cuba pacified at the same time.
Weyler complains bitterly about the filibustering expeditions. He declares that the war could have been long since terminated if the United States had not given so much aid to the insurgents by allowing these expeditions to be fitted out in her ports. ”

“ Few governments are wealthy enough to support themselves without borrowing money. In Europe most loans are arranged by the wealthy bankers, who demand security in return. We explained this matter to you in speaking of the quicksilver mines and the Rothschilds, on page 1023.
Transactions of a similar character to that of the quicksilver mines have been entered into by almost all of the European countries, and the consequence is that there is hardly a foreign nation that is not under obligations to its moneyed men, or financiers, as they are called. ”

“ The Haddah Mullah, the priest who has been so active in raising the rebellion, is again leading the tribes, and has roused his followers to such a pitch of enthusiasm that they do not show the slightest fear, and perform the most daring feats. ”

“ The plan that the Powers should control the treasury of Greece was not agreed upon until Germany, prompted by the financiers, insisted that Greece must lay money by to take care of her old debts, as well as of the new war payment. ”

“ It is stated that he believes that war with the United States cannot be avoided, and that he intends to wait till war is declared, and then offer to save Spain if he is made king.
His friends are all gathering at Lucerne to hold the council of which we spoke last week. The unhappy Queen Christine is waiting with much anxiety to learn what they decide to do.
In Cuba, the insurgents continue to be victorious. The Spaniards are being driven out of the inland towns, and their real strength is now only on the seaboard. ”

“ There is no dry-dock in Cuban harbors, and it is very necessary to have one. Ships that cruise long in tropical waters are very apt to get their hulls covered with barnacles and sea-weed. These growths after a while prevent the ship from cutting easily through the water, and decrease her speed. ”

“ Lieutenant Peary reports that he is bringing with him the great Cape York meteorite, which he intends to place in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
A meteorite is a fallen meteor or star, a mass of metal that has fallen upon the earth from space. It is often called a fallen star.
From the earliest times to the present there is a record of 520 meteorites having fallen upon the earth; 142 of this number fell in the United States; 13 were seen to fall. ”

“ When the end of the five miles is reached the honest wheel stops dead. Whether it throws its rider over its head or not is a matter of no moment to it. It stops then and there, and refuses to move another foot until it is re-fed with a fresh nickel. ”

“ Added to this, the New York firm sent him word that a special machine will have to be constructed to dredge to the depth required by the floating-dock, that it will take six months to build such a machine, and another six months to dredge the bay. This makes one year before the $900,000 floating dock now on its way to Cuba can be of any use to Spain.
It seems a cruel waste of money at an hour when Spain is so poor. ”

“ The rebels were repulsed, but their wonderful courage was commented on by the British, who, after the engagement was over, found their bodies within a few yards of the muzzles of the guns. Such people are hard to defeat.
It may interest you to know something about the square.
This formation of troops is considered the strongest. It is used principally to repel cavalry or to resist a larger force. It has been in use since the sixteenth century.
To form a square the troops are drawn up into a quadrangle, or square, the soldiers all standing so that they face outward. ”

“ For some time the women stood their ground, but finally became convinced that, though the soldiers were not going to do them any harm, they did not mean to allow them to pass or to do any mischief of their own. ”

“ He met a number of old friends among the Esquimaux, all of whom were eager to help him in his work of exploring the north of Greenland and searching for the North Pole. He has every hope that the new trip which he is about to undertake will be a successful one. ”

“ They insist that the new colonists are Japanese soldiers disguised as laborers, and that the Mikado is sending them over to be in readiness to fight for the possession of the country in case the United States decides to annex it. ”