Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World

SOME LEADING EVENTS IN THE CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. BY DR. J. M. TANNEB.

Tar key's Troubles. Turkey is just now confronted with two serious difficulties war with the Arabs, and trouble with the powers over foreign postoffices. The tribes of South Arabia have always been a tur- bulent and rebellious race. They have little respect for the rule of the sovereign, and are generally a law unto themselves. Indeed, tljeir allegiance has never been more than nominal, and as long as they were content to remain peaceable, the Sultan has given them very much their own way. When, however, the tribes become in- volved in war with one another, and defiant towards Turkish authority, and threaten, nominally as well as actually, to sever themselves from the Turkish empire, it becomes absolutely necessary for the Sultan to interfere to restore order as is now being done. The military campaigns against these Arabs have always been ex- pensive; and at this time, Turkey is not in a position to pay the extra burden upon her exchequer. The Sultan is further complicated in this difficulty by reason of his determination to abolish the foreign postoffices at Constan- tinople. A somewhat anomalous condition exists in that city, by reason of the fact that the leading European powers have been permitted to establish postoffices exclusively under control of for- eign governments. Thus the English, the French, the Russians, and the Austrians have their own postoffices, and all mail pouches are exempt from any examination or interference whatever, on the

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part of the Turkish officials. The policy of establishing these offices was made necessary by reason of the dilatory manner in which the Turks were accustomed to distribute the mail, and by the frequent allegations that foreign mail was tampered with. These objections, it is contended on the part of the Turks, have all now been removed. German postal experts have undertaken the entire reformation of the Turkish postal service, and the Turks dispatch the mail today with as much rapidity as any of the great powers. Besides, the Turks have a grievance which they feel is very substantial. They accuse the Europeans of smuggling arti-

cles through the mails that are subject to tariff dues. Thus, all sorts of literature, antagonistic to the present reign, and which the censor is expected to exclude from circulation within the em- pire, may easily be obtained through the foreign postoffices. The great powers are refusing, at present, to submit to the Turkish demands for the abolition of these European postoffices. It is

hardly likely that the Turks will succeed, unless the great powers are willing, but it is the beginning of an agitation which in time is likely to abolish a system at once humiliating to the Turks, be- cause it denies them certain sovereign rights, and unjust, because it encourages smuggling.

The Cuban Committee* The constitutional conference of Cuba sent to the United States a committee to protest against what is commonly known as the Piatt amendment. This amendment to the ratification of the Cuban constitution is so worded as to permit the United States, in certain emergencies, to interfere in both the foreign and domestic affairs of the island. The committe called on the President, but the country has not altogether learned what conversation took place between the committee and the President and his advisers. It was learned, however, that the most important grievance which the committee had was a financial one, relating to the tariff in this country against Cuba's sugar. The wording of the amend- ment is very broad and susceptible of great latitude in its inter- pretation, and the committee seemed anxious to know whether or not there were any secret intentions on the part of the United

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States that did not appear on the face of the amendment itself.

Whatever took place, the committee professes to have been satisfied with its visit to Washington, and permits this country to infer that its report will be altogether favorable. However, it is not easy to interpret Spanish expressions as they are generally and naturally interpreted among the Anglo-Saxons. The sincerity and certainty that mark our dealings are not characteristic of any of the Latin races. Nevertheless, the committee has returned appar- ently satisfied with its visit. Of course, the President of the United States would have no power to change the terms of the resolution, and if the Cubans are satisfied, it must be because of the interpretation which the President put upon the amendment, and not by reason of any change in it.

English Finances.

Great Britain is just now undergoing considerable agitation in consequence of the effort to raise funds necessary to meet her enormous expenses, and make good, as far as possible, the deficit of the last year — a deficit amounting to more than two hundred and sixty-five millions of dollars. It is estimated that the cost of the war has already reached seven hundred and fifty-five millions. This has been proven to be an expensive bluff, for the English could hardly have anticipated the enormous expense they would have to meet, otherwise they would have counted the cost several times before setting out upon such a perilous enterprise. England did not expect the calamity that overtook her; and the war is not yet ended, nor does its termina- tion seem in sight. England cannot hope to replenish her treasury from the taxes of the Transvaal. That country is largely ruined

by reason of the war. Three propositions are set out for the pur- pose of raising revenue. The first is the tax upon sugar, a tax that deviates somewhat from the policy of Great Britain in her position on the tariff question. The second is an income tax, and increases the burden of the salaried classes throughout the island. The third, and the most objectionable, is the export tax of one

shilling a ton on coal. The government seems to press its demand for this export tax, and it may result in the overthrow of the

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present minister. In this country, export taxes are, by the con- stitution, forbidden, but England's insistance upon the preservance of free trade makes an export tax less objectional among the English people than a tax that bears the least resemblance to a -protective policy.

China's Trouble.

The negotiations between the great powers in China have been of late very much overshadowed by the position which Russia has taken in China's north province of Manchuria. There has, how- ever, been some difficulty in the demands which the great powers are making upon the empire, and the question has not yet been fully determined. The United States has taken the position that the indemnity should be reduced as much as possible, and it is now probable that two hundred million will be asked instead of three hundred million dollars, the amount formerly announced. With the view of the United States, England, Japan, and Germany are •in accord; also Russia, for the same reasons as those which actu- ated the former countries. Russia will take her indemnity later on, out of Manchuria, and concessions of one kind and another, which, sooner or later, she is bound to demand of the Chinese. Among the powers now making demands upon China, are Belgium, Holland, and Spain, and none of them have any very material in- terest there; and Austria has but one citizen in China; yet these countries are represented in the deliberations of the powers, and their forces equal those of the nations which are largely inter- ested. i% Since the indemnity is finally fixed, the next step to be taken will be the disposition to be made of the Chinese forts at Takm, Tien Tsin and Shang Hai Kuan. Some of the powers are deter- mined that all these forts shall be razed to the ground, while others insist that it will be suflScient if they are dismantled so that they can not be used by the Chinese government in case of another uprising, China is indeed in a helpless and abject attitude before the world. By her policy, two of her provinces are now undergoing a famine. In Shansi and Shensi, it is said that the crops have been

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a failure for two years, and that the people are even now com- pelled to eat the bark of trees for sustenance. If this condition is true, it would seem extremely severe at this time to demand a large indemnity, unlesss part of the money were devoted to the relief of starving humanity. The indemnity, however, demanded at the present time by the powers, does not cover the millions that have been paid by the local authorities to make good certain de- predations committed upon the missionaries, their homes, and upon the property of the Christian Chinese. These collections have been made by the Roman Catholics with the aid of the French soldiers, and it is said that the demands of the Catholics have been

most exorbitant. So far as known, however, no collection has been made by the Protestants, with the aid of any military powers. Of the men and women killed, the latest statistics show that the uprising cost the lives of ninetv-eight British, fifty-six Swedish, and thirty-two citizens of the United States, all told one hundred and eighty-six.