Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World: Why Not? South Africa; Troubles in Greece; A Japanese Divorce; Aeromobiles

SOME LEADING EVENTS IN THE CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. " BY DR. J. M. TANNER, SUPERINTENDENT OF CHURCH SCHOOLS. Why Not? Austria has just received from the Sultan a promise of $18,- 000 for damages which it is said to have received during the Ar- menian troubles. The bill which America had against Turkey for similar damages has been paid. France has just ended a naval demonstration in order to collect anyivhere from ten to fifteen millions. The French fleet took possession of the island of Myti- lene, opposite Smyrna, the chief seaport of Asia Minor. Austria has also railroad claims, but what seems to be most interesting, in connection with the demand made by Austria, is the allegation that Austria is entitled to damages for insults offered to its consuls and young women by the police officers of Albania. Now it appears that these Albanians of which Austria complains are of the clan which constitute the chief and trusted bodyguard of the Sultan. Dare the Sultan call these Albanians to account? Would he not risk his own personal safety by giving them offense? Whose claim next? It is certainly true that almost all the European nations some few years ago had lodged large claims against the Turkish empire, with the Sultan. The famous Turkish expression "Bakalum," (we'll see) used to give satisfaction, but the Powers are now insist- ing on their money. England will not press any claims at this time. Germany is carrying on her transactions, on the side, getting rail- road concessions and mining franchises. While it is undoubtedly

CUmENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 225 true that the Turk has neglected to pay a number of his bills, yet it is equally true that a large number of these bills represent ex- orbitant and unjust demands. In dealing with Turkey, it has been the habit of its creditors to put in almost any sort of bill they saw fit, and the Sultan generously acquiesced in the amount with the tacit understanding, on his part, that the bills would never be paid. The recent methods of extracting claims made against the Turkish government, by a display of military force, will probably arouse the Turks to a higher degree of caution in the future; and, here- after, we may expect that all future bills against the Turkish em- pire will first be audited. South Africa. The news from the seat of war is very meager. Only scanty reports of actual engagements are given out to the public, so strong is the censorship of the press. After the war is all over, some correspondent will undoubtedly furnish to those who are in- terested in this protracted and unparalleled war carried on in South Africa, the many interesting details which we would now be glad to receive. The astonishing announcement now is made that in the concentration camps, where the Boers, men, women and children, are held in subjection to military control, 4,633 children have died within the last three months. This is an appalling mor- tality, and is exciting the strongest feelings of contention through- out Europe, and adverse criticism in the United States. The Boer's love of independence is intense. It amounts to a passion. He sees before him no other such opportunity of a trek as he had when he left the dominions of Great Britain, in 1835, and therefore declares he will die rather than surrender. Generally throughout this country, there is a wish that what appears to be so unequal and hopeless a struggle should end. The Boer sympathizers call attention to the fact that our Revolu- tion against Great Britain covered a period of eight years. How- ever, the analogy is not perfect. Throughout the entire period of the Revolution, we were not very long at a timt^ without reasons to feel hopeful- It is impossible from our observation and ability to judge the situation, to think that the Boer can ever hope to win.

226 IMPROVEMENT ERA. The most unfortunate thing of all, however, is the attitude of the noncombatant Boer. If he is loyal to Great Britain, his brother in arms treats him as a traitor. If loyal to his Dutch repubUc, he is guilty of treason to Great Britain, Between the Devil and the deep sea, the noncombatant is in despair, to say nothing of his subjection to the punishment which the one or the other of the contending forces is likely to inflict upon him. Troubles in Greece. Announcement has recently been made through the press that the kingdom of Greece is in domestic revolution over an at- tempt, made by a certain class at Athens, to translate the Bible into the modern Greek language. The proposition led to an up- rising among the students of the university, and in the efforts to quell the disturbances a number were killed. It would seem that there ought to be a universal wish that the Bible be translated into modern Greek, and yet this is really what has already been done. But the opponents claim that the now proposed translation is one intended to introduce something of the Russian vernacular, and that the present suggestion to render a new translation into modern Greek is the beginning of an effort to Russianize Greece, and to make the religious authority of Russia, in time, supreme over that of the Greeks. Russia, it must be remembered, adopted the Greek Catholic faith in refusing to accede to the claims of Rome. The Greeks, however, are a turbulent people, and have been en- gaged in quarrels with every race with which they have come in contact from the time of the ancient Persians to the present. In the middle ages, they engaged in numerous contentions similar to the one that is now arousing all of Athens. Then, however, the trouble arose over a certain word in the text; whether or not it should be changed, inserted, or left out. The Greeks have a vain notion that they are great orators. That it is their mission to restore the eloquence of antiquity. Most Greek students, therefore, naturally fancy themselves a Demos- thenes or a Pericles. At funerals, and all public functions, great oratorical effusions take place, and, in these efforts, attempts are made to restore the ancient classics.

CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 227 In 1887, the writer visited Athens, and, as he now remembers, in every church that he visited, and every day in the week, some- one was delivering an oration from the church pulpit to a few spectators and others who constituted a sort of roving audience. Whether the Greek will ever attain to any of his ancient eloquence is a question of great doubt. One thing, however, he seems never to have lost, and that is his disposition to fight, and he fights like a Greek. A Japanese Divorce. Much of late has been said about economic conditions in Japan. Labor is cheap, foods are cheap, transportation is cheap, and if we may believe the I'apanese Times, in which the annexed letters appear, divorces are cheap. Attorneys fees are no consideration, no costs of court, no alimony. Here are the letters: — Mr. Sokichi Yamamoto: Sir: You have been guilty of improper flirtations with my wife, Tsune, and the affair has greatly grieved me. For this reason, I have made various complaints against you for your offensive conduct, through the members of our communal body, and you have sent me endless apolo- gies; but as I find them unsatisfactory, I have, like a man, decided to get rid of my wife, and I do herewith give and transfer her to you. Henceforth, I will not entertain any lingering affection for the woman, and in proof thereof, witness my signature. Kamekicbi Fujikawa. Mr. Kamekichi Fujikawa: Sir: It is indisputably true that I have been guilty of intimacy with your beloved wife, and on that account, I have sent you apologies through the members of our communal body. You have, however, steadfastly refused to forgive, and have instead forwarded your wife to me. As it is your will, I beg herewith to acknowledge receipt and transference of said wife, etc. Aeromobiles. People are beginning to wonder whether or not before long aeronauts will not be darting around in the air above us as the horseless carriage, the automobile, is moving to and fro in our streets today. The world has never in modern times been without

228 IMPROVEMENT ERA. its balloon-makers and advocates of navigation of the air. The efforts of such enthusiasts have been ridiculed by popular and scientific writers, and the world quite generally has never taken very seriously any efforts to realize traveling by balloon. A short time ago however, a somewhat startling announcement was made that one Alberto Santos-Dumont, the son of a millionaire coffee king of Brazil, had constructed a balloon by which he made a journey through the air from St. Cloud, a suburb of Paris, to the city of Paris, and around the celebrated Eiffel tower, and returned again in less than half an hour. The distance must be something like six miles. This was a marvelous feat, and so well was the airship kept under control that everyone realized that science had won a victory. The prize for this feat was one hundred thousand francs which the generous Santos-Dumont at once distributed to the poor of Paris, as the aeronaut is a millionaire himself. In November, this aeromobilist left Paris for Monte Carlo, in the southern part of France, where he has begun preparations for a trip thrugh the air over the Mediterranean, from Monte Carlo to the island of Corsica, a distance of about one hundred miles, which he expects to make in less than four hours. This, he declares, is simply a preparation for the larger problem which he expects to solve, namely a mid-air voyage over the Atlantic from Ireland to Nova Scotia. Mr. Santos-Dumont recently granted an interview in which he handed the interviewer a letter which he had just written to his brother. The letter portrays something of the character of the man, and I herewith give some pointed and sugges- tive passages: My Dear Brother: — You have understood me. The flight from ^ St. Cloud and back again was only the beginning — but it proved every one of my contentions. The Santos-Dumont VI was as absolutely amenable to direction as the horse you ride. Your horse may shy at a peasant (beggar?) in the road, but you control your horse; so a gust of wind may give me trouble, but I rein up my steed and go on, without danger, along the road in the air. You must not think about my danger. My sister remembers when I sent up my first balloon. It was in 1874, and I was one year old. When she pulled it down for me, I put my fist through it to see what was inside. Nothing — and ever since I have found that if you put your fist through what seems extraordinary there is.