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

SIMPLE LESSONS IN THE STUDY OF NATURE

This is a handy little book, which many a teacher who is looking for means to offer children genuine nature study may be thankful to get hold of.

Nature lessons, to be entitled to that name, must deal with what can be handled and scrutinized at leisure by the child, pulled apart, and even wasted. This can be done with the objects discussed in this book; they are under the feet of childhood—grass, feathers, a fallen leaf, a budding twig, or twisted shell; these things cannot be far out of the way, even within the stony limits of a city.

Nor are the lessons haphazard dashes at the nearest living thing; on the contrary, they are virtually fundamental, whether with respect to their relation to some of the classified sciences, or with reference to the development of thought and power of expression in the child himself.

The illustrations are few, and scarcely more than figures; it is not meant to be a pretty picture-book, yet is most clearly and beautifully printed and arranged, for its material is to be that out of which pictures are made. It will be found full of suggestions of practical value to teachers who are carrying the miscellaneous work of ungraded schools, and who have the unspeakable privilege of dealing with their pupils untrammelled by cast-iron methods and account-keeping examination records.

School and College Text-Books

With the greatly increased facilities I can now offer to my customers the convenience of an assortment of text-books and supplies more complete than any other in any store in this city. Books will be classified according to subject. Teachers and students are invited to call and refer to the shelves when in search of information; every convenience and assistance will be rendered them.

Reading Charts, miscellaneous Reference Charts, Maps, Globes, Blackboards, and School Supplies at net prices singly or in quantity.

All books removed from old store (more or less damaged by removal) will be closed out at low prices.

History and Manuals of Vertical Writing

John Jackson, the originator of this system of vertical writing, is the only teacher who has had the years of practice in teaching it that make these the standard manuals for teachers and students. The adoption of vertical writing abroad and in this country is largely due to his persistent work and the marvellous results of his teaching. His series of copy-books were the first to be used in this country, and are considered by experienced teachers, who are not to be misled by mere beauty of engravers work, to contain the only practical well-graded course of instruction leading from primary work to the rapid and now justly celebrated telegraph hand—for these books are the only ones containing copies in this rapid writing. The telegraph hand is the style used by the best telegraph operators in the country—and these writers are universally acknowledged to be the most rapid writers, and writers of a hand which of necessity must be most legible.

The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It

There is startling news from Crete.

Greece has openly defied the warning of the Powers, and has declared her intention of assisting the little island, and freeing her from the Turkish rule.

All Europe is ringing with the spirited reply sent by Greece to the demand that she should submit to the wishes of Europe, and give up her warlike intentions toward Turkey.

This reply was short and to the point. It was simply this:

"Greece accepts full responsibility for all her acts."

Her first act after sending this brave message was to fire on a Turkish vessel, and thus openly to declare war upon the Turks.

The Turkish vessel was carrying arms to the besieged garrison at Canea. As she moved from her anchorage in the harbor of Candia, she was hailed by a Greek warship, and ordered to return to her moorings.

The Turkish vessel, the Fuad, paid no attention to the order, and was continuing on her way, when a shot from the Greek ship brought her to a stand. Having no guns of her own with which to defend herself, the Fuad decided that the sensible thing was to obey; so she put about, and returned to her moorings.

The commander of the British fleet sent a formal protest to the Greeks against this action, and again ordered them to stop attacking the Turks.

No attention was paid to this request.

The Powers are, however, so afraid of war, that they are doing all that is possible to prevent Greece from taking any action that will make war inevitable.

Russia, Great Britain, France, and Italy have all sent warships to Crete, with orders to enforce peace between Greece and Turkey.

The combined fleets of these great nations have formed a cordon around the harbor of Canea, and have blockaded the port, to prevent the Greek squadron, under Prince George, from entering the harbor.

A cordon is a line of men, ships, or forts, so stationed as to prevent people from going into, or coming out of the place.

Having done this, the four great Powers proceeded to take possession of the island, and intend to try and hold it until some settlement is made between Greece and Turkey.

One hundred men from each of the four fleets have been landed at Canea, and, with the consent of the Turkish authorities, have raised their flags over the fortress of the city, as a sign that Crete is under their protection.

Greece, in the mean while, has sent word to the Powers that she intends to occupy Crete. She is sending troops there, and raising volunteers and filling out her reserve force, to be ready for war, if war comes.

This defiance on the part of Greece is worrying the rest of the Powers. She is too small and insignificant to attempt to brave the wrath of Europe alone, and there is an uneasy feeling that some one of the great nations must be secretly backing her.

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.

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