The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 59, December 23, 1897

President Simon Sam determined to resist as long as he dared. He sent a request to the commander of the German vessels, for more time to consider.

The German commander refused, and one of the "schoolships" cleared its decks for action, and took up a position close to the Haitian war-vessels.

Clearing the decks for action means that everything possible is removed from the deck, and a clear space left for the sailors to work the ship in.

The Haitians then became convinced that Germany would not be trifled with, and the Government decided to yield.

President Simon Sam had feared that if he yielded too easily, the people would be infuriated with him, and try to put down his Government, so he held out until the cruiser was actually threatening the town, and then submitted. The money demanded by Germany as damages for Lueders, $30,000 in all, was sent on board the German vessel.

The President at the same time issued a notice to the people of Haiti, telling them he had been compelled to yield the rights of Haiti to the superior force of Germany.

The Haitians, besides sending the money, saluted the German flag, and sent a letter of apology to Germany.

Had the Haitians held out, and allowed the Germans to bombard their city, the United States would have been bound to interfere. It is said that the officials of our Government are very glad that the difficulty has been settled without our being forced to take part in it.

Germany seems to be in great luck at this moment.

It is reported that China, not being strong enough to fight the Germans, and drive them out of her country, has decided to give up Kiao-Chou to them.

This rumor has not as yet been confirmed, and it seems hardly to be believed, when we take into consideration the fact that only a week ago the Chinese Emperor said he would rather give up his crown than yield to the enormous demands of Germany.

The day after this announcement was made, two hundred German marines and sailors entered the city of Kiao-Chou, which is eighteen miles from the Bay, and took possession of it.

The Chinese forts protecting the town opened fire on the Germans; but when the invaders replied with their splendid modern guns, the Chinese retreated, and the Germans took possession of the city without further trouble.

Several German sailors were injured by stones, flung at them by the inhabitants of the villages through which they marched; but beyond that they suffered no loss, and their second victory, the taking of the city, was as easy as their first, when they captured the forts protecting Kiao-Chou Bay.

Whether the reports that China has given up Kiao-Chou be true or false, it is certain that Germany has no intention of letting the prize she holds slip through her fingers.

She has just sent out a reinforcement of twelve hundred marines and two hundred artillerymen, under the command of the Emperor's brother, Prince Henry of Prussia.

Marines are soldiers who form a part of the equipment of war-vessels.

They have none of the sailors' duties, and do not handle the ships, but are sea troops, so to speak, who fight on shipboard, or are landed to attack a town, as in the case of Kiao-Chou.

They are a very useful body of men; but being neither soldiers nor sailors, according to the recognized idea of the terms, they are looked down upon by both soldiers and jack tars. In England it is a common saying that a marine is "neither fish, flesh, fowl, nor good red herring."

It is stated that the principal reason for the seizure of Kiao-Chou Bay was that Germany desired to have her share of the China trade. Finding that China was indifferent to her wishes, she determined to seize upon a portion of Chinese soil, and put herself in a position to force the Asiatic kingdom to listen to her demands and obey them.

A later telegram from China says that Germany has agreed to give up Kiao-Chou Bay for a coaling-station at Sam-Sah, which is on the coast of China, facing Formosa, the island Japan secured from China in the late war.

This report is also as yet unconfirmed, and so we must wait until next week to know which is the correct one.

From the latest Cuban news, it would seem that the insurgents are gaining a good many victories.

The leader of the Spanish forces, General Pando, was met by the Cubans in a heavy engagement in Santa Clara province. The first reports that reached us were that the Cubans had won the victory, and General Pando had been killed.

This report was denied by the Spaniards, but nevertheless no news has been received from this leader since the engagement.

The Spanish authorities are awaiting information with the deepest anxiety. The idea is growing daily stronger that some disaster must have overtaken him, and that he has been cut off from communication with Havana; otherwise no one can account for the fact that no news of any kind has been received from him.

In addition to this, the towns of Guisa and Canto el Embarcadero have been captured by the Cubans. A force of Spanish guerillas, fifty strong, have gone over to the insurgents, carrying with them arms, ammunition, and a large sum of money. Gomez is busy in Santa Clara, organizing his forces to make a strong stand against the Spanish troops.

As we told you, the Government has issued an order permitting the grinding of the sugar-cane.

Gomez is determined to prevent this. In the Western provinces, the rebels have divided themselves into small bands, and are burning such cane-fields as the desolation of the war has left growing.

Gomez himself will destroy the fields of Santa Clara.

You probably remember the methods employed by the insurgents for burning the cane at the beginning of the war.

They caught snakes, which are very plentiful in the swampy districts of Cuba, and rubbing their bodies with kerosene, set fire to them, and then threw them into the cane-fields.

The agonized reptiles, in their efforts to rub the burning oil from their bodies, twined around the cane, twisted from stem to stem, and set the fields on fire in a hundred places at once.

A big engagement is reported near Sancti Spiritus, and it is also said that the rebels have hanged fifteen persons who have approached them with proposals of Home Rule.

This does not look as if the island would soon be pacified.

The Government in Spain appears to be satisfied with the President's Message, the substance of which you will find in this number of The Great Round World.

You will see, when you look at it, that the President does not think it wise to interfere for the present, but thinks it right to give Spain time to try what Home Rule will do.

It is doubtful, however, whether the proposed reforms can be made acceptable to the majority of the Cubans.