The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls | Page 3

parliament is called the "Reichsrath," the Hungarian the
"Reichstag."
This bill provides that the contract between Hungary and Austria shall
remain in force for another year, till December, 1898, and that if new
arrangements have not been made by that time the compact shall be
finally broken.
If nothing satisfactory has been proposed by May, 1898, the
Government promises to submit proposals for the regulation of matters
between the two countries, which shall go into force when the contract
expires in December, 1898.
As soon as this bill had been read, Francis Kossuth (who, as we told
you, is the son of the great Hungarian patriot, Louis Kossuth) asked
leave to make suggestions in regard to the bill.
It being late, the house adjourned, after granting him permission to
speak on the following day.
Everybody was eager to know what Kossuth would do. His love for his
country and his desire to see her free were so well known that it was
supposed that he had some plan to secure his hoped-for project.
As was expected, he made a strong plea that Hungary should declare
her freedom.
Having pointed out to the members that the present was a golden
opportunity in which to throw off the Austrian yoke, he ended his
speech by asking that Baron Banffy's bill be referred to a committee.
Those who understand parliamentary procedure will see that this was a
very clever move. Kossuth hoped thus to delay the final discussion of
the bill until after the date of the treaty had expired, and then Hungary
would once more have her freedom.

In getting the matter referred to a committee, he was submitting it to all
the delays that attend parliamentary work. It would be placed in the
hands of men who would be obliged to discuss it thoroughly before
they could report it, and it would be unlikely that it could be returned to
parliament before the beginning of January, when it would be too late
to be of any use.
What the result of this clever move was, we have not yet heard.
It is thought by many people that the fall of the Austrian Empire is at
hand.
Some fear that the German element may appeal to Emperor William of
Germany, and that a war in which Germany, Austria, and Russia will
be concerned may be the upshot of the present troubles.
* * * * *
Germany has a good deal on her hands at this moment.
In regard to Haiti, the case of young Lueders seems to be more
complicated than it at first appeared.
By the laws of Haiti he is a Haitian, having been born on Haitian soil of
a native mother; but he was educated in Germany, and served his time
in the German army, so he has voluntarily assumed the duties of
German citizenship.
This makes the case hard to handle.
Haiti has a perfect right to insist that he is a citizen, and must be treated
according to her laws, but Germany has also some right to say that he is
a German citizen, and shall not be abused by a foreign country. Were
Haiti a more powerful country than she is, there is little doubt that she
would take a stand and insist on her rights, but as it is, she does not
dare to resist a strong power like Germany.
There was, as we told you, a report current that Germany did not intend

to send any ship to Haiti, but that the matter would be settled by
arbitration.
Three days after the announcement, two German cruisers entered the
harbor of Port-au-Prince, and sent in an ultimatum, which is a
government's final decision on a given subject.
The Haitian Government was informed that unless Germany's demands
were submitted to within eight hours, the town would be bombarded.
Germany had said that two of her schoolships would visit the West
Indies during the winter, and the two vessels which arrived at
Port-au-Prince are believed to have been the two in question. They
were, however, so fully equipped, and presented such a formidable
appearance, that they were quite sufficient to seriously alarm the
Haitians.
Word had been sent a few days previously that two German vessels
were making all haste to Port-au-Prince, but thinking them the coming
schoolships, the Haitians felt no fear. They determined to resist these
German schoolboys to the last, and armed themselves to fight their foe.
When the German vessels finally made their appearance, and the
Haitians saw for themselves that these so-called schoolships seemed to
have just as many seamen and murderous-looking guns as the ordinary
man-of-war, their courage oozed out at their finger-tips.
Before the ships came in sight, they had paraded the city, crying "Down
with the Government!" in their fear