of Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Olney, and do nothing at all.
In Washington it is said that great changes will be made. While war will not be declared on Spain, warships will be sent to Cuba to protect our citizens there, and the United States Navy will no longer be kept doing police work for Spain by preventing filibustering.
One thing, however, is sure. Dr. Ruiz's death will be closely inquired into.
General Lee's prompt and manly action has been of some little help to another poor American confined in a Cuban jail.
This second prisoner is a Mr. Charles Scott, who is accused of having some postage stamps in his possession that were issued by the insurgent government.
It is the custom of the Spaniards to keep important prisoners in solitary confinement until they have been examined by the judge. Their law says that a prisoner shall be shut up thus closely for seventy hours, and during that time he shall be completely cut off from the rest of the world, and therefore at the mercy of his jailers.
It was during this confinement, and while he was waiting for his examination, that Dr. Ruiz was, if reports be true, beaten to death by the Spaniards.
Mr. Scott was also waiting for his examination, but General Lee, fearing that he, too, might "happen to die" in his prison, made such a clamor for his release, that he has been put with the other prisoners, and where his friends can see him.
* * * * *
Fighting still continues in Crete, and it seems as if the Powers were really sincere in their wish to make Greece keep the peace.
Colonel Vassos has been doing some fine work as commander of the Corps of Occupation. He has attacked fort after fort, and has won several victories over the Turks.
Encouraged by his success, he decided to advance on Canea.
No sooner was word of his advance brought to the city, than the admirals in command of the various fleets set out for the Greek camp, and had a talk with Colonel Vassos.
They would not tell what had passed, but on their return to Canea they sent to the commander of the Greek fleet, and asked him to call on them.
When this gentleman met the admirals, they were all assembled together, and had evidently been talking the situation over. They informed him, as the result of their conference, that if Colonel Vassos did attack the city, the allied fleets of the Powers would fire upon him and drive him away.
The same message was sent to Colonel Vassos.
In spite of it, he advanced upon Canea, and the morning after the warning had been received his troops began to fire upon the town.
Immediately, the admirals of the fleets in the harbor ordered the decks of their ships to be cleared for action, and fired their guns upon the Greeks.
After a short while, the Greeks, finding that they could not stand against the terrible fire from the big guns, became disheartened, and withdrew.
The moment the Greek flag was hauled down, the ships stopped firing.
A good deal of indignation has been felt that Christian Powers should interfere to uphold the misrule of infidels, but the Great Powers say they are acting for the best interests of Europe.
It seems quite sure that they do not mean to leave the Cretans under the care of the Sultan of Turkey.
The latest news tells us that Greece has once more been ordered to leave Crete, and that this time she has agreed to do so, provided that the island be made independent.
Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister of England, suggested that Crete should be given home rule under the governorship of a Greek prince, and thus far the rest of the Powers are willing to agree with him.
Nothing will be done until the Greek troops have been made to leave Crete, and this may not be so easy to accomplish. Word comes from Athens that the people are not at all pleased with the idea of home rule for Crete. They want the island to be joined to Greece, and would rather fight for it, than give it up. It is very natural that they should feel this way.
If the people of some near-by country were almost all Americans and relations of ours, and were cruelly treated by their rulers, we would feel just as the Greeks do. There is hardly a family in Greece which has not suffered wrong from the Turks. It is but natural that they fight for their brothers, the Cretans.
* * * * *
In Number 14 of THE GREAT ROUND WORLD, we spoke of the massacre of a number of white men in Africa by the King of Benin. We told how the Queen of England had ordered her soldiers to punish the African king for
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