The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 16, February 25, 1897 A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

The various European powers have called the Sultan to account for the massacres in Armenia, and laid out a system of reforms, which they think should be made.

But this is as far as they have got.

"You may lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink." The various powers of Europe are learning that this is a very true saying.

They have decided upon the reforms that Turkey ought to make, but they are as puzzled as they can be to know how they are going to make the Sultan order these reforms.

Germany, France, Italy, Austria, England, and Russia have been discussing the matter for weeks.

They have been saying among themselves, "What on earth are we going to do if Turkey flatly refuses to make any reforms at all?"

This is the European conundrum.

The consequence is, that the full list of reforms has not yet been given to the Sultan.

All the powers are feeling that it is of no use to tell him what they insist shall be done, until these same powers have made up their minds what they are going to do, if he tells them all to go away and mind their own business.

England suggests that, if the Sultan refuses, they shall call out their soldiers and sailors, and fight him till they make him obey.

Russia is unwilling that the Sultan should be forced to do what he does not wish to do.

The Russian Minister at Constantinople says that he knows for a fact, that if the powers do anything to lower the Sultan's dignity in the eyes of Europe, all the Turks will rise and make war upon the offending country.

Russia says that to carry out the reforms that Europe asks for will take money, and she thinks it would be wiser for Europe to provide Turkey with the necessary money, and then keep an eye over her, and, through the control this loan of money would give, see that the reforms are carried out.

This seems the most sensible plan, but nothing has been decided upon.

The desired reforms deal entirely with the way the various provinces shall be governed.

Turkey is a very large empire, and the trouble with the present system of government is, that the Sultan does not have resident ministers for the various parts of it, as other countries do, but governs the whole himself, being guided entirely by the advice of the few people near him in his palace, who do not know the affairs of the empire any better than he does, but advise him according to their own whims, or prospects of making money out of the country. The result is great injustice to the people.

Europe feels that this is not a proper way to govern a great country, and insists that he shall rule his people with law and justice.

Europe says that the Sultan must appoint ministers to govern the different parts and departments of his empire, and that he must, as other sovereigns do, ask the advice of his ministers before he makes the laws, and not be guided entirely by personal favorites and friends.

While all Europe is uneasy about him, the Sultan is keeping very quiet, not letting any one have the smallest idea what he means to say or do when these reforms are offered to him.

The Czar of Russia is quite ill, and every one feels sorry that he should be sick now, when his advice and assistance are so badly needed to settle the worrying Turkish question, which has so troubled Europe.

The young Czar Nicholas, who was crowned with so much pomp and glory at Moscow last August, seems unable to carry on the government of Russia.

Many people say he is too weak to govern, and that there are going to be troubles and revolts in Russia.

The truth of the matter seems to be, that the young Czar is a gentle, kind-hearted man, who will not govern Russia in the stern, cruel way that his forefathers have done, and who is therefore thought to be weak and incapable.

While he is making a part of his people love him for his goodness, by far the larger half, who have, under the old rule, been able to make money and gain great power, are furious against him.

Poor young Nicholas is not only hated by the people who were most friendly to his father, but by the Nihilists, who look upon him as their natural enemy, and, between the two parties, it is said that the Czar goes about in constant fear of his life.

Nicholas never wanted to be a ruler. Those who know him say that he has become grave and sad in the few months since he came to the throne.

It is said that he is of too gentle a disposition to be able to keep his ministers in order, and that they quarrel fiercely in his presence, and show very little respect for him.

According to all accounts, his health is giving way under the constant worry, and it is reported that he received a shock a few weeks ago, which so completely upset him, that it brought on his present illness.

He was walking in his gardens, and wishing to speak to one of the men who was at work, he signalled to him to come to him. The gardener, proud of his sovereign's notice, ran towards him at full speed. But a sentry, who had not noticed the Czar's signal, fearing that the man was going to harm the Emperor, fired his gun at him, and he fell dead at the Czar's feet.

Nicholas was terribly overcome by the dreadful mistake.

Some people say that his present illness is due to anxiety about the Czarina, who is also ill, and again others say that the wound which Nicholas received when he was travelling in Japan is the cause.

He was struck by a crazy Japanese, and would have been killed, had not Prince George of Greece, the son of the present King of Greece, who was with him, warded off the blow. As it was, the blow was heavy enough to form a lump on the young man's skull, which has caused him great pain, and which some people declare is troubling him now.

Whatever the cause, the Czar is ill, and in no state to attend to anything but his own affairs. It is a sad pity just at this moment, when Europe needs him so badly.

Some weeks ago a report came from Bangkok, the capital of Siam, that some Siamese soldiers had fired upon and wounded our American Vice-Consul, Mr. Kellett.