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Read Ebook: The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It Vol. 1 No. 28 May 20 1897 A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls by Various
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Ebook has 294 lines and 17003 words, and 6 pages
"It is very close at hand," was the President's reply.
This looks as if we would have great news from the Sandwich Islands ere long.
This probability of annexation explains the reason why Queen Liliuokalani, the Queen of the Sandwich Islands, has been in Washington this winter.
You remember that we told you how President Cleveland tried to restore to her her lost throne, and that he failed to do so.
When the Queen arrived in Washington this season it was at once supposed that she had come for some purpose; and either intended to make friends with the incoming President, or to persuade Mr. Cleveland to make one more effort to help her before he went out of office.
Her suite and advisers kept their counsel so closely, that no one could find out the true reason for her visit. A few days ago, however, her secretary stated that the Queen considered that the republican form of government in the Islands could not last much longer.
She said that it had been hurriedly established when she gave up her throne, and that the people are tired of it.
She declares further that it is this knowledge that is making President Dole so very anxious for annexation.
She thinks that if the United States was made aware of the way in which she was deprived of her throne, and also of the manner in which the Dole government was established, there would be no further talk of annexation, but that our government would help her to regain her throne.
Queen Liliuokalani is apparently in this country so that when the subject of annexation comes up she may be on hand, and have an opportunity to state her case to the Government.
Much interesting news about Hawaii has been brought out by these recent events.
Col. R.H. McLean, who has just returned from the Sandwich Islands, where he has been reorganizing the Hawaiian army, gives a very amusing account of the state of things he found there.
He went to Honolulu in 1895, just after the insurrection to restore Queen Liliuokalani was over.
On his arrival at the palace he found it fortified as if for a siege; the grounds were bristling with big guns, which were all loaded, and ready for instant firing.
Eighteen sentries were on duty, and 200 men were sleeping on their arms in the basement of the building, while 100 more were ready to rush into action at a moment's notice.
A thorough soldier himself, and accustomed to see such preparations only in time of war, Colonel McLean asked what was the matter.
He expected to hear that there was a new revolt; but he was merely told that the Queen was a prisoner inside the palace, and that unless these precautions were taken, another rebellion might break out at any moment.
He had been previously told that the citizens were in a state of panic, and that the natives were sullen and discontented. He thought there might be some grounds for the fear of a revolt, and decided that he had better examine his defences.
Walking round among the guns, he noticed that they were pointed at various groups of houses. He asked what these buildings were that lay in the line of fire.
"Just houses," he was told. "Residences."
"Do rebels or suspected rebels live in them?" he asked.
"Why, no," he was told. "Citizens."
The Colonel was so astonished at this that he did not know what to say.
He didn't wonder that the people were dissatisfied and frightened.
For months they had lived with the knowledge that the big guns were trained upon them, and that at any moment a careless or frightened soldier might pull the lanyard, fire a cannon off, and blow half Honolulu to smithereens.
He did not say much, but felt that he would have to make many changes in affairs, and went to bed to think things over.
He was awakened in the middle of the night by cries of:
"Hi! hi! hi! there! Say! It's half-past two."
It took him some time to realize that this was the soldierly manner in which the Hawaiian army changed the guard, and when the truth finally dawned upon him, he laughed himself to sleep over the comic army he was called upon to reorganize and train.
The next day, to the horror of the people in the palace, he removed the guns, and reduced the number of sentries to four.
There was a terrible outcry against this order. Those in the palace declared their lives were no longer safe. The first night after guns and sentries were taken away, they passed a night of terror, no one apparently expecting to live to see the morning.
When, however, morning came, and they were all alive, they calmed down a little.
So did the townspeople, when the guns were taken away.
When the Colonel made arrangements whereby the imprisoned Queen could get a little fresh air daily, and no terrible consequences followed, he became the most popular person in Honolulu.
The government decided that Colonel McLean was a wonder for quieting the citizens. The citizens were grateful to him for having had sense enough to remove the guns; the supporters of the Queen liked him for making matters more comfortable for her; and the army found that he knew what he was about, and trusted him accordingly.
Colonel McLean has had three years of very hard work getting the soldiers into order, but has left the army in a very different condition from that in which he found it.
The State Department has sent to Mr. Uhl, the United States Ambassador to Germany, directing him to make a demand on the German Government for the release of an American citizen named Mayer, who has been wrongfully forced to serve in the German army.
This matter is of interest to us, because it shows us our rights as citizens.
The father of this Mayer was a German citizen who came to this country, lived here for a good number of years, and returned to his native land when his son was between eleven and twelve years old.
The elder Mayer never took out his naturalization papers, and therefore remained a citizen of Germany.
The younger Mayer was nevertheless an American citizen because he was born here, and this is the point that interests us.
According to our law, all persons who are born within the boundaries of the United States are American citizens. The nationality of the parents makes no difference whatever, nor does it signify whether the father was a citizen or not. The mere fact of being born in this country is sufficient to make a man an American citizen. The United States claims him, and protects him if he needs protection.
When young Mayer's parents went hack to Germany they educated their boy in German schools, and he grew up as a German boy.
When he came to be twenty-one years of age he was ordered to serve his time in the German army. He refused to do this, on the ground that he was an American citizen.
He was nevertheless claimed by the authorities and forced to join the army.
In Germany there is a law, that every young man who reaches the age of twenty-one must go into the army and serve as a soldier for two years.
The very day the young Germans come of age they are bound to offer themselves for military service.
In many of the towns, advertisements are put in the newspapers giving the names of the lads who are nearing the age of twenty-one, and telling them where to report for duty.
In other places the military authorities send each young man an order to report for duty on the morning of his birthday.
There is no avoiding this service, which was formerly for three years, but has been changed to two.
The young men who do not answer the call are searched for, and, when found, slightly punished.
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