PEACE OF CONSTANTINOPLE 1897 by Greece of 250,000,000 francs and annexation of Thessaly to Turkey. The Powers exacted milder terms. The last detachment of Greek troops left Crete, but nothing was settled as yet concerning its future government. For a month there was peace in Crete. After prolonged discussion the Porte finally adopted in principle the frontier proposed by the Powers. Toward the end of the month, Djevad Pasha, ex-Grand Vizier and former Vali of Crete, arrived at Canea to assume command, but the admirals of the allied fleet would not recognize him. After much friction the diplomatic struggle at Constantinople ended in the practical triumph of the German policy, which gave a partial control of the Greek finances to a commission of the great Powers. A treaty of peace between Turkey and Greece was eventually signed at Constantinople on December 4, and formally ratified by the Sultan and King George on December 16. Turkey agreed to evacuate Thessaly, with the exception of the frontier ridges. Greece had to pay an indemnity of 92,000,000 drachmas (or francs) in gold. Pending payment, Thessaly was to be occupied by Turkish garrisons. The ravages of this occupation proved more serious to Thessaly than those of the war. In order to float a loan wherein to pay the indemnity to Turkey, Greece had to mortgage her national revenues to the foreign Powers. An international commission henceforth was charged with the supervision and control of Greek finances. In the Transvaal, the High Court Bill was passed by the Volksraad, notwithstanding the unanimous opinion of the Rand lawyers that it endangered the rights and liberties of the people. President Kruger presented to Chamberlain a bill of indemnity to be paid-first, for material damage, £677,938; and, second, for moral or intellectual damage, £1,100,000. Kruger again took occasion to deny the suzerainty of Great Britain, but declared his intention strictly to 1167 XIXth Century-Vol. III-14 1897 DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN KLONDIKE observe the London Convention. The Volksraad consented to repeal the Anti-Immigration Bill, against which Mr. Chamberlain had protested as a violation of the convention with Great Britain; and the Government of the Orange Free State likewise withdrew a similar bill, which President Steyn had agreed upon with President Kruger. British troops under General Yeatman Biggs were assailed in Northern India while marching to Karappa. On October 20, after a three hours' fight, they stormed the steep ridge of Dhargai, held to be impregnable by the tribesmen. The Khaibar Pass and the forts Mesjid and Maude were abandoned to the British without a stroke. In America William McKinley was inaugurated as President. Congress met in special session to act on the President's message urging a higher protective tariff. In accordance with this recommendation the Dingley Tariff was passed four months later. In June the treaty for the annexation of the Sandwich Islands to the United States was signed by the President. The Hawaiian Senate ratified the treaty. In July great excitement had been caused by the discovery of gold in the Klondike. Thousands of gold seekers from all over the world emigrated thither. It was at this time that the Alaskan boundary question came up, the Dominion of Canada claiming a part of the Klondike district. On May 1 the consolidation of the several municipalities in New York State at the mouth of the Hudson into Greater New York, was effected by the signature of the Governor to the charter passed by the State Assembly. The campaign for Mayor of the new municipality was a memorable one. There were four leading candidates: Robert A. Van Wyck, the successful contestant, the Tammany nominee; Benjamin F. Tracy, ex-Secretary of the Navy, the Republican nominee; Seth Low, President of Columbia University, nominee of an independent organization called "The Citizens' Union"; DEATH OF HENRY GEORGE 1897 and Henry George, nominee of the anti-Tammany Democracy. Henry George had been the Labor candidate for Mayor of New York in 1886, at which time, though defeated by Abram S. Hewitt, the Tammany candidate, he had polled more votes than Theodore Roosevelt, the Republican candidate. In each contest the chief plank of his platform was municipal ownership of public utilities. Though debilitated in health, he made a vigorous campaign. On the night of October 28, after delivering four speeches in as many different quarters of Greater New York, he died of heart failure. Henry George was born in Philadelphia, September 2, 1839. When a boy he shipped as a sailor to California. There he became a printer and subsequently an editor, taking an especial interest in economic questions. In 1879 he published "Progress and Poverty," a work which created as great a stir among economists as Darwin's "Origin of Species" did among scientists. In it he formulated what subsequently became known as the "Single Tax" theory. This may be summarized as follows: All men have an equal right to the use of the earth. Special privileges in the use of the earth should either be abolished, or if in the nature of things they must exist, be taxed up to the extent of the value of the privilege. Public expenses should be paid from this tax alone, all other levies being abolished. The doctrine is a development of Ricardo's definition of rent, and Mill's definition of the "unearned increment." Henry George enforced his doctrine by a number of books, the last of which, "The Science of Political Economy," was published posthumously. His son, Henry George, Jr., has written his biography. The Venezuelan arbitration treaty was signed at Washington, February 2, by Señor Andrade and Sir Julian Pauncefote, and the final ratifications of the Anglo-AmericanVenezuelan boundary treaty were exchanged at Washington on June 14. |