Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
THE MOST NOTABLE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS

under the sovereignty of the porte. Ferdi-
nand. however, did not walt for FRANCES
| Joseph. On the day before austria
actually carried out her plan Bulgaria s
| prince, amid great pomp and ceremony at
| Tirnova the historic capital of Bulgaria.
proclaimed Bulgaria independent.
| Two days after the Bulgarian coup the
Greeks of Crete, comprising nine-tenths of
the population of the island. evidenced
their love for their own people by SUD,
denly throwing off the ottoman yoke and
declaring themselves the subjects Of the
| King of Greece
| England acted the most promptly of
the outside powers by sending fleet OF
warships to the mouth of the Daroa-
nelles The Russian press averred that
j this act was not only to hold Turkey In
check until another congress of the pow
ers might investigate, but also to cheek
mate any move that the car might MAKE
to obtain "slice for the bear. That
Germany was behind Austria's move mad
been asserted by the Servians. on hndlng
that the kaiser had intercepted the sup
ply of ammunition which Servia had Or
dered from France
Should the powers. either tacitly or
| formally eventually ratffy what has
been done in the Balkans all that Tur-
key will have left in Europe includes
only the narrow neck of land between
the Black and Aegean seas, the three
vilayets of Kossovo, Monastlr ana Sa-
lonika which comprise what the outside
world knows as Macedonia, and Albania.
on the Adriatic. This entire area is not
much larger than that of the state or
Missouri.
| Even out of this Albania may be taken
away from Turkey. Although constituted
Turkish province by the Berlin treaty,
| it's autonomy is to be guaranteed by Aus
| tria and Italy in case Turkeys status
quo is upset. Italy long has coveted Al
bania. situated, as it is. just across the
Adriatic, and with the heel of Italy
| forming a gateway 10 that sea.
Another change in the worlds map was
effected September 0. when the Belgian
| treaty. Now that this great African state
has come under the colonial jurisdiction
| of Belgium, the misgovernmen. or hins
| Leopold in Africa becomes thing OF the
past. as does also the WORLDWIDE move
ment which was SO vigorously waged to
abate the cruelties to the kongo natives
| for the purpose of increasing the Kongo
rubber supply.
| In Turkey the liberal movement which
was so long held in check by the sultan
finally succeeded in fore
Freedom ing him to grant the
- n,,~,- country a constitutional
| form Of government.
Thus. in Turkish history. July "a is indie
| pendence day. The party which brought
this about is known as the Young
Turks
January II a secret congress assembled
in Paris. composed of representatives Of
| those nationali.ies which were especially
suffering from the tyranny Of Abdul
| Hamid The decision was reached that
| all should unite for the purpose of OBJ
| tanning constitutional government
| Thereafter mutinies became more and
| more frequent in the Ottoman army. and
the sultan. finding himself unable to quiet
| the unrest, granted a constitution and
parliament. which he had formerly prom
| ised but which never materialized, and,
at the behest of the Young Turks strip
ped of power the men who had long been
fattening on the people. In celebration of
the event mass meeting was held in
New York city September Z, IN which
Turks. Armenians. Albanians. Greeks and
/ Syrians. now calling themselves Ameri-
cans participated A letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt expressed sympathy.
| The program OF reform announced by
the Young Turks includes the reorganlza-
tion of Turkish finances. which have
long been honeycombed with graft and
thievery; the Introduction Of the educa-
tional methods Of western nations and
universal military service.
| Evidencing the wholesome respect with
which Abdul Hamid regarded the ascend
ancy Of the new party, he announced tue
surrender of nearly all his crown lands.
which could be made to yield revenue
of $1,000. 600 annually to the national treas
1 u ".
| the Young Turks acted with especial good
| judgment, counSeling peace.
On December II. amid great public re-
| joicing. the .Sultan of Turkey drove
through the streets of Constantinople to
the parliament and opened in due form
the first Turkish parliament. The Turks
went wild with enthusiasm.
The Lisbon tragedy of February 1,
which resulted in sthe death of King
Carlos /. and the crown
PortugaIs prince, Luiz Filippe, was
| n~a the climax Of a despo.ic
rule which defed parlia-
ment and people. The royal family
and it's favorites, together with the pre-
mier and his friends. had been accused
| of gross extravaganza and corruption
The national debt had become stasger-
ingly heavy. Taxes kept increasing. And
still there was not enough revenue.
Finally, the king, fearful Of the power
of Joao Franco, who had won popular
support by his fight for various reforms,
besought Franco to save him and the
| country from ruin. But Franco used such
drastic measures that the spirit of revo-
luton was only strengthened. He tried to
rule without parliament. Royal DEGREES
took the place Of legislative statutes.
More and more dictatorial became Franco,
until he finally announced that he had
been clothed with unlimited power TO
check the republican movement.
| SO bitter was the feeling against Franco
that upon the assassination Of the king
and crown prince he was obliged to fee
| from the country. The dead kings sec
ond son, a boy Of nineteen, assembled to
| the throne as Manuel H. He chose Rear
! Admiral Ferreira do Amaral a monarch
| list, premier, and won popular regard by
restoring constitutional guarantees and
setting free political prisoners. Since then
| Do gal
toned place, out of the eye of the world
/ Similar political conditions in Argentina
| were revealed just month after the Por-
| tugueSe asSassinationS. when a bomb was
| thrown at DR.. Alcorta, president OF the
| republic. Becauce the congress had re-
| fused to vote the budget for the main
| tenance of the government Alcorta dis
| missed the legislature and ordered the
| appropriation without it's sanction.
| Persia's struggle for liberty. which be-
gan in 1907, has been greatly complicated
! by the intrigue of foreign
Persia's powers seeking aggrandize-
e4,. ment there. Both Russia
! and Great Britain are after
| all they can get in Persia. England hav-
| ing special interests in the southern part
| of the country, Russia in the north. After
| granting mejliss, parliament. the
| shah changed his mind and sought to
| abolish its powers. With a strong force
| of CossackS, said to be .aid from st.
| Petersburg. he tried to compel the parfa-
| ment to surrender certain members ac-