s made no reply,
so China fears she means to keep the harbor she has taken.

Many people believe that some such act has long been contemplated by the
Emperor.

China has, however, appealed to Russia for help, and as France and
England are equally interested in the matter, serious trouble may ensue.

Russia has more than doubled her fleet in the Yellow Sea, and has now
thirty-eight vessels in the neighborhood. England, France, and America
have also sent ships thither.

From the news as we know it, it seems as if Germany had committed a
very shameful act; but when we hear both sides of the question, we may
find that she has only done the right thing for the preservation of her
national honor.

* * * * *

The Sultan of Turkey has been getting into trouble again. Both Russia
and Austria have been making things unpleasant for him.

Since his successes in the war he has begun to think himself a very
important sovereign, and both Russia and Austria decided that if he were
not checked he might become a very dangerous neighbor, so they met in
consultation, and laid their plans for checking his ambition.

They first incited Bulgaria to rebel.

Bulgaria is a small principality on the north of Turkey, which is under
the sovereignty of Turkey. Bulgaria enjoys home rule, and is governed by
a prince elected by the people; the prince must not, however, be a
member of any of the reigning families of Europe. Bulgaria is, however,
a tributary state, and has to contribute toward the support of Turkey.

Instigated by Austria and Russia, Bulgaria demanded several small favors
from the Sultan, insolently adding that if they were not granted she
would declare her independence and throw off the yoke of Turkey.

Now until the peace with Greece is absolutely signed and sealed, the
Sultan of Turkey cannot afford to quarrel with anybody, so he was
obliged to give in, and grant Bulgaria's demands; but her independence
made him feel somewhat uneasy and so he sent a number of soldiers to
the Bulgarian frontier, to make sure that the Bulgarians behaved.

This was exactly what Austria and Russia desired. With her troops
scattered, and uneasy nations on her borders, Turkey is much less
dangerous.

The Bulgarian matter had hardly been settled when Austria discovered a
new means of checking Turkey.

The Turkish officials in Asia Minor ill-treated an Austrian subject. He
was the agent of the Austrian Lloyd's S