Demon Meanwhile, several demonstrations against the Japanese had taken Foreign place, in San Francisco, Cal. (October, 1996), concerning the rights strations of Japanese subjects in the public schools, and in Vancouver, Canada Against (September, 1907), concerning coolie immigration. At the time of their Japanese. occurrence these events caused much apprehension, but the differences. were later easily and satisfactorily settled. and sion. At home Japan was undergoing much hardship. Late in 1905 the Financial rice crop in the North failed, causing a disastrous famine, but generous Industrial contributions greatly alleviated the condition of the sufferers. The Depresindustrial depression following the war gradually disappeared and large enterprises and vast commercial schemes of expansion of all kinds were launched until the drain on the productive resources caused a collapse. This only served, however, to place business on a more sane and sound basis. In political affairs there was much turmoil; governmental policies were Political attacked by the opposition party, who attributed much of the financial Turmoil. burdens of the people to mismanagement by the party in power. The financial budget presented to the Diet on January 16, 1908, showed a deficit of forty million yen (about twenty million dollars) for 1908 and 1909, to overcome which it was proposed to increase taxation, and to reduce army and navy and also railroad appropriations. This plan met Cabinet Changes. with strenuous objections from the interests affected, and finally compelled the resignations of the Minister of Finance, Sakatani, and the Minister of Communications, Yamagata. Premier Saionji also resigned, but the emperor refused to allow his resignation. In February came the dispute with China concerning the seizure of the Tatsu Maru by Chinese officials, who claimed that the vessel was smuggling arms to revolutionists in China. The terms upon which this dispute was settled created much dissatisfaction in Japan over the manner in which the government had handled the situation. In May followed a Chinese boycott against Japanese merchandise and a dispute concerning railways in Manchuria, both of which badly affected Japan's commercial and financial enterprises. Therefore at the elections on May 15 the government was only sustained by a very narrow margin and though the Liberal Party continued in power, the Saionji cabinet remained in office but two months longer. On July 14, 1908, the emperor appointed Marquis Katsura premier and Appointminister of finance, and a new cabinet was formed favoring retrenchment. During 1908 an arbitration treaty, an agreement restricting Japanese Cabinet. coolie immigration into the United States, and two conventions to protect copyrights and inventions in China and Korea were signed by representatives of Japan and the United States. ment of New Revolution in Turkey. SECTION VI-RECENT EUROPEAN EVENTS In January, 1909, Turkey accepted the offer of $10,500,000 and certain concessions from Austria as indemnity for the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Powers approved February 13, 1909. The Swedish Diet passed a bill permitting all inhabitants over twenty-four years of age to vote, with proportional representation in Parliament. Woman suffrage now obtains also in Norway, Finland, New Zealand and the commonwealth of Australia. In April the Turkish garrison in Constantinople mutinied and forced the government to dismiss the Grand Vizier, the Minister of War and the President of the Chambers. The Young Turks' Committee of Union and Progress influenced the Third Army Corps to march on Constantinople, which surrendered. Sultan Abdul Hamid was deposed and his brother, Reshad Effendi, proclaimed sultan under the title of Mehmed V. In April also the independence of Bulgaria was formally recognized by the Powers. Political In July, 1909, Premier Clemenceau of France ended his three years' Changes. ministry-the longest in the history of the Third Republic. The British Rule in India. Conflict between German Chancellor Von Bulow was succeeded by Dr. Von Bethman Hollweg. In this year also was born an heir to the throne of Holland, the Princess Juliana. Albert I became King of Belgium, December 23, 1909, upon the death of King Leopold. The new king is the only son of the late king's younger brother, Count Philippe of Flanders. Lord Morley's reform scheme for India went into effect May 26. The constitution of Hindustan was so amended that natives would be associated with Englishmen in the legislative and administration departments of the Indian government. On the last day of November, 1909, the House of Lords by the the Two large majority of 275 voted against the budget of the Liberal governHouses ment. All but four of the 615 peers were present, several for only the liament. second time in their lives and many for the first time in a decade. of Par Death of It was practically the swan song of the House, which was warned by Lord Curzon that it might mean for the peers the handwriting on the wall. The House of Commons concurred in the Premier's resolution that the action of the House of Lords was a breach of the Constitution and a usurpation of the rights of the House of Commons. Parliament was dissolved and a general election ordered. The Liberal government was returned to power with a reduced majority. On May 6, 1910, died Edward VII, King of Great Britain and Edward. Ireland, and Emperor of India. His son, George Frederick, succeeded under the title of George V. He and Queen Mary were crowned June 16, 1911. Earl Grey retired from the Governor-Generalship of Canada, and the Duke of Connaught succeeded to the office June 9, 1910. Portugal In the Fall of the year there was a revolution in Portugal. King Manuel and his mother, Queen Amelie, fled to Gibraltar. Theophile a de Braga was chosen provisional president. In September, 1911, Republic. Manuel de Arriza was elected by the Constituent Assembly the first President of the Republic. Two world-famous characters died in 1910: Leo Nikolayevitch Tolstoy and Florence Nightingale. The land reform scheme of the Russian Premier Stolypin had succeeded in destroying the vicious communal system, substituting individual peasant proprietorship of land. But political liberty was still denied. There was no freedom of speech or press, and martial law was still exercised in many sections of the Empire. Despite imperial promises, a definite plan for the absorption of Finland was in process of execution. Towards the close of 1910 the British House of Lords adopted resolutions looking toward the modification of the constitution of their body. These provided that part of the Lords of Parliament should be chosen by the whole body of hereditary peers from among themselves and by nomination of the crown; others should have the right to sit by virtue of their offices and qualifications, while a certain number should be selected from outside. The Parliament was again dissolved. The Veto Bill of the House of Commons limiting the power of the House of Lords, was finally acceded to by the latter in August, and received the Royal Assent, thus accomplishing a great constitutional change in the British government. tions in Condi Russia. Lords to be Newly House of Constituted. Tripoli Italy declared war with Turkey over the possession of Tripoli, September 27, 1911. Peace was declared October 15, 1912, the treaty to Italy. giving absolute sovereignty to Italy in Libya (Tripolitania and Cyrenaica) without personal recognition there of Italy by Turkey; Turkey to withdraw her troops, and Italy to pay indemnity equivalent to the contribution of Libya to the Ottoman treasury. Restitution of the captured Egean Islands was to be made to Turkey. This war cost Italy $191,000,000. In December, 1911, Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian, discovered the South Pole. On January 18, 1912, Captain Robert F. Scott, of the British Navy, also reached it, but died from exposure on the return trip. Discov ery of the South Pole. Morocco Becomes In 1912 Morocco became virtually a French protectorate, to be governed by a French Resident-General, Germany finally consenting a French to the arrangement in consideration of certain concessions in the French Congo. May 14, 1912, Frederick VIII, King of Denmark, died, and was succeeded by his son, Christian X. Protectorate. Working Home Rule for The Lloyd-George Insurance Act went into effect in England July 15, 1912. It insures working people against illness or disability, through a fund to which the workers, the employers and the government contribute. Home Rule for Ireland was a leading feature of British government measures in 1912 and 1913. It is to have its own parliament, although Ireland. certain exclusions from its control were specified, such as the crown, the army, navy, etc.; the Irish people to be represented at Westminster by forty-two members. The bill passed the House of Commons January 16, 1913, but the House of Lords rejected it January 30 of the same year. May 26, 1914, Home Rule finally was given to Ireland. The Balkan War. New President of France. Balkan Allies Each Other. Bulgaria, Servia, and Greece mobilized their army reserves in September, 1912, to force Turkey to institute reforms in Macedonia, which comprises the three modern provinces of Monastir, Salonica and Kossovo. These, with Epirus, a part of Turkey inhabited by Greeks, and Albania, were eager for freedom from Moslem rule. On October 8, Montenegro declared war on Turkey for the same reason. October 17 Turkey declared war on Bulgaria and Servia, while Greece and Servia declared war on Turkey. After months of fighting and protracted discussion between the European Powers, Turkey accepted, April 1, 1913, peace proposals which included the surrender of most of her territory in Europe, including Adrianople and the island of Crete, and all west of a line from Enos on the Egean Sea to Midia on the Black Sea, except Albania, over which the Sultan was still to be nominal suzerain. Raymond Poincare, ninth President of the French Republic, was elected January 17, 1913, to serve seven years as successor to Armand Fallieres. Warfare between the Balkan armies began again in June, because of dissatisfaction with the partition of territory. The allies, whose unity of action against Turkey, their common foe, had occasioned both surprise and admiration, now attacked each other in a sanguinary series of conflicts. Fortunately the resources of the combatants compelled it to be short lived. On August 10, 1913, a treaty of peace was signed by Bulgaria, Roumania, Servia, Greece and Montenegro. A conference of the Powers in London settled the new status of Albania, which an international commission was to control, pending the choice of a prince as its ruler. Roumania, as the price of her neutrality during the war with Turkey, had asked territory of Bulgaria, which had been refused. By the new treaty she obtained what she desired: a section of country on the Black Sea populated by Roumanians, which gives her much needed access to the sea. Servia got commercial rights on the Egean and won back Old Servia, and its ancestral capital, Uskub. Montenegro received the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar and part of northern Albania, but had to give up Scutari. Bulgaria had to relinquish Adrianople to Turkey. Macedonia was placed under a new bondage. The area of Greece was nearly doubled. The net results leave the Near East problems still in an unsatisfactory condition, due to jealousy of the Powers. The British War Office estimated the cost of the first Balkan war at more than $900,000,000, and of the second at $300,000,000. The total loss of life was 380,000. December 3, 1913, the Powers consented to the choice of Prince William of Wied, a Protestant prince, as ruler of Albania. He accepted and entered upon his duties in March, 1913. December 14, 1913, Greece formally annexed Crete, to the satisfaction of the inhabitants, who have for some years past endeavored to transfer their allegiance from Turkey to Greece. Ludwig, Prince Regent of Bavaria, deposed the mad King Otto, and with the approval of the Diet, proclaimed himself King Ludwig III, in November, 1913. |