The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 18, March 11, 1897: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

In Short

This volume is a rare window into the intellectual diet of American schoolchildren in 1897. It functions as a weekly digest, distilling volatile international conflicts—such as the Cretan struggle for independence and the Cuban war for freedom—into accessible reports for younger readers. By combining high-stakes geopolitical analysis with practical advertisements for school supplies, nature study, and children’s literature, the magazine encapsulates the earnest, expansionist, and instructional spirit of its time. It remains a fascinating historical artifact that documents how the world was framed for the next generation.

The Story

The narrative arc of this issue is defined by the tension between European imperial stability and the irrepressible desire for national self-determination. The story opens with "startling news" from Crete, where the small nation of Greece has defied the "Great Powers" of Europe to support its kin on the island. The reader is thrust into a diplomatic crisis: Greece fires upon a Turkish vessel and lands troops under Colonel Vassos, effectively challenging the collective authority of Russia, Great Britain, France, and Italy. These nations, fearing a general European war, form a naval cordon around Crete, creating an atmosphere of impending, high-stakes confrontation.

Parallel to this Mediterranean drama, the publication tracks domestic American concerns. In the halls of Congress, the ratification of a treaty with Great Britain stalls, not due to lack of interest, but because of Senator Morgan’s tactical maneuvering regarding the Nicaragua Canal. The politics of the day are depicted as a web of secret, underhand agreements, where nations—and politicians—play a "sly game" of shifting allegiances.

Further complicating this worldview is the Cuban insurgency against Spain. The magazine highlights a tactical victory by General Gomez, whose use of a dynamite gun and strategic deception captures the reader's imagination, underscoring the brutal realities of colonial warfare. This global unrest is anchored by the domestic concerns of the American reader, specifically the rise of "Trusts." The magazine presents an investigation into how these massive corporate monopolies, such as the Sugar Trust, manipulate prices and stifle competition, framing them as a direct, modern danger to the everyday lives of families.

The issue concludes by shifting from the macro-politics of empire to the micro-world of student life. Through letters from young readers, advertisements for "vertical writing" manuals, and recommendations for nature study, the magazine reorients the child back to their immediate environment. It argues that while the world is full of conflict, treachery, and vast economic shifts, the student’s duty is to observe, learn, and engage with the "great round world" through education and informed curiosity. By the final page, the reader is left with a sense that they are active participants in a rapidly modernizing, connected, and often dangerous global society.

How It Unfolds

The Greek defiance The issue begins with Greece’s bold decision to ignore the warnings of European powers and intervene in Crete, setting the stage for a potential continent-wide conflict. The report emphasizes the "spirited" nature of the Greek response to the blockade.

The diplomatic stalemate A detailed look at the European reaction follows, focusing on the naval cordon and the suspicion that Russia is secretly backing the Greek cause. The text introduces the concept of the "sly game" of international politics.

The domestic arena The focus shifts to the U.S. Senate, where Senator Morgan complicates the passage of a treaty with Britain. He cleverly uses the historical Clayton-Bulwer Treaty to force a discussion on the Nicaragua Canal.

The Cuban conflict The narrative moves to the Caribbean, detailing General Gomez’s tactical victory over Spanish forces. The cruelty of the Spanish commander in Arroyo Blanco serves as a moral counterpoint to the Cuban efforts.

The rise of Trusts An analytical section explores the economic threat of corporate monopolies in America. It defines a "Trust" and explains how these entities manipulate markets to the detriment of the public.

The classroom connection The issue concludes with practical pedagogical content, including naval maneuvers off Charleston, bicycle show innovations, and correspondence from young readers. This grounds the global news in the reality of the American schoolhouse.

The People

The figures in this volume represent the archetypes of late-19th-century power and resistance. Colonel Vassos emerges as the romantic hero of the Greek cause, embodying the "heroic blood" of his ancestors as he leads the Corps of Occupation. Opposing the Greeks are the Great Powers, whose collective, cautious, and sometimes duplicitous behavior serves as the antagonist to Greek ambition. Senator Morgan acts as the shrewd, calculating political operative, willing to stall major international treaties to secure his own legislative agenda regarding the canal. General Gomez stands as the cunning military strategist, using modern dynamite against old-world colonial power in Cuba. Finally, the young readers, such as Laura Van C. and Theodore S., represent the intended audience—the future citizens who are urged to view these events not as distant abstractions, but as part of the "wonderful" and sometimes frightening world they are inheriting.

In Its Own Voice

"This is a handy little book, which many a teacher who is looking for means to offer children genuine nature study may be thankful to get hold of."

The editor introduces a manual for nature study, emphasizing that education should rely on things children can touch and pull apart.

"It would seem that most of them have secret, underhand agreements to play false to their best friends, whenever it suits their purpose."

The magazine summarizes the bleak state of 1897 diplomacy, characterizing European nations as untrustworthy players in a dangerous, interconnected game.

"If the Coal Barons, as they are called, asked ten dollars a ton for coal, we would still be obliged to use it."

The text explains the dangerous power of monopolies, noting that consumers are trapped by their reliance on essential goods like fuel.

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume explores the tension between civilization and chaos. It grapples with the transition into a modern, industrial, and hyper-connected world where the actions of a small nation like Greece can threaten the peace of an entire continent, and where a business corporation can exert as much control over a citizen's life as a foreign power. The underlying theme is the necessity of literacy and awareness; the magazine argues that for a democracy to function, the youth must be educated not just in nature and grammar, but in the gritty, often deceptive, machinery of global politics and economics.

Why Read It Today

Readers today will find this magazine a poignant, if sometimes jarring, time capsule. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the late Victorian mindset, as it demonstrates how a world on the brink of the 20th century attempted to explain its own volatility to children. You will encounter attitudes that reflect the era’s Eurocentrism and a distinct, moralizing tone regarding "civilized warfare." While the dense political reporting on Balkan territorial disputes may feel distant, the sections on the rise of corporate Trusts—and the suspicion of "big business"—feel remarkably contemporary.

The prose is precise, warm, and didactic, offering a fascinating look at a time when newspapers were designed to be "schoolroom" companions. It is a slow, rhythmic reading experience that rewards those who enjoy seeing history through the eyes of its past participants. You will likely walk away struck by the irony of how much has changed in global diplomacy, while the fundamental struggle of the individual to understand and navigate a world dominated by powerful, opaque interests remains exactly the same. It is a document of a time when the world felt both incredibly large and suddenly, for the first time, very small.