The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 20, March 25, 1897: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

In Short

The Great Round World is a vital artifact of late 19th-century journalism, designed to explain complex global affairs to a juvenile audience. Through concise reports on the Jameson Raid, the Cretan insurrection, and the Cuban struggle for independence, it provides a snapshot of an era defined by imperial competition and the shifting "balance of power." Beyond its historical insights, the magazine serves as a bridge between the classroom and the living room, preserving the earnest, inquisitive spirit of a generation grappling with a rapidly modernizing, interconnected world.

The Story

The narrative arc of this edition is one of mounting tension across three continents, framed by the looming possibility of war. It begins in London, where the British Parliament is holding a formal inquiry into the Jameson Raid of 1895. The reader learns how the discovery of gold in the Transvaal transformed the Boer Republic into a magnet for foreign "Uitlanders." Their subsequent demands for political rights, backed by the machinations of Cecil Rhodes, led to Dr. Jameson’s disastrous armed incursion. The magazine does not shy away from the aftermath: Jameson’s capture, his trial in England, and the Boer Republic’s demand for both material and "moral" damages. This incident serves as a primary example of the colonial friction that the magazine argues could easily trigger a broader conflict.

The focus then shifts to the Mediterranean, where Greece’s defiance of the "Concert of Europe" takes center stage. The reader is walked through the geopolitical dilemma: Greece, motivated by the desire to reunite with Crete, is willing to risk total annihilation by the Great Powers to protect its kin from the Ottoman Empire. The text details the firm stance of the Greek Prime Minister, who famously declares that the country would rather be "wiped off the map" than surrender to threats. This story is presented as a high-stakes drama, pitting small, heroic nations against the cold, strategic calculations of the six Great Powers, all of whom fear that any movement against the Sultan will destroy the delicate equilibrium of the world.

The narrative moves across the Atlantic to Cuba, where the struggle against Spanish rule is depicted as an agonizing, drawn-out affair. The magazine describes the "Sanguily farce"—a political maneuver where an innocent man is forced to confess to treason to secure a pardon—and the subsequent resignation of the Spanish General Weyler. The reports underscore the helplessness of American interests on the island, as the conflict grows increasingly chaotic.

Finally, the magazine provides a quiet emotional conclusion with the story of Juno, a brindled cat. Her life, though seemingly disconnected from the grand crises of empires, mirrors the themes of care and loss found in the larger world. After adopting an orphaned fox, Juno faces the tragic, violent death of her foster child. Her subsequent, inconsolable grief and quiet passing serve as a poignant counterpoint to the political violence described in the earlier pages. The edition closes by weaving these disparate threads together, reinforcing the idea that history is not merely a collection of dates, but a "warm and palpitating" experience affecting lives both great and small.

How It Unfolds

The British inquiry The issue opens with the investigation into the Jameson Raid, detailing how British colonial interests in South Africa collided with the established Boer government. The text explains how gold-seekers attempted to force political changes, eventually leading to a failed invasion that embarrassed the British government.

The Greek challenge The focus shifts to the Mediterranean, where Greece defies the collective demands of Europe by sending troops to support Cretan rebels. The magazine outlines the "Eastern Question," explaining why the Great Powers are terrified that a conflict with the Ottoman Empire might unravel the entire continental order.

The Cuban struggle The narrative turns to the Caribbean, highlighting the diplomatic tensions between the United States and Spain. The account follows the release of political prisoners and the maneuvering of insurgent forces, framing the fight for Cuban independence as a direct test of American resolve.

The personal reflection The issue concludes with a transition from international diplomacy to a domestic tragedy involving a pet cat. This shift brings the focus down to the human level, illustrating how individual loyalty and love persist despite the turbulence of the world stage.

The People

The figures in this history are categorized by their alignment with power or their vulnerability. Dr. Jameson appears as a "brave but foolish" actor whose failed raid triggers a massive diplomatic crisis. In contrast, Cecil Rhodes is portrayed as the architect of colonial ambition, a man who unabashedly admits to stirring up rebellion while denying personal responsibility for the specific, violent outcome. President Krueger of the Transvaal represents the stoic, agrarian resistance of the Boers, who guard their sovereignty against the influx of gold-hungry Uitlanders. King George of Greece stands out as the romantic, defiant hero of the edition, willing to risk his small kingdom’s destruction for the sake of national unity and moral duty. Meanwhile, Juno the cat serves as an allegorical figure; her instinctive capacity for interspecies love and her profound capacity for grief humanize the reader’s experience, providing a necessary emotional anchor after pages of war and political maneuvering.

In Its Own Voice

"The Boers, who, as we have said, are a quiet farming people, were not pleased with this invasion of foreigners."

In this passage, the magazine explains the origins of the friction between the original Transvaal settlers and the incoming gold-seekers.

"He gave, as a final reason why the cause of the Uitlanders was a just cause, that 'no body of Englishmen will ever remain in any place for any period, without insisting on their civil rights.'"

The author quotes Cecil Rhodes during his testimony before the British committee investigating the Jameson Raid.

"There were twenty thousand of her countrymen on the island, helpless, defenceless, among fierce and cruel Mohammedans."

This sentence captures the urgent, sympathetic language used to describe the plight of the Greeks residing on Crete.

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume explores the tension between human morality and political strategy. It asks whether a government’s primary duty is to protect its own citizens and ethnic kin, as the Greeks do in Crete, or to maintain the "balance of power" and avoid a global conflict, as the European Powers attempt to do. It questions the legitimacy of empires and the rights of "outsiders" to influence the governance of lands they inhabit. Underlying these political inquiries is a more fundamental question about the reader's role in the world: how one should stay informed about, and emotionally engaged with, distant injustices without losing one's own sense of humanity.

Why Read It Today

Readers today will find this periodical a fascinating window into the late 19th-century worldview. The writing is characterized by an unvarnished, direct style, free of modern cynical detachment. It feels immediate and urgent, offering a glimpse into a time when global news traveled slowly enough for weekly magazines to serve as the primary source of historical context.

However, a contemporary reader must be prepared for the period-specific attitudes embedded in the text. The magazine reflects the colonial-era bias of its time, particularly in its descriptions of the "Mohammedan Empire" and the binary way it characterizes various nations as "civilized" or "decaying." The language regarding the "Uitlanders" and the "Boers" is heavily filtered through a British-centric perspective. Furthermore, the length of the geopolitical analysis requires patience, as does the occasionally floral, Victorian sentimentality found in the final story about Juno. Despite these difficulties, the magazine rewards the reader with a vivid sense of the anxieties and hopes that defined the turn of the century. It stays with you because it successfully treats children as intelligent, capable, and responsible citizens of the world, a rare and commendable approach that invites the reader to take their own place in the ongoing story of history.