The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 2, No. 11, March 17, 1898: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

In Short

This volume is a bound edition of a weekly magazine that acted as an early version of a "current events" digest for children. It summarizes international conflicts, maritime tensions, and social movements with the gravity of a textbook but the accessibility of a letter from a trusted mentor. By blending historical context with the fast-moving news of the day—most notably the Maine disaster in Havana harbor—the publication aimed to foster informed citizenship. Its enduring value lies in its snapshot of a specific, anxious American outlook on imperialism and global diplomacy.

The Story

The narrative arc of the issue is dominated by the looming specter of war between the United States and Spain. The editorial tone is one of anxious, measured concern, attempting to balance patriotic fervor with a plea for peaceful arbitration. The central tension revolves around the explosion of the battleship Maine. While yellow journalism in New York clamors for conflict, the magazine urges its young readers to "suspend judgment" until the official Board of Inquiry completes its work. It provides a detailed, if slightly skeptical, overview of the conflicting reports: the lack of dead fish in the harbor, the suspicious absence of a displacement wave, and the claims of military mining operations.

Beyond the Caribbean, the world is portrayed as a sprawling, volatile map of colonial ambitions. The magazine chronicles the "Chinese puzzle," detailing how major powers like Russia, Germany, and England are carving up spheres of influence, often through coercion. It captures the global reach of the British Empire, noting the completion of a railway in South Africa and the shifting power dynamics in Egypt. In France, the drama of the Dreyfus Affair unfolds; the publication frames the trial and conviction of Émile Zola as a tragedy for French civilization, expressing a clear international consensus regarding the prisoner’s innocence.

The magazine also touches upon the human cost of these political grand designs. It contrasts the "heroic" burial of an unidentified sailor from the Maine with the harrowing, miserable plight of the reconcentrados in Cuba—civilians forced into towns to starve under General Weyler’s decree. It highlights the efforts of American gunboats to bring relief to these victims, framing the intervention as a moral necessity rather than a land grab.

The issue concludes by looking further afield—to the gold-fever-stricken Klondike, where thousands of "Argonauts" seek their fortunes, and to the frozen reaches of the Arctic, where explorers like Andree chase scientific discovery. The final pages shift from news to the classroom, offering pedagogical advice on how to study history through maps and charts, reinforcing the idea that the "great round world" is a place to be studied, mapped, and understood. The ending does not offer a resolution to the global crises it presents; instead, it settles into a quiet, didactic posture, encouraging the next generation to form high ideals of social duty, leaving the reader with the impression that while the world is dangerous and unpredictable, it is, above all, a system governed by human choices and historical precedents.

How It Unfolds

The editor’s preamble The issue opens with a sober editorial on the Cuban crisis, pleading for peace and criticizing the "mischief-makers" in the press who profit from war fever. It establishes a moral framework, reminding the reader that the horrors of war affect real families, not just political reputations.

The Maine inquiry The report details the ongoing investigation into the battleship’s destruction, providing a cautious analysis of the physical evidence and the unreliable nature of sensationalist newspaper accounts. It presents the reader with a microcosm of the confusion and mistrust inherent in international diplomacy.

Global power struggles The magazine shifts to a survey of European and Asian politics, tracking the French efforts in West Africa and the aggressive territorial demands made by Russia and Germany upon China. It frames these events as a series of strategic maneuvers, teaching the reader to see the world as a game of competing interests.

The human cost The narrative pauses to address the humanitarian disaster in Cuba and the systemic injustice of the Dreyfus Affair in France. This section bridges the gap between high-level diplomacy and individual suffering, encouraging the reader to sympathize with the victims of political machines.

Expansion and exploration The text turns toward the adventurous spirit of the age, covering the gold rush in the Klondike and the history of Arctic exploration. It draws parallels between these modern endeavors and the mythic journeys of the past, grounding current news in a broader historical timeline.

Educational guidance The final portion of the issue transitions into an advertisement for educational charts and a primer for teachers on how to lead a recitation. It closes the circle by providing the tools for the young reader to synthesize the information provided.

The People

The figures mentioned are either global power brokers or symbols of national virtue. General Weyler represents the cruel, calculating force of the Spanish colonial administration, blamed for the starvation of thousands. In contrast, President McKinley is portrayed as a figure of caution and wisdom, refusing to dismiss General Lee, the American representative whose knowledge of Cuba is considered vital.

Émile Zola stands out as a courageous, if embattled, champion of truth, fighting the French military establishment to clear the name of the wrongly accused Dreyfus. The sailors of the Maine, specifically Captain Sigsbee, are held up as models of restraint, their actions serving as the anchor for the magazine's call for patience. Further afield, President Paul Krueger of the South African Republic appears as a man of stubborn, anti-British resolve, and the explorer Andree represents the doomed but daring human drive to conquer the unknown, a figure whose single, tragic carrier-pigeon message serves as a haunting reminder of the limits of human ambition.

In Its Own Voice

War seems a glorious thing to those who have not known its horrors; to experience it is quite another thing.

This reminder opens the editor’s column, setting a tone of caution for young readers during the tense buildup to the Spanish-American War.

One of the New York papers has been telling so many lies that the Government was compelled to stop this particular journal from sending any messages at all over the cable from Havana to Key West.

The magazine explains the real-world consequences of "yellow journalism," illustrating how sensationalist reporting directly interfered with the government’s attempts to manage the crisis.

The monitor Terror has arrived in New York harbor from Hampton Roads; this boat is 249 feet long, 56 feet wide, and can steam 12 knots an hour.

This technical description demonstrates the magazine's commitment to presenting the material reality of military strength, treating naval architecture as a necessary part of a child's education.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the development of an informed, global perspective in a young citizen. The magazine argues that understanding the world requires more than just reacting to headlines; it demands an appreciation for geography, history, and the motives of foreign nations. It probes the tension between nationalism and humanitarianism, asking whether a powerful country has a moral obligation to intervene in the suffering of others. The underlying question is how to balance the excitement of modern progress—represented by new technology, gold rushes, and global trade—with the sobering realities of human conflict and the need for moral, deliberate leadership.

Why Read It Today

Readers today will find this volume a fascinating, if occasionally jarring, historical artifact. It captures the precise moment when the United States began to view itself as a central actor on the global stage, reflecting the self-assurance and imperial anxieties of the turn of the century. You will enjoy the precise, unhurried prose style, which treats the reader with respect, assuming they have the intellect to parse complex diplomatic issues.

However, the experience of reading it requires a willingness to encounter the period’s specific biases. The text reflects the era's unquestioned belief in the "civilizing mission" of Western powers and uses language regarding indigenous populations and foreign nations that is clearly rooted in the 1890s. The structure is dense, as it includes everything from advertisements for piano rentals and "American Guard" uniforms to detailed descriptions of school charts. If you are interested in the history of the media—specifically how the press shaped the consciousness of a generation—this book offers an intimate look at the pedagogical tools used to mold young minds. It feels like an authentic artifact of a lost era, staying with you as a reminder of how the world once viewed its own borders, its heroes, and its enemies.