It is said that the Sultan of Turkey has at last made up his mind to dosomething for the Armenians, and has ordered that a commission visit thevillages that have suffered from the massacres, and make a careful noteof the schools, churches, and monasteries which have been destroyed.
This Royal Commission is composed of two Mussulmans, three Armenians,and one Greek.
It is to start immediately, and the Sultan has ordered that a carefulnote of all the damage done shall be taken, and a full report renderedto him. It is his intention to reconstruct every building that has beendestroyed.
In addition to this, he intends to erect orphan asylums for the childrenwhose parents were killed during the massacres.
If this report is really true it will greatly rejoice Europe as well asthe unfortunate people it is intended to benefit, for the impossibilityof making the Sultan do anything for the Armenians has been worrying thevarious European governments considerably.
There is nothing new to tell about the peace negotiations.
England insists that the Turks shall leave Thessaly, and it seems as ifthe other Powers were willing to agree with her. The Sultan has thus farraised no new objections, and it looks as if peace would be concludedwithin a very short time.
The Cubans are rejoicing over the news which we have to tell you thisweek.
They have won a great victory which is of the utmost importance to theircause.
Under the leadership of Gen. Calixto Garcia, the insurgents have takenVictoria de las Tunas, a large town in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
This town was considered one of the great Spanish strongholds in EasternCuba. At the beginning of the present revolution it was freshlyfortified, and at the time of its capture was defended by seven forts,which were armed with first-class guns.
It was garrisoned by a force of three hundred soldiers, but after afight which lasted three days, the commander surrendered.
The loss of this town was such a severe blow, that the moment the badnews reached Spain a Cabinet Council was called, to discuss thesituation. It was decided that the Spanish cause must be upheld at allhazards, and that fresh troops must immediately be sent to Cuba, tostrike some decisive blow which shall offset the triumph of the Cubans.
The capture of this town is of great value to the Cubans for severalreasons, one of which is that it breaks the strength of Spain in EasternCuba.
We have told you before that this part of the island is now known asFree Cuba, that the insurgent government controls it, and that there areno Spanish troops marching through it, ravaging it or laying it waste.What soldiers Spain still keeps in this part of the island are shut upin a few large and important towns.
These towns are, however, more of a burden than a profit to theGovernment, for the Spaniards dare not venture out into the surroundingcountry, the Cubans being too strong for them.
They are thus practically besieged; their supplies have to be sent tothem from Havana, and they are entirely dependent on the main army forsupport.
For months past the great object of the Cuban troops in