JOHN BULL (to non-militant Suffragist): "I could listen more attentively, madam, to your pleas, were it not for these concrete arguments, which I find rather distracting." (Referring to recent suffragette riots.) (From Punch, London)

THE POWERS IN A PANIC-THE APPLE OF DISCORD IN DANGER

(Italy, as a result of her war with Turkey, may make possible the formation of a Balkan confederacy. Once united in this way, these states might not continue as a bone of contention for the European powers.) From Kikeriki (Vienna)

Karl and Jaque (Germany and France) have long been up at each other with swords in hand, but they dare not draw for fear of an economic catastrophe more than anything else. The Italian and the Turk are, however, not so calculating, and have come to blows. But a train compartment, to which the world has been reduced nowadays in its life's journey, is not a fit place in which to play with fire and swords, and some will come forward to part them. (Original caption, in Tokyo Puck's English.)

SPEAKING OF PEACE

Ulk represents that section of the German press which JOHN BULL (to the Kaiser): "It scares me to think how believes that in accepting alleged compensations in the near I was to giving you a licking the other day!"

Congo, in return for her interests in Morocco, Germany has been fooled by France.

W. MORGAN SHUSTER, THE AMERICAN WHO REORGANIZED THE FINANCES
OF PERSIA AND INCURRED THE ENMITY OF RUSSIA

PERSIA, RUSSIA, AND SHUSTER

Persia." This however is, of course, only a part of the old-world diplomatic game.

FIRST administrative, then political, and finally, geographical partition. This is the Russian program with regard to Persia, as Since the agreement of 1907 between Ruscynically set forth by one of the jingo jour- sia and Britain, dividing Persia into spheres nals of St. Petersburg. The first stage of this of influence, these two European nations have program has already been carried out, Russia apparently worked in harmony in the dibeing the chief actor in the drama, with the rection of gradual absorption. Persia, the British Government permitting, and, incident- country of Cyrus, of Darius and of Ahasuerus, ally, taking its share of the spoil. The second the ancient land of Iran, original home of the stage is about to be entered. The third human race, but for centuries corrupt, dewould follow easily and logically upon the generate, and weak, was apparently doomed consummation of the second. Officially, both to national extinction, until three years ago governments have politely declared their in- a dramatic series of events drew the world's tentions to "maintain the independence of attention to its capacity for self-regeneration.