e robbers then proceeded to disable the engines, and let
off all the steam, and finally made their escape in two of the
_Sophia_'s boats after destroying the third. The police are seeking to
trace the band, but hitherto without success."

90. _The Fall of Abdul Hamid._

On April 29th, 1909, after the fall of Abdul Hamid and the enthronement
of Mohammed V, the President of the United States of America sent the
following telegram to the new ruler of Turkey:

"I offer your Majesty my congratulations on your accession to the
Throne with such universal acclaim voiced by the people's
representatives and at a time so propitious to the highest aspirations
of the great nation over which you rule as the august head of a
constitutional Government. I assure you of the friendship of the
Government and people of the United States, who earnestly wish for your
Majesty's happiness and for that of the people within your dominions,
and I add my own wishes for your Majesty's health and welfare."

91. _A President Abroad._

The _Times_ of Dec. 4th, 1908, contained the following telegram, dated
Paris, Dec. 3rd:

"The French Government will come to a decision at the Cabinet Council
to be held on Saturday as to the conditions upon which President
Castro, the despot of Venezuela, will be allowed to land in France. At
the moment of his departure for Europe it was reported that the object
of the President's journey was to see a distinguished specialist with a
view to a surgical operation. Since then, however, trustworthy
information has reached the Quai d'Orsay to the effect that his state
of health is not so precarious as it had been reported to be, and that
he looks forward to receiving in Paris the hospitality to which South
Americans are accustomed. If that be the case, there are serious
reasons for believing that he will meet with disappointment. The
relations between France and Venezuela have been suspended now for
several years, and the French representative at Caracas, it will be
remembered, was expelled from Venezuela. The French Foreign Office is
at present engaged in preparing a statement of its grievances against
President Castro, to serve as a basis for the discussion in the next
Cabinet Council of the delicate questions raised by the Dictator's
decision to visit this country."

Again, the _Times_ of Dec. 11th contained the following, dated Paris,
Dec. 10th:

"President Castro landed in France this morning from the stea