[Illustration: THE GREAT ROUND
WORLD
AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN IT.]

VOL. 1 OCTOBER 14, 1897. NO. 49

=Copyright, 1897, by THE GREAT ROUND WORLD Publishing Company.=

* * * * *

There was a very disquieting rumor last week to the effect that England
had refused to take part in the Seal Conference.

The reason given for her refusal was that she could not join in the
discussion if Russia and Japan were admitted to it.

At the British Foreign Office, which is the department of the Government
that has the charge of such matters, the officials refused to say
positively whether Great Britain had declined to take part in the
conference, but they let it be understood that Canada was at the bottom
of the trouble.

The Canadian Government was most unwilling to have Great Britain join in
the conference, and asked that the mother country should withdraw, and
leave the settlement of the matter to the colony that was most
interested in it.

It was thought that Canada feared that Japan and Russia might look at
the sealing question from the same point of view that we do, and so
persuaded England to object to them, and thus draw out of the