American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-03-30
WAR TNDEMNITIES,
How Much the Losers Have Had to Pay in
Times Past.

How Much the Losers Have Had to Pay in
Times Past.
AS far as yet known, Turkey is to pay
1,400, 100000 of rubles, besides 10000
900 of rubles to compensate Russian
residents in Constantinople for the loss
es during the war, and also (amount
not stated, but considerably to pay for
the maintenance of prisoners of war
for the reopening of one of the most ac-
cessible mouths of the Danube, and for
giving bonds to reimburse Russian hold
ers of Turkish "promises to pay" Es-
tinating the silver ruble at IS cents of
American money, the Russian mer-
chants in Constantinople are imme-
diately" to receive $1,000, 900 in hard
cash, and the war indemnity will
amount to S1,25O, 200, 600 In lieu of
cash payment Che who can not pay in
malt must pay in meal, saith the prov
erb), Russia is to obtain occupation,
which means ownership, of territory in
Armenia and on the borders of the
Black Sea.
These may seem to be, and are, very
heavy demands, but can not be cited as
unusual. There was a Russo-Turkish
war which terminated in September,
1929, by a treaty under which Sultan
Mahmoud II. had to pay S4,OOO,OOO as
compensation to Russian merchants, and
also $25, 100000 in 10 half-year INSTALL
ments of S2,50O,0 900 each, Russian troops
to occupy the country until the utter
most farthing had been reimbursed, the
whole left bank of the Danube being
surrendered to the Muscovite invaders.
There are yet further instances. Ma
poleon, during the whole of the First
Empire, had paid one-half the general
expenditure of France by pecuniary as
sessments on foreign countries. After
Waterloo, settling day arrived, on
which, by the treaty of Paris (Novem-
Der 20, 1879, France had to pay the
large sum of $307, 10000 to the foreign
countries that had so been laid under
contribution; also, having to pay,
clothe, and entirely maintain a foreign
army of occupation (15O,0O0 men) for
not less than three, nor more than five
years, under the command of yelling
ton, until the whole amount was paid.
This is no isolated incident of the
past The principle which was acted
upon, as here stated, at the close of the
French war in 1915, and Of the Russian
war in 1928, was revived in 1864, when
Prussia and Austria, having invaded Den
mark without any just cause, overpower-
ed her numerical force, robbed her of
the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein,
and exacted large money-payment to
defray the expenses of the war. Still
more recent was the exaction of five
milliards of francs (S1, 900, 900, ,O0O), by
Prussia from France, as war indemnity
in 1871, with the surrender of the Rhine
Provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The
money was paid in gold before the ap-
pointed day, and the provinces were an
nexed at once. Bismarck was far more
exacting towards France in 1871 than
Gortschakoff has been against Turkey
in 1873. The Franco German war cost
1926, 100000, which, deducted from the
S1,OOO,009,00O of indemnity paid by
France, Id ayes clear profit of $780,
100000. The cost of the war was ST.
$50, 100000, without reckoning the
money value of Alsace-L Lorraine, esti-
mated at $865, 200, 900 more. War is a
bad thing for the losers.