The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-17
BOUNTIEs AND PRIZES.
Features Of Maritime Warfare Rec
osnized by Uncle Sam.
Conditions Which Would Arise IN the
Event OF a War Between the Caitcd
states and Great Erinin-Sons
Important Facts.

No prize money is paid for the de-
struction of an enemy's ship in war.
Instead OF that The United States gov
eminent grants bounty. which is dis
tri5uted in exactly the same way,
says the Washington Star. Ii the YES
sci wiped out was of greater force
than the victor two hundred dollars is
allowed for every officer and sailor on
board of the vanquished craft. II she
was of less force the allowance is one
hundred dollars per capita. Surprising
persons were on board of the ship de-
stroyed. her class is stated and . her
complement reclsoned on the same
basis as if she had been United States
vessel of the same class. This bounty
is very different thing from prize
money. The latter is a trust, belong
ing absolutely to the captors, for
whose benefit it is administered by the
government. The money is always
ready to be paid when q claim is
proved. But the bounty is gift from
Uncle Sam, and requires Special ap-
preparation by congress. A good many
claims for bounty. are still open In
the capture of New Orleans large sums.
both in prize money and in bounty,
were involved. There was bounty for
the destruction of fighting vessels and
prize money for the capture of mer-
chantmen. Forty-five ships were con-
cerned on the union side, and tho
cash gained had to be divided up
among more than FIVE thousand men.
The figuring on this problem made
. large volume which is still preserved.
In war between this country and
Geat Britain blockade running would
cut an important figure. The British
would try to blockade our ports and
theirs. For lack of strong battleships
we would find it difficult TO keep up
our end, while England could hardly
maintain an effective blockade. along
such vast extent of seaboard as is
possessed by the United States. Sode-
pendent is John Bull on imports, even
for food, that he would starve if shut
off from the rest of the world for nine
ty days.
1t is an open question whether pri-
vateers would be utilized in such a
war After the Crimean war, at the
congress of Vienna. all of the Euro
pean powers signed an agreement to
the effect that they would not recog-
nize privateering in future. The
United States refused to come into
this agreement. We have reserved
the right to employ privateers. One
reason why this government declined
to abjure this form of warfare was
that it would be exceptionally advan-
tageous to the United States. For ex-
ample, by issing letters of marque we
could quickly sweep British commerce
off the seas. It is said that privateer-
ing is piratical. That is quite true.
The giving of prize money is an old
piratical custom. People call it
remnant of barbarism. But when it
comes to actual war, prize money is
always a powerful offensive agent.
The impulse of avarice puts nerve into
warriors who sail the seas. This is
not an age of sentinentalism In war
fare. Even explosive bullets arc al
lowable among agencies OF destrnc-
ton. 1t may be safely said that pri-
Watering will make part of the next
great international conflict on the wa
tiers, and no criticism will be uttered
in regard to cases like that of the Ala
bama, which was denounced in tho
north as a private because she was
never in a home port, having been
armed and equipped in England
In the old days. when Uncle Sans
ships had orders to keep a sharp look-
out for slavers, vessel carrying slaves
was doubly prize. It's value went to
the captors, in addition to twenty dol
lars head paid by the government for
negroes found on board. The latter
were carried back to Africa and set