The times., 1898-07-11
THE SPANISH INDEMNITY.
Holding Srnin's Colonies Our Sc
curify for Payment.

ohF SN-
curity for Pay mcnt.
New York July 10.-No considerable
war between opposing foreign powers has
taken place within the last thirty years
that the successful nation has not ex-
acted indemnity from its defeated antago-
mist 1t seems to be based on a tacit
understanding that as in case at law,
when two opposing powers submit con-
troversy to the aTbitrament of arms for
settlement. they do so with the condi-
ton that the defeated party shall bear
the costs of the suit if not punitive
damages.
That Spain entered upon the present
conflict with the expectation of assessing
good, round damages upon the United
States. in case. ii should make good its
cause in the court of war goes without
saying. If, therefore, the decision of
Mars should be against it, as now seems
inevitable. 1t is impossible TO see what
ground of complaint it viii have if the
principle recognized by civilized powers
and to which it intended to appeal shall
be enforced against it.
But the question here presents itself,
What has Spain, in its impoverished and
bankrupt condition as a government, with
which 10 meet a claim for indemnity?
With an empty treasury and without
credit, it is evident that the only resource
left is TO fall back on its national domain.
There are precedents for this in every
war of recent times. from the opium
war" between Great Britain and China in
1870 down TO the present time.
The most conspicuous instance of this
character was furnished by the outcome
of the Franco-German war, in 1901,
when Germany exacted from France-be-
sides the cession of t;le major part Of
Alsace and Lorraine. including the i'm
portant fortresses of Strasburg and Metz
the immense sum OF sl.000, 600, 0O0 The
money indemnity in this case has been
figured out as equivalent TO s35 per week
for each man in an army of nearly one
million men for a. little, more than six
months services. or $500 for each man
Killed or wounded-to say nothing of the
territory acquired. With this example
fresh in the minds of the present genera
tion, when it comes to the settlement of
the indemnity to be imposed upon Spain
for the cost of the present war the Ger
man kaiser will be the last who will have
reason TO object if the amount is fixed at
liberal figure.
! Less important examples were furnished
I by the war between Prussia. and Austria
/ in 1866. as a result of which-although
/ Il lasted only one month-Germany re-
/ ceiyed over s45, 600. 600 idemnity from Aus
tria for the services of less than 49,
019 men, besides the accession of consid-
cradle territory; the Turko-Russian war
/ of lS77 when Russia demanded an &ggre-
gate of over 500 100000 from Turkey,
/ though settling finally at sie0, 200, about
one-half of which still remains unpaid
/ the war of lS9i-95. between Japan and
/ China, when, through the interference OF
I Russia. Japan was forced to be content
1 with an indemnity of $ls5. 600 600. and the
Islands of Formosa and the Pescadores;
! and finally the Greco-Turkish war in
! 1897 In the latter case the Sultan of
( Turkey claimed indemnity amounting to
$50 600. 600 but was compelled by the
! powers to accept A00oo,Oo0.
Should our present war with Spain
come to an end by November next IT
would not be extravagant 10 say that its
I net cost viii be not less Jnan four or five
hundred million dollars possibly more
! 10 say nothing of the sacrifice of life and
/ untold sufferings imposed upon the in
ha5itants of Cuba for three years past.
( The people of Cuba are contending for
their independence, and from that island
( we can look for nothing by way of indem-
nification-our mission being 10 secure a
I restoration OF peace there with the estab-
lishment of a stable government. We
are compelled therefore, to look alone 10
Porto Rico, the Canaries the Philippines
and Spain's other island dependencies in
the Pacific for reimbursement for the eX-
( penses of the war which il has no power
TO make from its treasury unless we lay
! claim TO its possessions in the Mediterra-
mean The extent to which its sacrifice
of territory is to go will depend upon the
/ length to which il chooses TO protract the
war and the expense consequently entail
Z ed upon this Government.