The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-10
NERVES AS a BASIS OF WAR IN
IDENTITY.

Dispatches from Picking indicate that the
ministers of the Western powers are hav-
ing some trouble in fixing upon the basis
and amount Of indemnity to be paid by
China. They are all agreed that as a
matter of justice and Christian principle
China ought to pay for the invasion and
occupation of the country, and that she
has no Offset on account Of lives or prop
erty destroyed or damage done by the
invading forces. This much is settled, al
though the United States insists that the
demand should not be excessive. But
there seems TO have been some diversity
Of opinion among the ministers as 10
what sort of losses or injuries should be
included in the claims for damages. One
case in particular caused discussion. This
was the case of "a man of high repute,"
who, besides asking $4,000 damages for
the destruction OF property worth not more
than one-third of that amount. demanded
$4,000 damages each for his own, his wife's
and his daughters nerves. 1t is difficult to
judge at this distance, but without fuller
information on the subject the claim seems
excessive. The dispatch does not state
whether the claimant specified the nature
or the extent of the injuries done, but
IL would seem that $4,000 is an excessive
claim for anything short of a total wreck
of the nervous system. In this case the
burden of proof was on the claimant to
show that he had lost his nerve. He GER
tainly had it with him when he made out
his claim. Thirty thousand dollars ought
to cover several complete nervous OUTFITS.
Many large families have not that much
were only three persons. True, two of
the family were women, and it is well
known that they have more nerves than
men, and that theirs are more fragile and
destructible. but it will be noticed in this
case the imam of high repute" who makes
the claim Jumps it at SO, 900 per capita, put
ting his own nervous system on the same
footing with those of his wife and daugh-
ter. The claim is open to suspicion in an
other respect, since it does not show wheth-
er the nerves in either case were shattered
beyond repair or only shocked. nor does it
~ fA1NAAG tAA Va ~ nv ~ y IA
jured or only a portion of them. If the
nervous system in either case could be re-
stored by treatment the real measure Of
damage would be the cost of treatment,
or the difference between that and a good
nervous system. and not the value of an
entirely new one. Besides, it might be
that the nerves of the claimants wife
and daughter had already been damaged
or. perhaps, nearly destroyed by other
causes and We're, therefore, peculiarly sus-
ceptible to further injury. In that case
the Chinese ought not to be required to
pay the value of a nervous system that
had not suffered any previous deterioration.
As far as the Journal knows, the question
of nerves as a basis for war indemnity has
never come up before. and the ministers
should be careful to establish a rule that
will stand the test Of International law
and equity. OF course, Christian nerves
must be protected, and if shocked must
be paid for, but the powers ought not to
exact too much per shock, nor too much
per nerve. The Chinese may discover some
time that they have nerves themselves.