The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-12-03
TRIVIAL CAUSES OF war.
sHAVE RESULTED IN A THREE
CENTURY WAR BETWEEN
FRANCE ANc ENGLAND.
Renewal Of His Beard by Louis VII.
Of France Primary Cause Of an In
ternatioraI strueele-StoIen We'll
Bucket and Broken Teapot Led
to Suffering and Bioodshed.

tory of nations than the absurdlv triv
ial causes which have been sutficien1
10 let Loose the dogs Of war and deluge
continents n blood, says the Chicago
Tribune.
Many an American has started an
incipant riot in his household by ap
nearing unannOunced with clean
shave after having worn h!rsute
adornment for 4 number Of years, but
II is almost incredible At first glance
that two great nations should be
plunged into an intermittent warfare
lasting 300 years from me same cause
Yet nothing more than this was the
primary source of three centuries OF
war between England and France. In
order to plcase the Archbishop OF
Pouen. Louis VII of France, consent
ed to remove his beard. in common
with his subjects and pres ent q clean
shaven face to the world 1t was
Z disastrous shave, for it led to so
much friction with his wife, who re-
sented her husbands changed appear
ance that at last the king divcrc ID
her, to become a few months later the
wife of Henry II. of England. From
this marriage of Henry 20 the angry,
discarded wife of Louis centuries OF
bloodshed may be said to have follow
ed.
Inclcsed in an iron case in the
tower of Modent cathedral may be
seen today a bucket which 500 years
ago, was the innocent cause Of ter
rible war. Some soldiers cf Modena
lin mood mischief) had stolen the
bucket from public well in Bologna
and refused to give it up on demand.
Fights between the soldiers ct the
rival and jealous states ensued. and
from this spark was kindled FIRE OF
var which devastated a large part OF
Europe and led to the lifelong irnpris-
onment OF the k,,y II Sardinia, sen
Of the German l. or.
A war in Chins ce" er and
4 half ago which ics OF
100000 lives sTr,r-. ia rom
broken teapot. ie IT," IS the
treasured posses sion Ct d..nitary
high in favor and the councils Of the
emperor, and when he was travelling
through the lawless provinces in the
northwest of China some of his re-
tinue who had fallen behind the main
body we're intercepted by band Of
robbers, and among the spells the
teapot was found and contenptuous-
y flung to the ground and broken.
The matter was reported to the em-
peror by the indignant mandarin,
punitive force was sent out. and
long and terrible war ensued.
Lord Palmerston used to say that
,nly three men had ever known the
nature of the troubles in Schleswig-
iolstein which led to two great wars
two Of them had died before the
!ar broke out. and he, the third OF
he trinity, had completely forgotten
Rhat it was all about 1t is now well
Inown, however. that slight man
pulation by Bismarck OF telegram
et France and Germany flying at each
theirs threats a generation ago. with
he results too appalling to contem-
late.
The war of the Spanish succession.
which the great Duke Of Marlbor-
ugh played so conspicuous and bril-
|ant part, was, it Is said. the out
ONE OF spilled glass of water at
'ulferies ball One Of the court Ia
les had expressed wish for a glass
water in the hearing Of the Brit
b and Spanish ambassadors. who
Drthwith liastened to fetch It.
On returning each holding = tum-
er, they found that the fair bird
I'd flown and was dancing with
rench statesman; and to crown their
iscomfture the English diplomat
lnnoned against the Spania-d and
net the water ne was carrying-an
ceadent which led to an apology and
q exchange of cOurtesies. A trivial,
'diculous incident enough, but 1t
efved TO inflame jealousies and ce-
lent sympathies and thus to turn the
alance in the direction OF war.
The seven years war was largely
ue. according to his own confession.
the vanity of Frederick the Great.
wanting to see his name figure
lrgely in the gazettes; the Indian
lutiny was precipitated by the cart
dees served out to the Sepoys,
hich they believed were creased
18th the fat of animals unclean alike
Hindu and Mohammedan; and the
war, in the opinion OF
'Ousands. was started by the black
nith's hammer with which a Here
ovinian blacksmith killed q tax col
ctor who had insulted his daughter.
Among other ludicrous causes from
inch wars have sprung are the steal
q OF q laced petticoat of a CASTLE
~ by Moor. which, with the ven
Eta that followed the theft. led to
any years Of fierce warfare between
le spaniards and the Moors: and the
apw'RS q I auekst by \ gleEsasIas