The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19
MEN analMST1EERS IN
THE Eg9I9Szz he WORLD
MONIES

this indemnity was paid over to Brit
ish merchants by way Of compensa-
ton for the destruction of their prop
erty by the Chinese. Considering that
the war cost US considerably over
f2.0OO,O 900, it cannot be described as
a very profitable bargain.
To close our second war with China,
that country had to pay Great Britain
an indemnity OF f2.0O0,000; but as for
each sovereign we received three and
q half had been expended in hostili-
ties. it is easy to see which nation got
the better of that barg-in.
AS an expanding nation the United
States has, like our own. been salts
fed with a grant Of territory in each
Of the one or two wars she has waged
end from which she has emerged vic
torious. In fact. at the conclusion of
the war with Mexico. which arose out
of the annexation Of Texas. the Yam
KEGS paid to the Mexicans fS,o00,0o0
as consideration for the territory an
nexed.
It will be remembered, too, that the
same policy was pursued by them
when Spain gave up the struggle for
the retention OF her colonial posses
sions and sued for peace. In a spirit
Of generosity the American republic
agreed to pay over to the Spanish Gov
ernment $4,000, 900 to compensate the
Spaniards for their territorial losses.
At one time Schleswig- -Holstein be-
longed to Denmark and Bismarck,
having cast covetous eyes on the har-
Dor of Kiel, situated in Holstein, he
caused Jutland to be invaded by the
Prussians. On his forces being routed
he cunningly inveigled Austria into
supporting him. and the allied troops
proved too strong for their adversaries,
right once more being crushed by
might.
The victors. however, quarreled be-
tween themselves as to the disposition
Of the spoils, and this gave rise to the
war between Austria and Germany in
1866. The latter power proved yictori-
Gus, and insisted on the Austrians pay
ing as war indemnity a sum that, with
the amounts levied on the five small
states that helped them, reached near
ly &C, 5000 OOO
But that did not anything like ap-
proach the severity with which Bis
marck treated the French at the con-
clusion Of the Franco-Prussian War of
1S70-7L In the s2Oo, 900, 900 which he
exacted as indemnity, he compelled
France to pay the dearest price that
any nation ever paid for peace, and
price that astonished the world. II
was thought that the infiiction OF this
enormous fine would cripple France
forever, but, largely owing to the pa
triotism Of the thrifty French peas
ants, the money was actually paid be-
fore the final installment fell due.
Although this sum exceeded by very
many millions what the Germans had
spent on the war. they and the willy
Bismarck never ceased to regret that
they did not make it double. Consider
ing that France. had to sacrifice two Of
her fairest provinces in addition, Ger
many made an unprecedented and
enormous profit as the result of the
conclusion of peace.
When Russia administered a crush
ing defeat on Turkey, after suffering
severe reverses herself, in the struggle
Of 1877, she consented to accept the
sum of e32, 600 900 as the price Of peace,
after demanding a much larger
amount. This was little more than the
actual cost Of the campaign, and the
victors would not entertain any lower
terms, as the damage inflicted by the
war on their subjects and commerce
was such as to fully equal those fig
ures,, large though they were. So far
Turkey has paid little more than half
Of the indemnity, and there is not much
likelihood of Russia ever receiving the
full amount.
Like her former enemy, Turkey was
few years back compelled to sub
stantially reduce a claim for indem-
nifty. The Sultan claimed SO 10000
from Greece as the condition Of peace,
but by the Intervention Of the Euro
pean powers he was compelled to ac-
cept Just one-fifth Of that amount. AS
Greece was practically in a state Of
bankruptcy, it would have been impos-
sible for that country to have complied
with the original Turkish demands.
In order to secure peace after the
war with Japan eight years ago China
had to pay a considerable sum by way
OF indemnity, though not nearly so
much as the japanese would have ex-
acted II they had been allowed a free
hand. Not liking the idea Of the Celes-
tlals being despoiled by anybody but
themselves, the Russians interfered,
and Japan had to be content with the
cession of Formosa and the Pescadores
and the payment of a cash indemnity
Of e37 900 900. This money Japan used
in preparing for the struggle by which
she hopes TO soon exact an indemnity
from Russia.-Tit- Bits.
Dete7v AdViSeS CoHegianS.