The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-24

local autonomy. 1t Ia true, also, II we
confne our view to modern wars, that
even where a pecuniary indemnity has
been coupled with territorial acquisition,
as in the instance of the Franco German
contest of 1901, the money paid seems
to have been looked upon as ransom
for part of the territory overrun. Thus,
although Germany insisted in the Peace
Of Frankfort upon retaining almost
all of Alsace and a part Of Lorraine. she
accepted five milliards Of francs as the
price of her evacuation of Paris and
large section of central France. That
the transaction was looked upon as
ransom is evident from the fact that
the evacuation took place gradually
and was not completed until the whole
Of the stipulated indemnity had been
paid A similar transaction took place
after Waterloo, the allied forces not
finally quitting French soil until the
whole of the pecuniary compensation
agreed upon by Louis XVIII. had been
received.
Where a precedent does not exist,
however, it may be created. Japanese
statesmen may hold that they were
driven by Russia's perfidy and rapacity
into a war that has imposed upon them
tremendous burden; that they have no
intention Of transferring that burden
to China an innocent third party; and
that they cannot be expected to accept
the frozen island of Sakhalin az amends
e. 81 h1nnI
and treasure. They may add that if
the st. Petersburg Government doggedly
refuses to pay pecuniary indemnity
until conquered Russian territory can
be given in exchange the objection
is one that pretty quickly can be multi
fed. OYAMA's army and Todos fleet
could, between them, soon conquer
Russia's riparian province OF ussuri,
which borders on the Sea OF japan and
the Gulf of Tartary. The occupation OF
the Amur Valley and Of the whole re-
gon east OF Lake Baikal could be as
easily effected Japan's aggressive oper-
atoms need not stop here. however
1t would not be more difficult for OYAMA's
army to move westward, using tho
Siberian Railroad for the transportation
of ammunition and supplies, than it was
for Russia to forward great force to
Manchuria by means Of the same agency.
1t may be taken for granted that, as
the Japanese commanders should sue
cessively arrive at Irkutsk, Tomsk and
Tobolsk, general uprising would take
place among the Cars subjects in Gen.
trail Asia and tho Caucasus.
Nor is this, by any means, the only
instrument of pressure at the disposal
of the Mikados Government. Bearing
in mind the superior efficiency Of ToGo's
feet, we must recognize that the Japa-
nese Admiral, finding himself no longer
needed in home waters would find it no
more difficult to reach Cronstadt, Riga
and Revel than RoJEsTvENsKY will
have found it to reach Vladivostok. The
st. Petersburg Government would have
no ground for remonstrance if TOGO, in
the course of his voyage, should revictual
and recoal his ships at British ports, so
long as he remained outside the three
mile limit. II international law, as
commonly understood, is thus evaded
by Russia she cannot complain If an
opponent follows her example. Should,
in word, the Cars advisers show them
selves stiff necked in their refusal to
pay a pecuniary indemnity, an invasion
Of Siberia and bombardment Of the
Baltic ports might be found by no means
impracticable
When the Russians assume that simply
by doing nothing they can tire out
Japan they are dwelling in a FOOLS
paradise. The arrival of OYAMA's army
at Tobolsk, or even at Irkutsk, and the
simultaneous appearance Of ToGo's feet
in the Baltic would quickly bring the
Car 8 most arrogant advisers to terms.