The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-18
Would Be Political Death.


Should Russia consent to pay tribute
to Japan in any FORM continued the
eminent jurist. 1T would be her political
death The powers would understand
that she accepted the proposition of
President Roosevelt not because she was
DESTROYS of an honorable peace but be-
cause her power had been annihiIated and
she recognized that II was impossible
for her to continue the war. 1t woJlu
mean public confession that Russia is
at Portsmouth helplessly kneeling before
Japan implOring peace and ready to ac-
cept any terms imposed. No one will
seriously contend that the Muscovite en-
pre- IS in any such position -
with many interesting historical ex-
amples. Mr.. De Martens elaborated his
thesis that no country had ever paid in
1emnlty except when powerlcss to con-
tront the enemy on the field of battle
and with large portion Of her territory
In the enemy's possession as hostage
Prussia Paid Indemnity.
IN 1907 he pointed out. when Napoleon
imposed the peace of Tilsit. French troops
occupied practically all Of Prussia and
the Prussian family had fled to European
russia France could dictate terms She
eAacted war indemnity of three hundred
HlIIlons OF dollars and garriSOned several
russian towns with French troops at the
eApcIse OF Prussia as a guarantee of nav
Lntnt- she required that the Prussian
army should be reduced to 5000 men
IN 1910. when Napoleon was annihiIated
AT waterloo. after the famous One Hum
dred Days, and the second treaty OF
Paris was concluded. the allied mowers
occupying Iaris. as the Prussians did
Laler IN 1870, imposed, in addition to other
Cohuluon, a war indemnity of $500. 900 QUO.
20 be paid 'r five years, during which
lline the allied troops were to hold a
however, was considerably reduced by
E " NeiIInston at AK la Chappele ana
da rSIGe completed the payment of the in
Largest Ever Exacted.
IT. The largest war Indemnity ever exacted
vas imposed by Prince Bismarck upon
France in 1870. 1t amounted to 81 600 an =
tV But Napoleon III had fallen Gam
98etta WAS Dowerless- Prussia was at
nquldatlng the indemnity in two years.
WhlIe. according TO the treaty, she mad
i've years time in which to paw In
other cases, even where a portion of the
territory Of the fated country was Occ1I-
pied, no indemnity was exacted or oven
asked; For instance, Russia in 1856 al
though the Crimean peninsula was OcclI
pled by the Anglo-FrancO-Pie dmontese
Neither was Austria, in 1859. after hav-
ing been defeated by the Franco PIED
~ lSbb- after having been heated by Prus-
STA. paid no indemnity
Denmark in 1854 lost SchIeswig- Holstein
10 PRUSSIA but paid nothing.
A New Precedent.
a new precedent was made by Amer
lca- added Mr.. Martens. lin her war
with Spain Although victorious and i'm d
position TO claim Indemnity, she ended
-, ~. ~ oI .IIllclpie ana actually pald
S5ouug.uV9 to the Madrid government FOR
the Philippine islands
But that he remarked, was. as the
French say, to 'dorder Ia pillule.' -
Independent of all these considerations.
Mr.. De Martens said Russia's objection
10 the payment of an indemnity. under
no matter what form. comes from the
fact that in all her history she never
paid a cent Of tribute to a foreign DOW
er. not even during the time of her worst
defeats under Peter the Great when "A
large portion of the country was in the
hands Of the invader. In conclusion. ne
called attention to the fact that to pay
an indemnity to Japan would be FOR Rus
STA to create "A precedent new i'm the
worlds history.