Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1905-09-15
so PRECEDENT roH INDEMNIrY

so PRECEDENT FOR INDEMNITY.
NJ de Martens, one OF the Russian
delegates, declared. during the peace
conference, there was no precedent III
history where Il country whose territory
WIS not occupied in whole or any part
by the enemy had paid war tribute upon
the conclusion OF peace. lie said:
Should Russia consent Ia DAY tribute
to japan in any form, it wonld be her
political death. Tie powers would un-
derstand that she accepted the PROPOSE
ton nt President Roosevelt, not because
she WAS DESTROYS OF an honorable peace,
but because her power had been an.
nIhi!ateI aud she recognized that it was
impossible for he. to continue the "A
II would mean a public confession that
Russia Is at Portsmouth hclp!essly
knc'l;ng before Japan. imploring peace.
and ready to accept ANY terms imposed.
No one will seriously contend that the
Muscorite empire is in any such posi-.
ton
Many interesting historical examples
were given by VI. de Martens. lie
pointed uut that in 1907 when NAPOLEON
imposed the pea,e 81 Til-it. French
troops occupied p-artI ally all Of Prus-
STA. and The PrnSsIsn royal family l.aI
fed to Russian soil. France could die.
tate terms. She cIactoi a war indem.
nifty OF - ,O0l, 0OG. and garrisoned several
Prussian towns with French troops at
the expense II Prussia us Il guar Intec Of
payment. She required that the Prus
sian army should he re incel to 10000
men. In 1915. when Napoleon was
anuihilatei at Waterloo, after the
famous +lGO days. and the second
treaty of Paris was concluded, the allied
power occupying Par.s, us the Prussians
did later, in 1870, imposed, in addition
10 other conditions. L war indemnify OF
800, 900 900, t" be paid in five YEAR,,
iurlng which time the allied troops
were to hold Il portion OF French ter.
ritoiy. That sum, however, was con-.
siderably re luced by Wellington at
Aixla-Chapell", and France completed
the payment i'll three years. The largest
war indemnity ever cxacted was i'm.
posed 10y Prince Bismarck upon France,
III 1870. 1t amounted TO 81. 1000, 0U0, 900.
But Napoleon III had fallen. Gam.
BETA vas powcrless. Prussia was at
Paris. The third republic succeeded III
liquiiating the indemnity in two years,
while, according to the treaty. she had
Tive years time II which to pay.
In other cases where even a portion OF
the territory u the iated country WAS
occupied. VI. tie Martens said that no
indemnity was 2Xactci or even asked.
For instance Russia in 1896 was not
asked 20 pay tribute. Neither did
Austria in 1859. after having been de-.
featcd 10y the Franco Piedmon;csc and
and having lost Lpmharly, or in 1866,
after having becn beaten hy Prussia,
pay an indemnity. Denmark in 1861
lost SchlcswIg- Iiolstccn to Prussia, but
pail nothing. a neH precedent was
ma ic by America added NJ. de
Martcns. an her war with Spain. AL
though victorious and III a position to
claim indemnity, she ended the war on
principl" and actually paid &2O.COJ. 900
:" the Madrid government Tor the
Philippine islmds." Independent OF all
these considerations, ~. de Martens
said. Russia'a objection to- the payment
nf an indemnity. under no matter what
form comes from tho fact that in all her
history she never paid a cent III tribute
to a foreign power, not cvcn during the
time 81 her worst defeats under Peter
tho Great when u large portion Of the
country was III the hands Of the
inyHdcra.