Arizona republican., 1905-08-12
PHOENIX, ARIz.. AUGUST F, 1905
The Cost of Stopping a War.

ments will determine whether the
 peace conference at Portsmouth is to result in peace. The Japanese govern
 ment has demanded an indemnity ap-
 proximating $5OO,OOO,OO0, and unless
 Russia agrees to pay that sum there
 is a possibility that the conference
 will speedily end in Q disagreement.
 All Europe seems to have accepted the
 theory that Japan's first proposition
 would be a bluff-merely a 'feeler," to
 ascertain the attitude of Russia. But Russia thought that Japan's proposi- tions immediately preceding the war were bluffs. The truth is that the Japanese are like the Americans-they
 say frankly what they want and what they propose to do, and when their words are not taken at their face value there is grief for somebody-and it is usually grief for the other fellow.
 The dispatches represent that Flu rope purports to be astounded at the Japanese demands. But there is pre- cedent for saying that the Japanese have a right to not less than S5OO,- O0O,OOO with few pieces of land
 thrown in, as their price for the ces- sation Of hostilities.
 This is said to be the greatest, most terrible, and particularly most costly war that the world has ever known; but during the lifetimes of many of US $1,OOO, ,OOO,OOO and lots of land have had to be paid by one country to an T, ful war. Japan is justified, therefore, in suggesting that she should have an honorarium of $500, 100000 for all the trouble she has been put to in as sorting her rights in Korea, and Man churia. Even if she got a check for such sum it is to be feared that she would find there was very little, if any, profit.
 Japan was inclined to make China pay pretty heavily for the peace that was granted to her at the end of the previous big war in the far east. The war was cheap one. and she had an idea of raking $500 100000 from the ceIestials, and using the profits to get ready for the present war against Russia However, the latter power it. self took the lead in intervention be- tween the conqueror and the conquer ed. with the result that Japan had to be content with $185, 600 and a few patches of land for which it had no particular use. However, when ac- counts were reckoned up the Japanese nation found that there was a balance in it's favor on the whole transaction.
 Russia all along has found war very poor game from the money-mak- dicament only accentuates its former experience. Her war with Turkey in the seventies cost her an enormous amount of money, and she would have been the merest trifle in pocket if she had received the S25O, O,OOO, 900 indemni- ty that she asked for. However, there was much haggling and outside inter ference and eventually Russia felt herself obliged to accept the offer of s16O, DOC, ,OOO, which did little more than pay her out-of- pocket expenses. The worst of it is that the artfuI Turk made an arrangement for settlement of the account by very slow degrees, and up to the present not much more than half of it has been paid. while there appears to be very little likeIi- hood of the sublime porte parting with another pisstre.
 On the other hand, Russia's busi- nesslike neighbor. Germany, has dis covered the secret of making wars pay while other nations are fumbling in the dark. She it was who sent in the record war bill to France of $1,0OO,0OO,OOO, and got every penny of it. to say nothing of some of the most | eligible and coveted plots of land in i suit of the Franco -Prussian war at | the beginning of the seventies. On this ! occasion nobody cared to interfere. | and France paid up much more quick | ly than anybody expected; and, in | fact, she sent in the last installment | the receipt in full and to have no fur | ther connection with her grasping | 
 Like Russia, Turkey has found war i a most disappointing business from | the pecuniary point of view, notwith- l standing the light and casual manner | in which she has treated her own war | obligations. She expected to make a . great pile of money out of poor Greece | a few years ago. and after a few cheap | battles sent in a bill for 50,O0O,0O0 as | the price of peace. The cost of the l had been triling and Greece had no money left to buy even the |