Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1905-06-21

some territory In addition to the payment Of cash
indemnity. Bat Just how much this will be is one
guess or another. There has been absolutely no
hint from the MikadO as to the nature Of the terms
OF the settlement much less the cash rggregate Of the
Indemnity. There have been rumOrs to the effect
that President Roosevelt President Lubet, King Ed
ward and Emperor William have made it known in
directly to the japan government that It wOnld be
too exactng in her demands for large indemnity.
1t is said the point was made that large cash pay
ment might demoraze the finances Of Europe and
the intre world and besides this it would embarrass
Russia and prove disastrous to the cause of peace
A report has gained currency that Toxic would de-
mand$1 900, 600, 900, an indemnify, but this
port lacks official confirmation and it is not at all
probable any one outside Of Japan has any idea
what demands that country will make. President
Roosevelt is prObaly the best informed parsonage
on this point other than the high Japanese officials
It would perhaps be interesting to refer to the
iOus indemnities paid in recent times by European
countries and to cite them as precedens, The lar
gest cash payment ever made was by France to Ger
many in 1871, aggregating 81, 900 100000 in addi-
tiOn to ceding the provinces Of Alsace and Lorraine
Never before since has any country paid so dear
ly Tor peace as did the war Of 1873 Russia made
Turkey pay $165, 600, 900, rather this amount was
exacted and subsequently reduced few millions.
Japan demanded of China paymenEof $l75, 900, 600
at the conclusion Of the iarcica war in 1896. As a
sequel to the Boxer rebellion China had to pay the
allied powers $333, 100000 in gold installments,
some of this amount being still unpaid The United
States in ell Of its with other countries has in
variably paid them large amounts on the variest
pretexts. We gave Spain S2O,000,O 600 for so-ealled
improvements In the Philippines, which in reality
never had any existence. We got the Philippines
and Porto Rico, which have cost more than we
will get from them in the next ten hundred years.
In AS we paid Mexico S1s $50 600 for the privilege OF
giving her thrashing forgetting the expense of the
equippng, ETC., of our armies to the country. This
agOunt-a stupendOus sum ia those days-was paid
for the accession OF some territory to the United
States ", itch we had already won by conquest. We
toak ievl r.stricken and flth-wreaking Cuba aud
ins alledl EXCELLENT drainage and sewerage systems
in its prR cipal Cities besides employing other sani
taEy means ana devices, and Cuba did not say
''Thank you, Uncle Sam, much less offer to reim-
burSe the Treasury ia Washington. We sent sol
diccs and ships to her coasts and gave the people
the Cuba Librev they we're so Justify shouting for
AMI which most Of them we're too cOwardly to fight
for After our forces had routed the Spaniards a
regiment or so ipuuy soldiers armed with machetes
came up and were anxious to get at the enemy,
while some OF their bummers sneaked in the rear
and stole quantities OF rations and haversacks OF
troops who we're on the firing line
It is reported that congress at its coming session
in December viii be asked 10 return to China the
amount that country paid to US as part Of the in.
demnity given to the allied natiOns. 1t would not
be surprising if this country granted the request and
even throw In a few millions in the way Of accum-
uated interest. No country in the world has been
even approximately generous as the United States
IN its treatment Of nations which It has vanquished
on the battIefelds. 1t seems entirely beyond the
comprehension Of England, Germany, France, Rus.
sia and the rest how it is best another nation
and spend millions in the accomplishment and then
at it's conclusion hand over several millions to the
conquered. Perhaps it is strange bnt it is way
and we think it should bethe way Of all who sym
patize with the defeated and poor in purse. Il is
not improbable We carry this policy a little too far
in regard to the Philippines. The precedents cited
may be taken into consideration by Japan when il
considers the size Of the indemnity Russia shall pay
il the Gar wants peace now.