Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20
INDEMNITIES OF WAR
SOME PAYMENTS OF THE LAST
HALF CENTURY.
Japanese Baron Declares the Attitude
Of His Country in All Peace
Negotiations.

Baron Suyematsu. writing to the Lon
don Outlook declares that his country Will
never enter into a peace with Russia the
terms of which do not stipulate the pay
ment by the conquered of an indemnify.
He thinks" this should amount to at least
$500 COO. Car Nicholas III Is reported
as having said that he would never agree
to any indemnity; that he could not sign
such documents and also remain autocrat OF
all the Russias.
The Tokyo press thinks the very ques-
ton of an indemnity already closed; all
that remains in that direction, in the opin-
ion of these loyal journalists, is the fixing
of the amount The Petit Parisien, regard
ed In France as well informed upon all
Russian matters. learns that 1.-THE i'm
peral government will consent to indemnify
Japan only so far military expenses are
concerned; she will refuse to pay any actual
indemnity.
= Four Sources Of Information.
Here are the four most available sources
of public information upon question which
is day by day looming larger and larger
above the troubled political horizon of the
far east. They cannot be said to harmon
fze. What further light do the written
ords of past history throw upon the matter?
Only the other day it seems (1S96), the
latest of the wars upon the European con-
tinent drew to a close with Turkey victor
and Greece vanquished The ancient lallo
of King George was bankrupt, but the sui
tan demanded an indemnity of $o0,'H0oo0
The powers promptly nterposed: said that
the sum was ridiculously excessive and
Abdul Hamid II cut it down four-fifths. IN
the nine years that have since INTERVIEWED ne
has received something more than half OF
his S10.000,OOO.
China's Payment to England.
That same sum-s1o. goo .C0o-was the pay
ment which China made England at the
close of the TAPPING rebellion Q95O-1s,4),
but this was nominal merely and insisted
upon more because of the effect it would
have upon the impressionable orientals than
for the actual repayment of Britain's fight
ing expenses. for she had PAID out fully
So, 0O0, eco to win.
Earlier than this 0S40-1s42), when the
relocated warriors of THE Widow OF
Windsor" had won for her that briefer
struggle with the Chinese. recalled today
as the opium of war. the yellow emperor
agreed to pay $25o0O0OO. A goodly portion
OF this indemnity. however, went to BRUSH
merchants by way Of compensation for the
destruction of their property by the natives,
and as the war had cost the home govern
ment all of $10.OoO000 the victors scarcely
found highly profitable the bargain which
peace brought them.
The Prussia-Austria Settlement.
In 1866. Germany Tor Prussia. as the m
ton then was better known closed lit
tie row. with Austria much more advan-
tageously All told the fighting had not
lasted two months, nor was warfare then
the expensive thing it has come TO he to-
day, yet Austria. with her five lesser allies.
was forced to agree to an indemnity of $32,-
100000. If g. difference is to be found IN
the distinction suggested by the quotation
from the Petit Parisien already given, sais
was ''indemnificat ton for military expenses
plus actual indemnity"
Eleven years later QS77, on the other
hand, Russia. having beaten the Turks.
held down her financial demands to the ac-
tual cost to her of the war. So has history
written it, and SO Europe has believed. She
asked SLIGO, coo, 0OO-but the question not I'M
naturally presents itself, would she have
asked more from a more solvent creditor?
Turkey agreed to the sum set, and not the
half of it has been paid over in the more
than a quarter of a century that has since
elapsed.