The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
TRIPLES THAT led TO War
Stone Thrown by Child Caused
Thirty Years Conflict.
Fight Between Two Men Cost 10000
Lives in the Chilean
Rebellion

/ Trihing, sometimes, are the incidents
that lead to loss Of self-control by men
and nations, to war and its horrors and
damage.
A dispute about the ownership of a
| plot of land a few yards square was the
cause of the Maori wars. which devas-
tated New Zealand in the COS. The
terrible Afghan war Of 1878 was provoked
by prowling pathan, who fred upon
Sir Neville Chamberlain's peaceful mis-
sion and killed an unlucky camp follower.
A pebble thrown by a Huguenot child
at the Duke OF Guise was the immediate
cause Of the Massacre of Vassy and Of
the thirty years war which followed 1t.
The Venetians wear no boards" were
the words uttered by the Venetian am
! bassadOr to the Turkish grand vlzier.
when asked 10 ratify a treaty by swear
ing upon his beard and the beard Of the
prophet"-the ordinary Moslem form Of
oath.
Neither, for that matter, do the ba-
bo0ns. retoTted the Turk whereupon
the Venetian tore up the treaty and
strode out Of the room. Some 10000 Chris
tions and more than 10000 Turks fell
in the conflict that ensued.
In 1891 two Chilean naval officers, one
u Congressiouallst and the other a
Balmacedaist. were discussing politics
aboard vessel OF the fleet In the heat
of the argument. one struck the other
Other officers joined in the fray. The
sailors, too, took sides, and blood was
shed. BY nightfall the feet was in re
volt, and the great Chilean civil war had
begun. That single blow cost the lives
Of more than 2o,0o0 men.
There once lived in the d0minions Of
the elect0r of BTandenburg "a baker named
kohlhase. one morning he had finished
baking his usual batch Of bread. when
several soldiers in the pay OF the elector
Of SaxOny came along and seized IT,
They also commandeeTed his horse and
cart 20 carry the stolen proyender to
their camp
The irate tradesman appealed TO his
lawful sovereign, the elector Of Braudeu-
burg, for redress. but failing to get il.
Invaded SaXony at the head Of a band
of armed citizens. The war that followed
was one Of the most nerciless in the an
nails Of history, and ended by completely
altering the map of Germany.
\ coarse gibe. flung by a French OfIc".
about the awful massacre Of the French
on the island known as the 'Sicilan
Vespers." And this, In its turn, caused
a war which resulted IN the expulsion of
the French from Sicily with the loss OF
30,0J0 lives
Because Mehemet Ali. viceroy Of Egypt.
was offended al the Sultan Of Turkeys
refusal 10 add another title 10 his already
long list, he made war upon that SOW
ereign-whose nominal yassal he was
and marched to within sight OF Constan-
tinople. England Russia, Austria, and
Prussia intervened on behalf Of Turkey.
Napier bombarded BeyrOut. which had
fallen before Mehemets victorious legiOns,
while Acre was stormed and burnt, and
its entire garrison routed.
The war between Sweden and Poland,
which began in 1904. was caused by an
'etcetera," Charles GustavUs, when read
Ing a certain dispatch, noticed that the
name and titles Of the King Of Poland
were followed by three "etceteras," and
his own by only two. Taking this as an
international slight, he promptly mobil-
lied his armies and declared war.