The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-12-22
STARTING A WAR.
Tiny Sparks Have Often KindIed
Monster Conf|agrations.
CONFLICTS BORN OF TRIPLES
A Broken Teapot and q Stolen Bucket
Cost Years Of carn.se and Hundreds
Of Thousands of lives-Paul Kruger
and the Great Boer Uprising.


and the Great Boer Uprising.
The history of warfare contains nu
merous examples Of conflicts that
have originated through trifiing causes.
says the London Globe. For instance
Turkey In the past suffered greatly in
war with Venice. When the Vene-
tian ambassador was asked by the
Turkish grand vizier to ratify treaty
by swearing In the Moslem fashion
prophet he declined because, as he
said. 'the Venetians wear no boards"
This remark was too much for the
Turk. who retorted angrily, Nor do
monkeysw an exclamation which caus-
ed the other to tear up the treaty and
retire from the conference. The Sc
quel was sanguinary conflict in
which fell 10000 Christians and four
times that number OF Turks.
But the Turks were not the only
ones to use blows instead OF argu
ments OH the slightest prOvocatiOn.
The emperors Of China have ever been
famous in this direction. the record
instance being war 250 years ago
which began Though the smashing OF
a teapot. This indispensable house
hold article was looked upon by its
owner, a high dignitary Of the court.
quently 1t accompanied the great man
on his journeys.
1t so happened that when he was
travelling through the lawless prov
inces I'm the northwest OF China some
Of his retinue were intercepted by
band OF robbers, who found the teapot
among the baggage and Indignantly
flung it to the ground and broke It.
The matter was reported to the en-
peror, who was so indignant at his IA
vorite's loss that he sent out q puni-
tive force, and n long war began which
resulted I'm the death Of 100000 men.
A conflict over teapot, even valu
able one, seems almost out Of the
range OF possibility until one recalls
that a bucket was once the innocent
cause OF n terrible war Nine hundred
years ago a party OF soldiers OF Mo-
dena stole n bucket. apparently as n
practical joke. from public well In
Bologna and refused TO restore II.
Fights thereupon took place between
the soldiers Of the rival states and
started a war which devastated
large part OF Europe.
The cash value Of that bucket was
only a few shllings, but wars have
often been waged concerning things
that represented little from none
tary point of view. An excellent illus
tration Is afforded by Algeria. which
came into the possession Of France
through n disagreement over a petty
debt. The hey OF Algiers demanded
immediate payment through the
French consul, who asked for time TO
pay and I'm reply was beaten and
thrown into prison.
A couple Of days later n conflict was
begun that continued for twenty years,
during which time more than 100000
was surely unnecessary for so paltry
q, cause. and the same remark Is equal
ly applicable to other wars.
In 1870 the Transvaal was declared
a crown colony, and the salaries of
officials. both Dutch and British. were
cut down. Among the number so
treated was a certain Paul Kruger,
whose salary was reduced by ESQ per
annum. The loss Of the money an
noyed the Dutchman, who raised the
standard Of revolt. AS n consequence
there followed the Majuba Hill fight,
years Of agitation. the jameson raid
and fnplly the great war which cost
Britain 5000, 100000 and the lives Of
25, 900 Of her sons.
But the most curious war ever
waged over a little matter occurred In |
he sixteenth century. II was carried |
)n single handed for about six years
between a bankrupt grocer Of Berlin |
snd the elector OF SaXony. The i'm |
mediate cause OF the quarrel was the |
irresting OF two of the trndesmcn's |
horses in the electors territory. he |
being a subject of the elector of Bran
Failing TO get redress. he adopted |
what was then perfectly legal eXpe
lent and declared formal war on the
'ealm OF Saxony. The declaration was |
accepted In due form. and the war be
Tan. The grocer burned farms and
wen villages. employee m6rcenaries
lfter the fashion Of the times and |
made himself the terror OF the district
He finally was influenced to stop |
lostilities by Luther. but was betray- |
td into further act OF hostility by |
and, being captured, suf
Iered death on the wheel.