The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-10
NATIONS GO ID WAR OVER MERE TRIPLES Some Instanes of the Minor
 Causes THE ANGER OF A TURK Venetian Ambassador Refused to Ratify Treaty in Moslem
 Fashion by Swearing
 on Beard
THE ANGER OF A TURK
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe.
 The history of warfare contains nu- merous examples of conflicts that have originated through triling causes. For instance, Turkey in the past suffered greatly in a war with Venice. When the Venetian ambassador was asked by the Turkish grand vizer to ratify a treaty by swearing in the Mosem fashion upon his beard and the beard of the prophet he declined, because, as he said the yenetians wear no boards"
 This remark was too much for the Turk, who retorted angrily. "Nor do monkeys.-an exclamation which caused the other to tear up the treaty and re- tire from the conference. The sequel was a sanguinary conflict in which fell S0000 Christians and four times that num- Der of Turks.
 But the Turks were not the only ones to use blows instead of arguments on the slightest provocation. The Emperors of China have ever been famous in this di- rection. the record instance being war 250 years ago which began through the smashing of a teapot. This indispensa- bic household article was looked upon by it's owner, 8 high dignitary of the court, as a priceless treasure and conse- quently it accompanied the great man on his journeys.
 It so happened that when he was trav- cling through the lawless provinces in 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 brike it. The matter was re- ported to the Emperor, who was so in- dignant at his favorite's loss that he sent out a punitive force and long war be- gan which resulted in the death of 50O,000 men.
 A conflict over teapot. even a valu- able one. seems almost out of the range of possibility until one recalls that a bucket was once the innocent cause of a terrible war. Nine hundred years ago a party of soldiers of Modena stole a bucket, apparently as a practical joke, from a public well in Bologna and refused to restore it. Fights thereupon took place between the soldiers of the rival states and started a war which devastated a large part of Europe.
 
 few shillings. but wars have often been waged concerning things that repre- sented little from a monetary point of view. An excellent illustration is afforded by Algeria, which came into the pos session of France through a disagree ment over petty debt. The Bey of Alegria demanded immediate payment through the French consul. who asked for time to pay, and in reply was beaten | aT hrAx int y,ticO
 A couple of days later a conflict was begun that continued for 20 years, during which time more than half a million lives were sacrificed. Such a calamity was surely unnecessary for so paltry a cause, and the same remark is equally applica- ble to other wars.
 In 1879 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 cer- tain Paul Kruger, whose salary was re- duced by $50 per annum. The loss of the money annoyed the Dutchman, who raised the standard of revolt. As a consequence 'there followed the Majuba Hill fight, years of agitation, the Jameson raid, and finally the great war, which cost Britain e220000,000 and the lives of 25,000 of her sons.
 And equally tiny sparks have kindled many other confiagrations. The borrow ing of tobacco pipe and it's retention caused civil war in the Pamirs and Af- ganstan, while the stealing of d lace petticoat belonging to a Castle lady by a Moor led to a long conflict. The war be- tween Sweden and Poland, which began in 1854, arose through supposed slight.
 The King of Sweden suddenly discov- cred in a dispatch that his name and titles were followed by only two etcer- eras, while the King of Poland was given three. Result, declaration of war. More disastrous in it's sequel was the throw ing of a small stone by Huguenot child at the Duke of kuise, for it was the immediate cause of the massacre of Vassy and of the 30 years war that fol- lowed
 It will thus be seen that no article is too worthless or a subject too trivial for the purpose of unloosening the dogs of war-not even the spillng of water Mrs Masham, the favorite lady in waiting to Queen Anne, was carrying a glass of water to her royal mistress when she collided with the Marquis de Torey, on whose clothes the water was spilled. The marquis, failing to get an apology, looked upon it as an insult both to him self and his country. The bad feeling en- gendered spread to the courts and other subjects were dragged into the dispute, which was not settled without the inter- vention of the great Duke of Marbor- ough and his brilliant campaigns But the most curious war ever waged over little matter occurred in the six | teenth century It was carried on single I handed for about six years between a l bankrupt grocer of Berlin and the Elector | of Saxony. The immediate cause of the quarrel was the arresting of two of the tradesman's horses in the electors terri | tory, he being subject of the elector | of Brandenbufg.
 1 Failing to get redress, he adopted what ] was then a perfectly legal expedient, and i! declared formal war on the realm of l Saxony. The declaration was accepted l in due form and the war began. The grocer burned farms and even villages. l employed mercenaries after the fashion l of the times and made himself the terror | of the district
 | He finally was influenced to stop hos 1 tilities by Luther but was betrayed into | fbar ct of l,v ool.o