The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-12-26
STARTING A WAR.
Tiny Sparks Have Often KindIed
Monster Conflagrations.
CONFLICTS BORN OF TRIPLES

n broken teapot ana o stolen Bucket
Cost Years Of Carnage and Hundreds
Of Thousands of Lives-Paul Kruger
and the Great Boer Uprising.
The history Of warfare contains nu-
merous examples of conflicts that
have originated through trifling 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
upon his beard and the beard of the
prophet he declined because, as he
said, "the Venetians wear no boards"
This remark was too much for the
Turk, who retorted angrlly, Nor do
monkeysp an exclamation which caus-
retire from the conference. The Sc
quel was a 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 on the slightest provocation.
The emperors Of China have ever been
famous in this direction. the record
instance being war 250 years ago
which began through the smashing of
teapot This indispensable house
hold article was looked upon by Its
owner, a high dignitary Of the court,
as a priceless treasure. and conse-
quently 1t accompanied the great man
on his journeys.
1t so happened that when he was
travelling through the lawless prov
inces 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 1t to the ground and broke 1t
The matter was reported to the en-
peror, who was 80 indignant at his IA
tive force. and long war began which
resulted In the death Of 100000 men.
A conflict over teapot, even a valu-
able one, seems almost out of the
range of possibility until one recalls
thar bucket was once the innocent
cause Of terrible war. Nine hundred
years ago party of soldiers OF Mo-
dena stole bucket. apparently as
practical Joke. from a public well In
Bologna and refused to restore It.
Fights tbereupon took plnce 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 few shillinga, 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 disagreement over petty
debt The hey of Algiers demanded
immediate payment through the
French consul. who asked for time to
pay and In reply was beaten and
thrown into prison
A couple of days later conflict was
during which time more than 100000
lives were sacrificed. Such calamity
was surely unnecessary for so paltry
cause. and the same remark Is equal.
ly applicable to other wars.
In 1879 the Transvaal was declared
officials, both Dutch and British. were
cut down Among the number so
treated was II certain Paul Kruger,
whose salary was reduced by ESQ per
annum. The loss of the money an
noyed the Dutchman, who raised the
there followed the Majuba Hill fight
years OF agitation. the Jameson raid
and llInlly the great war which cost
Britain e220.00O.00O and the lives of
$4,000 Of her sons.
But the most curious war ever
wagcd over little matter occurred in
the sixteenth century. II was carried
on single handed for about six years
between bankrupt grocer of Berlin
and the elector of Saxony. The I'm
mediate cause of the quarrel wus the
arrestlng of two of the tradesmen's
horses In the electors territory, he
being II subject OF the eector OF Bran
denburg.
Failing to get redress. he adopted
what was then perfectly legal eSpe
dent and declared formal war on the
realm of Saxony. The declaration was
accepted IN due form, and the war be
gan The grocer burned farms and
even villages, employed mercenaries
after the fashion OF the times and
made himself the terror Of the district.
He hnully was influenced TO stop
hostillties hy Luther hut was hetray'
ed into II further net of hostility by
trcachery and. being captured. suf
tered death ON the wheel.
-s--~---=v ------------
Not Much OF q Game.