Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-02-23
STARTING 4 WAR,
Tiny Sparks Have Often Kind|ed
Monster ConfIagrations.
CONFLICTS BORN OF TRIPLES

A Broken Teapot and 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
a 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, 1.-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 Il 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 a war 250 years ago
which began through the smashing of
a teapot. This indispensable house
hold article was looked upon by its
owner. a high dignitary Of the court.
as q priceless treasure, and conse-
quently it 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 g
band Of robbers. who found the teapot
among the baggage and Indignantly
flung it to the ground and broke 1t.
The matter was reported to the en-
peror. who was so 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
that a bucket was once the innocent
cause Of terrible war. Nine hundred
years ago party of soldiers OF Mo
dena stole bucket. apparently as a
practical joke. from public well IN
Bologna and refused TO restore it.
Fights thereupon too place between
the soldiers of the states and
started war which devastated a
large part Of Europe.
The cash value Of that bucket was
only a few shillings. 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 a 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 a conflict waS
begun that continued for twenty years
during which time more than 5OO,OOO
lives were sacrificed. Such calamity
was surely unnecessary for so paltry
a cause. and the same remark is equal
ly applicable 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 Sc
treated was certain Paul Kruger
whose salary was reduced by f5O per
annum. The loss Of the money an
noyed the Dutchman. who raised the
standard Of revolt. AS q consequence
there followed the Majuba Hill fight
years Of agitation. the Jameson raid
and finally the great war which cost
Britain f22O.OOO.OOo and the lives of
25,000 Of her sons.
But the most curious war ever
waged over a little matter occurred IN
the sixteenth century. 1t was carried
on single handed for about six years
between a bankrupt grocer of Berlin
and the elector of SaXony. The I'M
mediate cause Of the quarrel was the
arresting of two of the tradesmen's
horses in the electors territory, he
being subject of the elector of Bran
denburg.
Failing to get redress. he adopted
what was then a perfectly legal expc'
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 mercenarles
after the fashion Of the times ana
made himself the terror Of the dlstrict
He finally was influenced to STOP
hostilities by Luther. but was betray'
ed into a further act Of hostility D.!
treachery and. being captured, SUI
e1 - ,,,. tba yhpal