The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-09-09
BIG FORTUNES IN
WAR PRIZE MONEY
As Apportioned To The
Fighters.
RULES GOVERN DISTRIBUTION
BY Prize Courts Of Different
NatiOns-Hagu Court
the Highest.
SOME yICTORs MAY GET RICH

Sailors of the allied naNles III wal
are to receive a substantial reward
n the reports of prizes taken so far
are any indication of what is to
come. According to the incomplete
lists obtainable. the allies have cap
tured about 60 merchant vessels.
All of these will be condemned by
the prize courts in the various coun-
tries. and a proportion of the money
obtained will be divided among the
bluejackets. -t--s
Customs of the different nations
in regard to prizes and prize moneys
are not definitely known by the Con-
suls here, but the English rule on
this question is the same as that
used by the United States prior to
1899. At that time all the rules
governing prize money disposition
were repealed. 1t was the habit i'll
the English navy then. and it is be-
Iieved it still is, to give to the COM
manding officer of the fleet or squad
ron one-twentieth part of all prize
money taken by any vessels under
him.
The commanding officer of a
squadron or division under a COM
mander-n-chief receives one-hf-
teenth of the amount awarded TO
the captors. The Fleet Captain gets
enc one-hundredth of the amount
given to any vessel or vessels in
which he is serving unless the cap
ture is made by the ship he is on
board. In that case he obtains a
share in proportion to his pay. A
commander OF "A single vessel re-
ceives one-tenth of the booty If he is
acting under another officer. If he
is working independently he obtains
three-twentieths. The officers and
crew receive a share of what is left
in proportion to their pay. All YES
sells within signaling distance and in
condition to give aid, if required,
share in the prize money.
Examples of what the awarding
of prize money means to the men OF
the navy may be gained from the
amounts paid by the United States
in the Civil War and the Spanish
American War. A rule which held
in the United States, and it is be-
lieved to be law in England, says
that if the capture is made by SUI
perior force, half the money goes to
the Government. If the captor is
in less strength than the prize, all
the money goes TO the men. But in
spite of this rule more than S15,-
100000 was paid 10 the men of the
Union fleet at the close of the Civil
War. Sums varying from g cents
to 81 800 We're paid to the seamen.
The largest amount To any single
officer was $3S,31S.
Although there were not SO many
vessels taken in the Spanish-Ameri-
can War, the shares Of prize money
we're even larger than in 1866. It
was computed in May, 1898, that the
share TO Admiral Sampson as Com
mander of the North Atlantic squad
ron, which took so many prizes at
the outset of the struggle, was
100000. The capture of the Span
ish fleet at Manila by Admiral Dew
ey's ships brought $7S7.531.56 to
the men of the fleet. The Naval
Pension Fund received like
amount. Admiral Dewey's share of
this was $39,376.57. The men on
the average received sum cores
ponding to three months pay.
So far the allied fleets have taken
about 60 prizes. IL is believed that
these will be held until the end of
the war and then be judged by the
prize courts of the different nations.
According to an international agree
ment signed at The Hague in 1907.
an International Prize Court of Is
members has been established 10
which an appeal can be taken either
on an error OF law or fact by the
owners of prizes from the decisions
of the prize courts OF the captors.
All the contending Powers as sig
natories 10 this agreement.
Estimates made on q conservative
basis have placed the average value