The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-12 00:00:00

The Ambulance Convention,

ACCESSION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE
CONVENTION SIGNED AT GENEVA, AUGUST 22,
1864, FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION
OF THE WOUNDED IN ARMIES IN THE FIELD.
Signed at London, February 18, 1865.
The President and Federal Council of the Swiss
Confederation having communicated to the Govern-
ment of her Majesty the Queen of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, a convention
signed at Geneva on the 22d of August, 1864, be-
tween the Swiss Confederation, his Royal Highness
the Grand Duke of Baden, his Majesty the King of
the Belgians, his Majesty the King of Denmark, her
Majesty the Queen of Spain, his Majesty the Em-
yeror of the French, his Royal Highness the Grand
-Duke of Hesse, his Majesty the King of Italy, his
Majesty the King of the Netherlands, his Majesty
the King of Portugal and the Algraves, his Majesty
the King of Prussia, and his Majesty the King of
Wurtemberg, for the amelioration of the condition
of the wounded in armies in the field, which con-
vention is word for word as follows
CONVENTION FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CON-
DITION OF SOLDIERS WOUNDED IN ARMIES IN
THE FIELD.

The Swiss Confederation, his Royal Highness
the Grand Duke of Baden, his Majesty the King of
the Belgians, his Majesty the King of-Denmark,
her Majesty the Queen of Spain, his Majesty the
Emperor of the French, his Royal Highness the
Grand Duke of Hesse, his Majesty the King of
Italy, his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, his
!Majesty the King of Portugal and the Algraves, his
Majesty the King of Prussia, his Majesty the King
of Wurtemburg, being equally animated by the de-
sire to mitigate, as far as depends on them, the evils
inseparable from war, to suppress useless severities,
and to ameliorate the condition of soldiers wounded
on the field of battle, have resolved to conclude a
convention for that purpose, and have named as
their plenipotentiaries (here follow the names of the
plenipotentiaries), who after having exchanged their
powers, found in good and due form, have agreed
upon the following articles :
ART. 1.---Ambulances and military hospitals shall
be acknowledged to be neuter, and as such shall be
protected and respected by belligerents so long as
any sick or wounded may be therein. Such neu-
trality shall cease if the ambulances or hospitals
should be held by a military force.
ART. 2.—Persons employed in hospitals and am-
bulances, comprising the staff for superintendence,
medical service, administration,tramport of wounded,
as well as chaplains, shall participate in the benefit
of neutrality whilst so employed, and so long as
there remain any wounded to bring in or to succour.
ART. 3.—The persons designated in the preceding
article may, even after occupation by the ehemy,
continue to fulfil their duties in the hospital or am-
bulance which they serve, or may withdraw in order
to rejoin the corps to which they belong. Under
such circumstances, when those persons shall cease
from their functions, they shall be delivered by the
occupying army to the outposts of the enemy.
ART. 4.—As the equipment of military hospitals
remains subject to the laws of war,persons attached
to such hospitals cannot, in withdrawing, carry
away any articles but such as are their private pro-
perty. Under the same circumstances an ambu-
lance shall, on the contrary, retain its equipment.
ART. s.—lnhabitants of the country who may
bring help to the wounded shall be respected, and
shall remain free. The generals of the belligerent
powers shall make it their care to inform the inhabi-
tants of the appeal addressed to their humanity, and
of the neutrality which will be the consequence of
it. Any wounded man entertained and taken care
of in a house shall be considered as a protection
thereto. Any inhabitant who shall have entertained
wounded men in his house shall be exempted from
the quartering of troops, as well as from a part of
the contributions of war which may be imposed.
ART. 6. Wounded or sick soldiers shall be enter-
tained and taken care of, to whatever nation they
may belong. Commanders in chief shall have the
power to delivery immediately to the outposts of the
enemy soldiers who have been wounded in an en-
gagement, when circumstances permit this to be done,
and with the consent of both parties. Those who are
recognised, after their wounds are healed, as incap-
able of serving, shall be sent back to their country.
The others may also be sent back upon condition of
not again bearing arms during the continuance of
the war. Evacuations, together with the persons
under whose directions they take place, shall be
protected by an absolute neutrality.
ART. 7. A distinctive and uniform flag shall be
adopted for hospitals, ambulances, and evacuations.
It must on every occasion be accompanied by the
national flag. An arm badge (brassard) shall also
be allowed for individuals neutralised, but the de-
livery thereof shall be left to the military authority.
The flag and the arm badge shall bear a red cross
on a white ground.
ART. 8. The details of execution of the present
convention shall be regulated by the commanders in
chief of belligerent armies, according to the instruc-
tions of their respective Governments, and in con-
formity with the general principles laid down in this
convention.
ART. 9. The high contracting powers have agreed
to communicate the present convention to those
Governments who have not found it convenient to
send plenipotentiaries to the International Confe-
rence at Geneva, with an invitation to accede there-
to ; the protocol is for that purpose left open.
ART. 10. The present convention shall be ratified,
and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Berne in
four months, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof
the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same,
and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms.
Done at Geneva, the 22d day of August, 1864.
And the Swiss Confederation having, in virtue of