The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-03-29


WV "'S WV Nv" WV"
Tbs FFif"nn~ss 9TH vhich Hu-sts snf
hnsIsni bsv- n"1~ fun'i Themselves p',shssi
~ ths very ysFSs ~ hs-'ili,ies must hsv" In
pr'-s>rb "fh~r nations b'.sifi's- themselves.
a SIMILAR ins'sn"s ~ awi'' ~ h"'ins wsr
slousi@ hsa Jt-' hssn s~~n ou this SIDE 20 tho
ec-an. IN Central Ansrirn.
Yet 70 nsy ." safety ,aid thst, contrary 'o
IN, frnsrnI lmpr~.alon, startling .urpris~s
IN Tho breaking out ~ vsss are In mosisrn
times DOT ~. exception. but the rule. This
results from twU cau-os. First. With modern
m~aos of transportation. m innocent oui past
eas bs swl,Isply converted into the rally
Ing point oi great army. and
the m-Bacing !orcs can ~ quickly
b. thrown forward w sci1s dcbstabi.
ground. 4 million mon can IN . few day-
o. mnbilI9ssi and furnished with supplies for
campaigning. But n still more potent cause
Is the practical character Of modern HOSTILE
tins. In ancient history formal notification
aud chaileng. played n great part In tho
pomp and circumstance Of war. Ambassa-
doris carried back aud forth the defiant cartels
OF their monarchs. and. indeed. up to q com
parntively recent date tho information sent
hy herald or messenger to foreign court
that 1t must prepare for battle. was consid.
cred to be n necessary preliminary to
wagn9 war in chivalric fashion. Now
a'lays this courteous warning or POM
pous announcement would be considered
superfiuous and absurd. Diplomacy habitu-
ally conceals premeditated plans, while the
military advantage Of Selling the initiative
L. the origin OF many a startling outbreak OF
hostilities. Above all, since the Intelligent
conscience Of mankind looks upon war as
q CURSE and often rs n hideous crime, II has
Of late become custom to begin hostilities
while disclalming any belligerent intent, with
the hope Of throwing on the enemy the odium
Of the formal declaration OF war. Hostile Oh.
erntions are disguised as efforts to maintain
order. to effect just rcprisals. to secure guar
antees, to establish corps OF observation, and
% on. In the present struggle between
France and China. even after pitched battles
were fought on land and sea, both sides have
maintained that no war existed.
The clearest statistical proof Of the fact
that hostilities habitually break out without
previous warning or declaration, Is to be
found in certain official papers on this subject
recently compiled by q British officer. Col
MAURICE. His Investigations show that
out OF sixty wars that have occurred during
the present century, fewer than ten were
begun by issuing a formal declaration.
These. too, were all cases arising among
nations that recognize the obligations of
what Ia called civilized warfare. Hostil-
tiles with savage tribes have been excluded
from the reckoning.
Not oply does Col. MAURICE find no nre-
liminary declaration Of war In this vast ma
jorty of instances, but In the greater num-
Der 1.-THE surprise which overlook the as
sailed country was as complete as would be
the effect IL to-day, or at any time during the
Inst year aud a half, a foreign army had
landed on the shores OF England" At all
events. In very large proportion of these
wars, the manifest or the openly declared
object of the suddenness Of the hostilities
was to take the enemy unawares.