The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-03
The Rules of Warfare,

| Although warfare is 8 relic OF baroar-
ism IL must be waged between e1light-
| ened nations with strict adherence TO
many binding rules. prescribed from time
TO time by international law. All vssA-
pons which make warfare actually cruel
and barbarous are regarded as Illegal IN
less they will. BY one bold stroke. speed
| lily terminate the war. Although nun
dreds may lose their lives at once from
such weapons as submarine rams, mines
or torpedoes. these are not. in the sense
OF cruelty necessarily painful. Langrel.
composed OF nails. knife blades. bits OF
! iron etc. are cruel instruments OF war.
on the other hand. and no self-respecun :
nation would employ them. Red-not shot
were used IN the wars Of Frederick the
Great Holland shot or hollow bullets
were considered cruel because they De-
came aattened and Irregular after coming
| in contact with bone. thus making wounds
unnecessarily painful Langrel, composed
of nails, knife blades. bits Of iron. ETC..
| which made horrible wounds, Is forbidden
/ for the same reason PrOjectiles Of an
explosive nature or charged with infiam-
mabie substances are now considered IN
lawful between nations. II weighing less
than Il ounces. Likewise poison is strict
| ly forbidden as an element of war In an
client wars It was customary to use pots-
oned arrows or TO poison the rivers now
ing into an enemy's country.
While II would be proper for either
Spain or the United States 10 lay waste
the standing crops of the other merely
to Temporarily reduce a district 20 depri-
walton. il would be Illegal 10 uproot vine
yards. orchards. etc. so as TO desol2te
the country for years afterward.
A flag Of truce a Red Cross hospi-
tai flag. OF a signal OF distress displayed
by Spain. for instance. would have 10 be
respected by our forces, and no one pro
tected by such signal would be harm
ed. Should a body of Spanish soldiers or
sailors show such a signal fraudulently
however, II would be considered gross
act of treachery. punishable by death.
The employment Of spies Is still con-
sidered as legitimate warfare among en-
lightened nations, but the spy, as an in
dividual is generally looked upon as rath-
er a dishonorable character, II would
be improper. therefore. for one OF our
generals 10 order a man 10 act as spy.
All spies must be strictly volunteers II
is an interesting fact that should a spy
succeed in joining his army he would
cease to be a spy in technical sense. and
unless captured in the act Of carrying
lECSn 4llIpIllleLioAi A4t NNAAlu AlNN &c ny
tured except as a prisoner OF war. No
soldier IN uniform could be executed as
a spy serving the enemy, since q spy is
necessarily a person IN disguise. acting
under false pretenses or secreted some
where.
A man in uniform OF the United States
caught in the act of carrying Information
to a Spanish commander would be eXeCut-
ed, II caught by u.s. since he would be ell
Their a spy or a traitor. Traitors have
always been regarded as the lowest Of the
low by soldiers
Prisoners Of war would be very care
fully handled by a well-bred nation like
ours. None but barbarous general would
countenance cruelty TO a war prisoner or
a sailor who had surrendered. Late in
TO the Middle Ages death or slavery was
the only prospect OF a prisoner Of war.
Should a parcel of our forces surrender
10 Spain or be captured not only all com
batants, but such non-combatants as
newspaper correspondents guides. mes
sengers, balloonists, photographers. or con-
tractors. either present with the army or
assisting il. might be taken as prisoners
of war. Should the Spanish force their
way TO Washington they might take any
of our statesmen prisoners Of war, in
Guiding the president. The international
laws demand that all prisoners of war
be subjected TO such restaint as would
be found necessary TO prevent their es-
cape. They would be given as great lib
erty as possible and could be punished
only for breach Of discipline or attempted
escapes. Some nations provide money al
lowances for prisoners Of war. They must
also be fed and clothed by the country
OBTAINING them. Thus we would be re-
CURED TO sustain our Spanish prisoners
comfortably. although we would, after
the close Of the war. send in a polite 1T
tie bill to Spain. demanding that the eX-
pense be refunded Others besides spies
forfeit their rights OF protection as pris-
oners Of war and can be executed when
captured. Thus. one Of our courts-mar-
tial might sentence TO death body Of
Spanish guerrillas, prisoners 81 war who
have been released under promise that
they will not tight again, or deserters from
our own army.
II would. of course. be a violation OF
the accepted rules % war 10 inture non
combatants or take them prisoners Of
war except in such cases as sieges. where
every citizen must defend himself as best
he can. Old men. women and children are
always considered nor-conbatants- In
some countries their privileges are extend
ed to ministers Of the gospel
A declaration Of war between Spain and
this country would cause all foreign ma
tons not engaged in the struggle % re-
gard US both with the utmost care. As
soon as the declaration should be made
II would be the duty 81 President Nc
Kinley through our foreign ambassadors
and ministers 20 Immediately notify The
ruler Of every neutral nation Unless such
formal notification should be given gov
eminent could not be held responsible for