The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-07
THE ETHICS OF WAR.


villains begins TO feel concern in the Gus
toms which govern civilized nations in
| their belligerent intercourse. War In
the earlier history OF the world was a
| most barbarous and inhuman conflict
No consideration OF any kind except
qualification Of the lust TO kill and
enjoy, restrained the fighters. Every
thing was then regarded as fair in
| war. and the annals OF even recent ages
disclose acts Of ferocity which took the
ingenuity OF fiend - devise. The stu
dent Of history may be disposed to pass
without speculation upon the ultimate
retribution TO the un.utored savages who
were little more than wild beasts; but
he cannot read the stories OF barIarities
perpetrated by civilized and Christian
nations without wondering whether any
compensation is provided for the suf-
fering inflicted in the scheme of final
adjustment.
II is only in recent years that more
TO confine war within certain limits.
Attempts have been made to render less
harmful to non-combatants the conse-
quenees OF war. War Is regarded by
i some writer's as an evil not altogether
without its redeeming qualities. Even
the aesthetic Ruskin, In his Precious
Thoughts" says: War is productive
of more good than evil. Nations have
always reached their highest virtues in
| times Of battle. No nation ever yet en-
| joyed a protracted peace without re-
| ceiving ineradicable seeds OF future de-
cline" Count Won Moitke, In letter to
Bluntschll, author of "Droit Interna-
| tional," says: Perpetual peace is a
| dream. and 1t is not even a beautiful
| dream. War is an element of the or
der Of things established by God. The
most noble virtues Of man are developed
| by it-courage, disinterestedness. devo-
| ton to duty and self-sacrifice. Soldiers
| give up their lives by il. Without war
| the world would stagnate, and would
| perish in hideous materialism.''
| These views are not in accordance
! with the commandment attributed 10 the
| very highest source: Thou shalt not
| kill" Writers on international law
seeking TO find a justification for that
| which they were compelled to treat OF
| as an actual condition, have sought
| refuge in some such dogmatism as that
| Of Woolsey, who says that war may be
| Of peace for the purpose of attempting
| TO procure good or prevent evil by
| force That may be a definition Of
| just war. but we know it would not
| answer In the case OF many Of those
| brutal assaults upon liberty and those
| high-handed robberies of territory which
have been the inspiring motive of most
| armed conflicts.
Nevertheless. the world does not seem
| to be able 10 do without war, and an
| apologetic effort is made by better hui
man nature 10 procure at least a SEM
| blance OF humanity.
| To that end what are called the
Christian nations have agreed upon GER
| tain rules which each is expected 10
| observe. 1t Is now understood that al
| though when one nation is at war with
| another, all the citizens OF the one are
| deemed to be in hostility to the citizens
| Of the other, the status OF non-combat-
ants is recognized. All those persons
| who pursue their ordinary pacific avo-
| cations. including old men, women, chill
| dren, and others who are exempt or are
| not organized or called into the military
| service Of their state during hostilities.
are classed as non-combatants. An
other suggestion Of humanity Is that
although prisoners may b. taken, they
| are not Ia be n7alireated or regarded az
| criminals. a prisoner OF war commits
10 oYense in attempting 10 escape. and
cannot he punished IL recaptured. al
though Ia may be killed during the pur-
| suit
These modern notions are carried even
into the character Of the instruments
| permissible in war. Savages Use pol
soara arrows. bat now Il is a breach #
| international law To use any bullet
which VIII inaict a poisonous wound.
70 use a tagbed bayonet. a detachable