The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1898-06-17
RULES OF WAR
As Far as Contests ON Land go, They
/ Are Clearly Defined, But Naval
Regulations Vary.

Every day develops new questions
about the rules of war The follow
ing are the rules, relieved of all ex-
cess phraseology:
War is not lawless.
1t is lawful to starve the hostile
belligerents, armed or unarmed.
Commanders, whenever admissi-
BILE, INFORM the enemy Of their inten-
ton to lombard a place, so that the
non-combatants, especially women
and children, may be removed be-
fore the bombardment commences.
Retaliation is the sternest features
of the war. A reckless enemy often
leaves to his opponent no other
means of securing himself against
the repetition of barbarous outrage.
An unjust and inconsiderate re-
taliation reduces both .belligerents
to the plane of savages.
The victorious army appropriates
all public money, public movable
property and sequesters it for it's
own benefit and all the revenue of
real property belonging to the hos
tile nation
AS a general rule, churches. hos
pitfalls, schools and charitable insti-
buttons are not considered public
property
Privataqoperty, unless forfeited
by crimss. can be seized only by
way Of military necessity.
All wAaton violence committed
against persons of the invaded eoun-
try, all destruction of property, un-
less authorized by the commanding
officer, all robbery, all pillage or
sacking. even after taking a place
by main orce; all criminal assault,
woundinA, manning or killing Of
such Inhabitants are prohibited
under the penalty of death, or such
other severe punishment as may
seem adequate for the gravity of the
offense.
A soldier, officer or private in the
act of committing such violence, and
disobeying a superior ordering him
to abstain from it, may be lawfully
killed on F6esspot by such superior.
Chaplafns, surgeons, apotheca-
ries. hospital nurses and servants
are not prisoners of war, unless the
commander has reason to retain
them.
A prisoner of war is subject to no
punishment for being public
enemy, nor is any revenge wrecked
upon him by the intentional infiic-
ton of any suffering or disgrace by
cruel Imprisonment, want of food,
mutilation, death or any other bar
barity.
Prisoners of war are subject to
confinement or Imprisonment such
as may be deemed necessary on ac-
count of safety They may be re
quired TO work for the benefit of the
captor's government, according to
their rank and condition.
Whoever Intentionally infiicts adj
ditional wounds on an enemy already
disabled or kills such an enemy, or
who orders or encourages soldiers
"a do SO shall suffer feath.
se5couss s9sxpgle Soldiers, If dis
guised in the dress of the country,
or in the Uniform of an army hostile
to their own employed in obtaining
information, if found within or Turk
| ing about the lines of the captor,
are treated as spies, and suffer
death. Armed providers, by what
ever name they may be called, are
not entitledsso the privileges of the
prisoner of war.
A spy is a person who secretly,
in disguisSssy nnder false pretenses,
seeks inforlation with the intention
of communicating it to the enemy.
The spy is. punishable with death
by hanging by the neck, whether or
not he succeeds in obtaining the in
formation
The bearerpf flag of truce can
not insist upon being admitted He
must always be admitted with great
caution. -
1t is pmary to designate by
certain fags,s usually yellow, the
hospitals ins places which are she'll
ed, so that the besieging army may
avoid firing on them,
In the MATTER of naval warfare
the laws ofSwar are not SO clearly
defined. There are no non-combat-
ants in naval warfare.
The main issue is that of priva-
teering. The United States is OPP
posed to the practice. Spain has
declared thai until she makes up her
mind to,res6me her privateering, as
of old, she viii treat privateers as
pirates.
Pirates are outlaws and must be
hanged from The yard-arm as soon
as captured.
OnIS Ia Private.
One secret of our national great