The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-14
WHEN THE GUNS ROAR.
Coast Of Cuba Will Be the Scene
of Conflict.
LAW in RELATION TO BLOCKADES.
Must BE Actual, Not Merely on Paper.
Military Usage No Longer Countenances
Wanton Destruction of Cities-How His
tory Regards the Burning OF Washington

WASHINGTON, April Al Special. mo
matter what else may happen, there is no
expectation that war between Spain and
the United States will be carried into the
enemy's country. Military men agree
that no effort will be made by Spain to in
wade the United States and that no at
tempt will be made by tho United States
to Invade Spain. Cuba is naturally looked
to as the battle-ground, as the bone of con-
tentlon between the two nations. 1t is
well known TO be the policy of the United
States TO invests Cuba with our fleets, to
blockade the chief cities and to prohibit
the sending in of supplies. Under modern
construction of international law block
ade must be actual, not merely on paper.
The days have gone by in which belliger-
ent may issue proclamation that such and
such ports are blookaded and thereby at
tempt to keep out all the merchant ships
of neutrals To be effective the blockade
must be actual, physical. In that case,
and in that case only, does the prohibition
apply. and merchant ships trying to run
the blockade do SO at their own risk.
No Spanish Invasion.
1t is true that Spain may In desperation
attempt to lombard one or two American
cities, but there Is not much fear of this
on the part of our naval experts. They
believe the energies of tho Spanish navy
are to be confined to an effort to defend
Cuba and to inflicting damage upon the
warships of the United States When the
heavy guns Legin to roar, it will be along
the coast of Cuba. There Is small chance
that the Spaniards will endeavor to attack
Boston or New York or Washington. The
wanton destruction of cities not directly
involved in the natural line of attack is
discouraged by modern writers upon mil
itary law and usage Even If Spain had
the naval power to ascend the Potomac
and lay Washington in ruins it would BIO
very poor policy to do so, because the effect
of such an act would react upon Spain.
In the inevitable day of settlement, when
she had been overcome by the United
States, that would be a bitter score to
wipe out. 1t would be necessary for Spain
to pay dearly for the privilege of throwing
shell into the capitol.
The Burning of Washington.
Nearly all writers of history, whether
they be American, English or continental,
agree that the burning of Washington by
the British in 1914 was an outrage and an
indignity unexampled In modern times.
The British raiders set fire to the presi-
dents house, tC the capitol and other
buildings, and they destroyed or carried
away valuable records and committed
other acts of savagery. Treating of this
lamentable episode, distinguished his
torian wrote:
But the penalty inflicted upon Great
Britain for this vandalism was summary
and effective. The invaders were almost
Immediately and ANONYMOUSLY driven
back to their ships with the humiliation
and stigma attached to horde of baffled
marauders. Whatever party divisions ex-
listed In the United States as to tho policy
of the war ceased when it was learned this
was the way in which Great Britain pro-
posed to carry on the war. Throughout
the continent of Europe there was not
publicist who did not condemn the out
rage as a disgrace to England and as
gross violation of the laws of war. Napo-
leon had been spoken of as reckless, but,
though he occupied almost every capital
in Europe, instead of destroying the pub
lie buildings he took them under his pro-
lection. 1t is not surprising that the mill
tary spirit of the United States should
have been stimulated by this outrage and
that the battle of New Orleans was tho
response to the burning of Washington"
Even in Great Britain this vandalism
was severely condemned. The Edinburgh
Review that very year said: Nothing
could be so unwise, To say nothing more, as
our unmeaning marauding expedition to
Washington and Baltimore, which exas-
perated without weakening and irritated
all the passions of the nation without even
q tendency to diminish its RESOURCES
nay, which added directly to their force
both by the indignation and unanimity
which they excited and by teaching them
to feel their own strength and to despise
an enemy that, with all his preparation
and luminosity, could do them SO little
substantial mischief"
Where War Is Justifable.
1t would be the shortest sighted policy
possible for Spain to attempt to lay waste
an American city, for that act would give
rise to such passions that nothing short of
absolute ruin of the Spanish empire
would satisfy the American people. Be
sides, the destruction of purely CONNER
cial city, where no war operations were
carried on, would be contrary to the rules
of war as now construed. The broad rule
Is that war Is justihable only where It's
operations tend to secure the ends of war.
Wanton destruction Of property that could |
not by any possibility nourish or give
shelter to the opposing force is forbidden
by the rules Of war. On the other hand, |
Of property that could be just
ly regarded as directly or indirectly con-
to the support of the enemy or |
as affording him q base Of operations Is
justiflable.
Every case must be judged according to
the circumstances surrounding 1t. The |
broad rule is that wars necessities permit |
Of the destruction of movable property, of |
the ways and channels of traffic, for by In
flicting such losses upon al enemy he may |
be seriously crippled. But the burning OF |
buildings which could never contribute to /
the enemy's strength Is not within the
rule. The latest construction Of the rule
does not admit of wholesale seizure or de-
struction of private property on the more
suspicion that it may contribute to the
strength of the enemy but restricts such
seizure or destruction, save under special
to public movable property.
A victorious army seizes all public money
md movable property and sequesters all
he revenues of the conquered government
m the regions taken possession of. But
,cboole upiversitiea librarie works of |