The evening times., 1898-05-30
SOME RULES OF WARFARE.
Orders Which Govern Modern
Usages During HOstilities.

General orders of April "a. 1868. compris-
ing instructions for the government Of
armies of the United States in the field,
have been reissued and are beng sent to
the various commanders for their guild
ance during the present conflict with
Spain.
These instructions were prepared by
Francis Lieber. LII. D., the distinguished
jurist, father of the present judge advo-
cate general of the Army. and We're pub
| iished at the direction of President Lin
coin, after being formally revised by a
board of officers, of which Major Gen. E.
A Hitchcock was president. They were
adopted by both France and Prussia In
the war between those countries FIVE
years after the civil war. and were the
| basis upon which a general European
conference afterward acted in drawing up
an agreement on this subject.
The instructions make twenty-four
pages of print and cover almost every
conceivable feature of military conduct
and usage in time of war and a definition
of many of the terms used.
Here are some of the points set down In
the Instructions:
Military necessity admits of all direct
destruction of life or limb of armed"
enemies and Of other persons whose de-
struction is incidentally unavoidable in
the armed contests of the war.
Military necessity does not admit OF cru
eIty-that is, the infiiction of suffering for
the sake of suffering. or for revenge, nor
of manning or wounding except in fight,
nor of torture to extort confessions. 1t
admits of deception. but disclaims acts of
perfidy. It is lawful to starve the hostile
belligerents. armed or unarmed. so that 1t
leads to the speedier subsection of the
enemy
When a commander of a besieged place
expeis the non-combatants, in order to
lessen the number of those who consume
his stock of provisions 1t Is lawful.
though an extreme measure, to drive them
back so as to hasten on the surrender.
Commanders, whenever admissible. in
form the enemy Of their intention to bonn
bard place. but 1t is no infraction OF the
common law Of war to omit thus to In
form them. Surprise may be a necessity
Retaliation should never be resorted to
as a measure OF mere revenge. but only
as means of protective retribution. and.
moreover, cautiously and unavoidably:
that is to say. retaliation should only be
resorted to after careful inquiry into the
realoccurrence. and the character of the
misdecds that may demand retribution-
The more vigorously war is pursued
are brief.
A victorious army appropriates all pub
lie money. seizes all public movable prop
erty until further directed by its govern
ment. and sequesters for Its own benefit
or that Of its government all the revenues
of real property belonging to the hostile
government or nation. The title to such
real occurrence, and the character Of the
military occupation and until the con-
quest Is made complete
The United States acknowledge and
protect, In hostile countries occupied by
them. religion and morality: strictly pri-
vate property: the persons Of the inhabi-
tants. especially those Of women. and the
sacredness Of domestic relations.
Deserters from the American Army.
having entered the service of the enemy, !,
suffer death II they fan into the hands
of the United States
It Is against the usage Of modern war
to resolve. In hatred and revenge, to give
no quarter.
Outposts. sentinels or picke1 are not
to be Ared upon except 10 drive then IN
or when q positive order has bean hsned
to that effect s
Whoever intentionaaly in1licts addftfon-
NJ wounds on an enemy alreAdy wholly
disabled. o. kills him. oe prdsrs <he8 81