The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-26
THE RULES OF WARFARE.
Limited CIueIty-The Law Of Fiags.
Spies, Treason and Prisoners.

(From the st. Louis Globe Demoerat)
Although warfare is a relic Of bar
barism, it must be waged between en-
Iightened nations with strict adherence
to many binding rules. prescribed from
time TO time By international law. All
weapons which make warfare actually
cruel and barbarous are regarded as IL
legal unless they viii, by one bold
stroke, speedily terminate the war.
Redhot shot were used in the wars OF
Frederick the Great. Hollow shot or
hollow bullets We're considered cruel
because they became fiattened or irIeS-
ular after coming in contact with bone,
thus making wounds unnecessarily
painful. Langrel, composed OF nails,
knife blades, bits of iron, etc, when
made horrible wounds, is forbidden for
the same reason. Projectiles of an ex-
pIosive nature or charged with infiam-
mable substances, are now considered
unlawful between nations, II weighing
less than fourteen ounces. Likewise
poison is strictly forbidden as an ele-
ment Of war. In ancient war it was
customary TO use poisoned arrows or TO
poison the rivers flowing into an en-
emy's country.
While ii would be proper for either
Spain or the United States to lay waste
the standing crops of the other merely
to temporarily reduce district TO de-
privation. il would De Illegal TO uprOot
vineyards, orchards. etc, so as TO desc
late the country for years afterward
A flag of truce a Red Cross hospital
flag or a signal Of distress displayed
by Spain. for instance, would nave 10
be respected by our forces, and no one
protected by such a signal would be
harmed. Should a body of Spanish
soldiers or sailors show such signal
frauduIently. it would be considered a
gross act of treachery punishable Dy
death.
The employment of spies Is still con-
sidered as legitimate warfare among
| enlightened nations. but the spy, as an
| individual, is generally looked upon as
| a dshonOrable character 1t would be
| improper. therefore. for one OF our
| generals to order a man TO. act as a
| spy All spies must be strictly volun-
/ teeIs. 1t is an interesting fact that
/ should a SPY succeed in Joining his
/ army. he would cease 10 be a spy in a
/ technical sense. and unless captured he
/ could not be captured except as pris-
| 0ner of war. No soldier in Uniform
/ could be executed as a spy serving
/ the enemy, since a spy is necessarily a
| person in disguise. acting under false
/ pretenses or secTeted somewhere
| A man in uniform of the United States
/ caught in the act Of carrying inf9rma
/ ton To a Spanish commander would b
/ executed. II caught by us. since h
/ would be either a spy or traitor.
I Traitors have always been regarded a
! the lowest Of the low by soldiers.
Z ~ yt-av qnyfld he
/ fully handled by a well-bTed nation like
! ours None but a barbaTOus general
/ would COuntenance cruelty 10 war
/ prisoner or a soldier who had surTen-
/ dered. Late in the middle ages death or
/ slavery was the only prospect OF a
/ prisoner OF war Should a parcel of
| our forces Surrender to Spain OF be cap
/ tured. not only all cCmbatants, but
/ such as nOn-cOmbatants as newspaper
| correspondents, guides, messengers,
| ballCCnists, telegraphers or contractors
| either present with the army or assist
| ing it, might be taken as prisoners OF
| war. Should the Spanish force the I
way 20 Washington they might take
| any Of our statesmen prisoners of war
| including the President. The interna-
! tional laws demand that all prisoners
| Of war be subjected only 10 such re-
straint as would be found necessary T.
| prevent their escape. They would BE-
| given as great liberty as possible and
could be punished only for breach OF
| discipline or attempted escapes. Some
| nations provide money allowances fol
| prisoners of war They must also BE-
fed and clothed by the country detain-
| ing them. Thus We would be- required
| 10 sustain our Spanish prisoners COM
| fOrta bly,, although We would. after the
| close Of the war send IN a polite liCtie
| bill to Spain. demanding that the eX-
| pense be refunded. Others besides
| spies forfeit their rights Of protection
| as prisoners of war and can Be eNecut-
| ed when captured. Thus. one of our
| cou1 t-martials might Sentence t. death
| a body of Spanish guerrillas. prisoners
Of war who have been released under
| premise that they viii not fight again
| or deseTters from our own army.
1t would. Of course. be violation OF
! the accepted rules of war to injure non
| Combatants or take them prisoners Of
| war. except in such cases as seiges
| where every citizen must defend h m
/ self as best he can. Old men. w0meT
| and children are always considered
! nOn-COmbatantS. In some Countrie:
| these privileges are extended 10 minis
| ters of the gospel.
A declaration of war between Spair
and this country would cause all for
| eign nations not engaged in the strug
| gle 10 regard US both with the utmOs
! care AS soon as the declaration
| should be made it would be the duty OF
| President Mckinley through our for
| eisn ambassadors and ministers, q
| Immediately notify the ruler of every
| neutral nation. Unless such fOTma
notification should be given a govern
| ment could not be held responsible FOL
and breach of the neutrality laws.