The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-04
War UsdaIIy Begun
Ere II Is Declared


From the Philadelphia Press.
n WAR draws near ana shadows the
IAN sky il is just as we'll TO sweep away
lu( the popular niscOnceptiOn that
ITN war and acts of war must he pre-
ceded by declaration" OF the
eight larger wars in the past twenty EIGHT
years all but one, that between France
and China, have been preceded by for
NAL declaration of war. Germany gave
France a weeks warning, Russia did
nearly as much by Turkey in 1877. Peru
and Rolivia declared war month before
hostlities, in 1873; Milan declared war the
day he crossed the Bulgarian frontier, in
1885, as Prussia did i'm 1867. Japan de-
Clared war August and China not until
September, 1894, but the Row Shing was
sunk July 29 and the Chen Huen July H.
while land operations were n month earl
icr. Greece formally declared war be-
fore the first shot was fired, but Greek
troops had then been in Cretc-Turkish
tcrritory-for weeks. In 1929, China and
France were at war for months without
a declaration and this Is the only conSpiC-
uous recent Instance. Rebelions and lesser
wars. like England's in the Transvaal
or with Arab Pasha, the French occu-
patton of Tunis and Madagascar may be
excepted. because the attacking nation
claimed ii was not a war, though In all
were carried on
But while the past thirty years have
made formal declarations of war fanIl-
lar the lesson and experience OF history
is precisely the opposite. Between 100
and 1870 there We're lO7 eases in which
war was begun before a declaration, and
in sixty or so of them 1t was prosecuted
without one. In the other forty a decara-
81 Z
struck. In only ten cases during this 40
years Of European history was a formal
declaration made before the tGhting be-
gan. In over 100 cases which have been
laboriously collected by Colonel J, +.
Maurice, an authority ON the subject,
some decisive advantage was gained be-
fore war was declared, IL war ever was
declared. Acts OF war with a declaration
are the exception, Acts OF war without a
declaration are the rule.
The English wars OF the opening OF this
century were nearly all begun without a
deliboIation. Learning by the purchase of
some papers that Napoleon and Pau in
tended 10 use the Danish fleet, Of which
Denmark knew nothing, the Danish Ves-
sells were surrounded, while helpless at
anchor i'm 1907, and sunk. I'm lS0i Eng
land seized four Spanish frigates on the
high seas. and Lord Westmoreland, i'm
holding them as good prizes declared
that war without previous declaration
was neither contrary to the law of ma
tions nor unprecedented I'm history In
1902 Napoleon seized Soleure, Zurich and
Berne without a declaration OF war with
Switzerland, and in l7gS. 1914 ana 1918 the
territory of the republic was crossed
without notice by French, Russian and
Austrian armies respectively. Gibraltar.
| Ceylon and Cape Colony TO name three
| conspicuous Instances, were seized with
out any declaration, Give In 1859, de-
| stroyed q Dutch feet ON the HOOghly
while England and Holland were at peace,
| "Sink the ------ Dutch" he wrote Ia
| mis- subordinate, land ! Will give you the
! official orders tomorrow" In 1904 France