Evening star., 1898-04-22
DANGERS OF THE sEAcoAsr.
Prospect of War Has Rad Eject ON
Summer Resorts.

prospect OF War Has Had Emect on
Summer Resorts.
"Oh, dear! / did anticipate such a nice
summer at the seashore. and now it is all
broken up
The speaker was a young lady who has
been accustomed to spending her vacation
days at the beach" She said in explana-
ton, now that war was coming, she would
not dare to venture anywhere near the sea-
coast, as she was afraid the Spanish would
kill or capture her.
This sentiment is not held alone by the
young lady in question, for there are many
persons bewailing the fact that it will be q
naval warfare, and that the most danger
Gus places, or those considered to be such,
will be along the coast. A gentleman who
has summer residence at an ocean resort
greatly patronized by Washingtonians, and
who has recently returned from there, de-
clareS that the prospects for a good season
are the poorest he has ever known. He
says cottages which have hitherto rented
for $500. $4OO or $500 a season can now be
secured at almost any price. There is alb
Solutely no demand for them, he says, as
even the citizens of the place are anxiOusly
considering whether or not they will be in
danger of bombardment by the Spanish.
1t was suggested that it would hardly be
worth while for Spanish ship to lombard
a place like a summer resort, no matter
how large or prosperous, as little could be
gained by it. No tribute could be eXacted
scarcely be time for this, it was considered.
as the vessels would be employed, if not
actually engaged with some of Uncle
Sans ships. in attacking seaport cities of
size and Importance.
1t was suggested further that the pl. ces
which would be most apt to be bombarded
would be those which We're absolutely with
ing at the hands of an enemy.
Never fear. there will be plenty of Uncle
Sans vessels to go around and to spare.
said a gentleman to whom the idea of the
danger of spending a summer at the sea-
shore had been given.
Another, who is something of a specula
tor said in view of the fact that rents are
at low ebb, 1T would be a good plan to in
spec as he did not think the war would
continue long, and he was willing to run
the risk of losing his investment, in the
meantime, by bombardment conflagra-
lion.
Unfcrtffied Towns Exempted.
The following unofficial opinion has been
prepared by an eminent law officer of the
government:
Non-combatants are exempt from per-
sCnal injury except in far as it may
occur incidentally in the course of lawful
operations Of warfare. Therefore, If the
hon-combatantS of fortified town are
injured III a bombardment of the fortifica-
tons which is carried on for the purpose
of reducing the fortitications and captur-
ing the town as stronghold of the enemy.
this would be an incident to lawful war
fare; but the laws Of modern warfare
would not permit the bombardment of
city or town without defenses. which
might be exposed by reason of it's location
to the range Of gunboats If the citizens
and people in such towns are non-com-
batants and are pursuing their peaceful
aVocadons, there would be necessity
for bombardrnent, even though desire to
take possession of such towns as military
posts for themselves or as places of en-
campment or for other legal purposes.
There would be no necessity for injury to
the lives and property of the non-com-
patants as long as they maintained them
selves as non-combatants. The only ground
for bomblrding such an undefended town
would be that of inhumanity and cruelty
and a wanton and unnecessary destruction
of the lives and property of people who are
following peaceful avccations and Were
strictly non-combatants. Such action un-
der such circumstances would be wholly
unauthorized by the laws of war.