New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-10
MANNERS IN WARFARE.

There was great pother not long ago over
the report that Lord Kitcheners troops had
killed some wounded Dervishes In the Soudan'
We saw mt the time no reason to doubt the
story. and were not surprised to find Its truth
established On the face Of It, the thing was
not pleasant But consideration of the circum-
stances gave 1t far different aspect The
wounded men who were killed were not helpless
prisoners They were still combatants on the
fold of battle And a combatant must be treat
ed as a combatant whether he Is wounded or
not. Many a man In our own wars has gone on
lighting furIously and effectively after being
seriously wounded Are we to condemn as muir
der the striking down Of such man IN Dattie
Manv of the Dervishes did the same. But 9th
ers on being wounded dropped as dead, ana
thug Iurcd British soldiers into easy reach or
pistol ball or sword thrust. When wounoeo
and apparently dead man suddenly bounded up
and began shooting or slashing, what was there
to do but to give him his quietus!
We are not, however, seeking 10 Vhdlcate 'he
conduct of Lord Kitcheners soldiers OF 10 re-
thrash the straw Of that old controversy. Inc
pertnence Of the alluson to 1t lies IN the lact
that similar charges have been maze against
some of our own soldiers In the philippines, anu
have been answered in the same way. 1here
are reports that wounded Filipinos have feigned
death. only to spring up and stab or shoot our
soldiers as they passed by; and have been SET
fled with bayonet thrusts or rifle balls. mat
xvaa barsh treatment but so is all treatment OF
nurderers or would-be murderers, or or COM
batants on the field Of battle man cannot pe
noru,tted IN shoot and stab at will, without him
dranco. simply because he has himself been
wounded n he wants to be treated as WOUND
od man he must stop fighting. In one recent
case a man who had actually surrendered as d
prisoner tried to stab one OF his guards anu was
killed We fancy that II In one OF our civil prs
ons a prisoner made deadly Iunse Win d
knife at one of the attendants and were suucA
down TO check him, there would be no serious
fault found. even II the blow were la'ai a
no,,cemon or n soldier has a right to dereno
h,nnself and TO defend his comrade, against
deadly assault. lust as well as any other ihah'
Revond doubt. such occurrences are uhplehs
ant So are most things in warfare ana III ueai,
ing with criminals. But 1t Is the "arlare anu
+ba criminals that render them necessary IL 10
scaroely fitting that the innocent snail suner ioi
A. e,,,ltv or that men who stand up braVeiy u
echt sbal be treacherously murdered py those
mo ere shamming death or disability Lie
! ,,,orsa NJ n flag of truce is justly deemed Ill
infamous thing. There have been stories oi II
in the South African war-that the Beers haSo
raised a white flag to lure the British into range
:, tto,r r,ees These we are not prepared 10
credit they are too infamous for belief, save ,s
on absolutely unreasonable authority. But IL
Is certainly no less infamous thing to use pre-
1900 ~ wounds or death, or ostensible surren-
der as A means to the same end For tnose
Who do such things a short shrift ana stern
fate are all that can be expected