Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-31

| heart. but there can be no doubt that
sooner or later we will have another war
| on hand war with all its terrors, with
all the misery that travels inevitably In its
wake"
This is regarded in Europe as an attempt,
| coming indirectly from the kaiser, to dis
| credit the peace conference beforehand.
William. 1t will be remembered. had
planned to issue proclamation such as
the car announced. Nicholas got ahead
| of him.
But" says Esmarch. while the peace
conference as such. may be barren of re-
suits. 1t may do much to humanize war.
| ! have gone through war and know what
| It means. 1 also know what the war of
the future will be- for I have studied the
new-fangled implements of warfare and
am convinced that the number of the
| wounded will be tremendous. The new
small caliber quick-fring rifles will work
far more havoc than the physicians and
| their assistants can possibly attend to
| And the worst of 1t is the physicians them
| selves Will be forced to go within the range
| of fire.
I'm view of this. appeal to public opin-
| ion throughout the world to bring pressure
| upon the peace conference that is to as.
semble at St. Petersburg in the spring.
| to this end. Let the various governments
represented there agree on certain meas
ureS to humanize war. Let the army
leaders of the world enter into a conven-
| ton to do all possible to alleviate the ter
rors of war within their own ranks and
within the ranks Of the enemy.
above all i. will be necessary to re-
new and amend the International agree
ment of 1868; which declared against the
use of explosive bullets of less weight than
400 grammes. So far this agreement has
been kept religiously by all nations but
It seems to me there is. of late. a tendency
TO evade II. In India. as well as in Egypt.
| the English used bullets from which the
mantle had been removed. Such bullets
infiict the most serious wounds. In most
cases they cripple the wounded for life.
Now this is not and cannot be the OBJ
1ect of battle. In battle we want to inca
| pacitate the enemy from bearing arms We
want to knock him down and disable him
for the time being, but, If possible. this
operation should be unaccompanied by un-
necessary pain. As civilized persons. we
don't want to prevent him from emerging
from the hospital sound in limb. and gem
eral health.
or Dum-Dum Bullets.
Il have attended the trials with Dunn
Dunn bullets, mantleless bullets. which
| Professor Bruins in Tubigen arranged He
practiced on dead bodies, Of course
"Mantleless bullets fired at a distance of
6S0 feet worked greater havoc and caused
more dangerous wounds than are inflicted
by any other instrument of warfare. In all
cases the opening made by the bullet leav-
ing the body was extraordinarily large and
ragged. Where the bullet passed through
muscles 1t caused a hole as big as a man 8
fist. Where it went through bone the
bone was shattered into infinitesimal splin-
tiers and particles. The bone could not be
tance Of from seventy-five to $50 feet was
nearly cut in two at the spot struck. In
| most cases it was held together only by
| strips Of skin or muscle. Big pieces of
| flesh were torn away. The softer parts
We're turned inside out.
Trials at great distances showed that in
all cases the mantleless bullet injuries a
person worse than the ordinary one. Its
explosive tendencies do not cease. even IL
fired at distance of 1.600 feet.
IF the injured do not bleed to death
| amputation becomes imperative. But where
are the surgeons to do the work? In the
war Of the future the number of wounded,
as stated, will be much greater than in any
previous war; moreover, owing to the
! longer range. the army physicians cannot
remain behind the front: they must be on
the battlefield proper, where they are ex-
posed to the general carnage. Amputating
under these conditions Is almost an i'm
possibility.
Therefore, I say, let the peace confer
ence declare against mantleless bullets. and
against any sort of bullet invented. or yet
| to be invented, that does more than dis
able the fighter. Civilization demands such
course
Let the conference further decree that
any new bullet proposed shall be sub
| mitted to an International board Of ply
| its adaptability or unadaptahility. II the
peace conference makes an international
law prohibiting the use Of bullets unpro-
tected by steel mantle. It will benefit hu-
ing toward eternal peace.
THE conference should further take into
consideration that the wounds caused by
the regular small caliber quick-fring rife
As there will be more wounded than the
physicians can possibly take charge Of, let
the conference decree that the common SOL
diers. as well as the officers. be instructed
in bandaging wounds and In attending to
themselves or neighbors.
The peace conference should make the