The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06

the American view made by Capt Crozier in |
his speech in support OF an amendment OF the
committees report which he proposed to the
conference. lie dealt with tho whole subject |
in broad. logical, convincing statement.
which would seem to be unanswerable but
which failed to alter the decision OF majority |
OF the delegates. The chief points OF his |
speech made before the full conference on |
Tuesday last follow:
The general principle touching the subject |
was well stated at st. Petersburg in 1853. viz |
That justhabe limits would be passed by the |
use of arms which would aRgravate uselessly |
the sufTerings OF men already placed hors de |
combat or would render their death inevitable |
The Convention Of st. Petersburg then pro- |
ceeded to declare the prescription OF the only |
violation OF the principle then in view l. G., the
use OF explosive proJectiles Of weight below |
400 grammcs.
1T is now desired to extend the prohibition
to other than explosive bullets. having in view
efforts to increase the shock produced by the
bullets of small calbres now in use or OF the
still smaller calibrcs which may come In for
muating the prohibition. what Is the object to
be kept in view ? Evidently to forbid every
thing which, in the direction Of cruelty. goes
beyond necessity, and what is necessary? Tho
declaration OF st. Petersburg says 1T is sufficient
to place hOrs de combat the greatest number OF
men possible My honorable colleague the deie-
gate from Russia has stated here that the OBJ
ject Of war is to put men hors de combat For
military men there can be but one answer to
\ the question-that the man hit by bullet
shall be placed hors de combat: and with this
object. and the prohibition OF everything be-
yond it in view. l propose the amendment
which states directly what is admissible and
, all that is admissible.
1T has also been stated that ordinary bullets
suffice to place hors de combat there are diff
| ferences Of opinion as to this. as covering all
! cases. | cant speak of them freely because
| the United States are satisfied with their bull
| let and see no reason for changing it. but
| whatever may be the with the bullets
actually in use no one can saw what 1t will be
| II the decrease Of calbre. which this confer
ence has not limited. shall continue. And here
We see the weak point of the article which
| confines the prohibition to single class-viZ..
| bullets which expand or fatten-and gives as
| illustration certain details OF construction
tho use OF bullets which expand or fiatten
easily in the human body such as jacketed
bullets OF which the jacket does not entirely
| cover the core or contains incisons, should be
| forbidden
Tho advantages OF the small calibre arc
well known-hatter trajectory. greater danger
space, less recoil and. particularly. less weight
OF ammunition and II any nation shall con-
slider them sufficiently great to wish to pass to
a smaller ealibre. which Is TO be regarded az
| quite possible. her military experts will at once
occupy themselves with method OF avoiding
the principal disadvantage. the absence OF
shock produced by the bullet In devisinZ
means to increase this shock they will naturally
examine the prohibitions which have been i'm
posed. and they will find that. with the ex-
| ception OF two classes-viz.. explosive bullets
! and bullets which expand or 6atten-the field
/ is entirely clear: they will see that they can
| avoid the forbidden detail of construction by
| making bullet with large part OF the cover
! ing so thin as to be ineffective. and that they
| can avoid altogether the prescribed classes by
| making bullet such that the point would turn
easily TO one side upon entering the body so as
to cause II 10 turn end over end. revolving
about its shorter axis II is well known how
easily rife proJectile can be made to act in
this way; or by making one OF such original
form as. without changing it. would naict a
torn wound.
1T is useless to give further examples.
technical officer could spend an indefinite time
In suggesting designs Of bullets desperately
cruel in their effects. which. forbidden by the
amendment which | now propose. would be
permitted under the articls as it comes from
the committee. In fact they would be even
more permitted. for one might be driven. in
the effort to avoid the specified class, to the
adoption of another less humane. II the
shocking power Of a bullet is to he increased
at all. and we may be sure that IL found neces-
aary it will be done in one way or another.
what more humane method can be imagined
than to have it simply increase its size in a
regular manner? But this is forbidden. and
consequently there is great danger of some
more cruel method coming into use. when
there will not be a conference ready to forbid
It, There is always danger in attempting to
cover a principle by the specification OF details.
for the latter can generally be avoided and the
principle thus violated
1T has been stated in the committee that the
language OF my proposition is too vague and
that little would he left Of the article voted IL
it were TO be amended in accordance there
with; but in reality it Is much the more re-
strictive OF the two. for tho committees propo-
sition instead Of covering a principle touches
It at one point only. and in the effort to catch a
single detail of obstruction has left the door
open to everything else which ingenuity may
be able to suggest. 1t has been squarely
stated that tho DUN dun bullet is the
one at which the prohibition Is aimed.
have no commission for tho defence
OF the dunn dunn bullet. about which
know nothing more than have heard upon
this floor but we are asked to sit in Judgment
upon 1t. and for this purpose it would seem
that some evidence Is desirable None, how
ever. has been presented. Colonel Gilinskv.
who to his honor and that OF his Government.
has done here 30 much hard work in the cause
, OF humanity. believes that in two wars this
bullet has shown itself to be such as to infiict
wounds OF great cruelty: but no facts have
been PRESENTED which might lead us to share
his opinion.
, THE only alleged evidence Of which We Fave
. heard at all is that Of the Tubingcn expert
ments and the asserted similarity Of the bullet
used therein with the dunn dum and this the
British delegate has himself been obliged to
. bring in in order that he might deny 1t. Let
= me call attention, however, to the fact that
under the proposed amendment the dunn DUN
bullet receives no license and. II guilty. does
not escape, but falls under the prohibition. pro-
vided a case can be made out against It, We
are all animated with the common dOsre to
prevent rather than to rail against the employ
ment OF weapons Of useless cruelty. and for
the efficiency Of such prevention ask whether