The San Francisco call., 1899-07-02

EDITORIAL VARIATIONS.
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BY JOHN McNAUGHT.

tiles will repeal them TO get IheIh Out
of the way.
Bv a vote Of the delegates of the
Peace Conference summoned TO The
Hague to give little spectacular per-
formance for the amusement OF the
Car, it has been decided that the
United States and Great Britain repre-
sent and stand up for the parparlsfns
of war while Russia is the champion
Of an enlightened and meTcifuI hu1lah-
ity even in the rage of battle.
The issue upon which the DECISION .
was reached is interesting, since 1t
shows the acuteness of diplomatic IN
tellects and the keennesS. with Whlch |
the august conferees, even after a
Netherland dinner, can distinguish be-
tween the merits or dement's of various
methods of putting: an end to an enemy
who is trying to. put an end to you
The issue arose on a question
whether or no a civilized nation may
use in war shells charged with
asphyxiatfng gas. America and Great
Britain said Yes. Russia said No
Captain Mahan in supporting the
American view of the case, asked why
the employment of gas should be inter-.
dcted while the more cruel wholesale
destruction of life aimed at by the sub
marine torpedo should be permitted
"a shell charged with asphyXiating gas
need not necessarily destroy human
life" he said, amy more than chloro-
form, but might only place men hors
de combat for a time; whereas sub.
marine boat, stealthiIy approaching
under cover of darkness, might send
thousand sleeping. men to a -watery
grave. Why forbid retail asphyxiation
by air and permit wholesale asphyxia-
tion by Water?" ...
To that question Colonel Jilinsky re-
piled that after a successful torpedo at
tack the victor would bend all his
energies to. save as many of the drown
ing enemy as possible, and so attrac-.
lively did he present that humane view
of the subject that he brought the ma
jOrty Of *tfle conferees to his side and
won his case. Thus Captain Mahan
has to take a back. seat and the Car
can boast of having achieved at least
one victory for humanity. 1t remains
to be seen, however, whether in q
naval battle a Russian ship. after hav
ing reduced one of the fleet of the en-
emy to a sinking condition, will then
bend all of its energies to saving life
instead of going forward to attack and
if possible sink another ship.
The controversy concerning the use
Of asphyxiating gas in shells is not the
only humorous freak that has been
thus far developed at the conference.
In the debate on the question of es-
tablishng permanent tribunal of in
ternational arbitration DR.. Zorn, one
of the German delegates, objected
strenuously to the motion, and said:
"a king holding his title by divine right
could not think of divesting himself of
an essential part of his sovereignty, the
right to shape the nations course at
critical time"
The introduction of the idea of di-
vine right of kings into such a debate
struck Sir Julian Pauncefote as in
congruous, and he described it as "a
view Of statecraft which is not mod
ern." That is decidedly very diplo-
matte way of putting it. The Ameri-
can delegates appear to have been rem
dered speechless by the very thought of
it. At any rate they had nothing to
say. 1t is certain, however, that the
divine right of kings cannot be made to
conform with international arbitration.
One or the other must give way, and if
the Peace Conference cannot induce
the Kaiser to resign, it had better ad-
journ.