Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
BARBAR|TY TO DANISH WAR
CANCEL MERCIFUL RULES AND
NATIONS WOULD NOT FIGHT.
Way to End War is to Add to It's
Horrors-Slay Prisoners and
Non-Combatants.
Arthur Fl. Dutton. in The World Today.


Even its most optimistic sympathizers
must admit that the last Hague peace
conference accomplished but little toward
Its avowed purpose of promoting peace,
On the contrary, at the present day we
find the nations OF the earth. great and
small alike, arming themselves with an
energy rarely equaled in history. War
talk Is rife all over the world. We seem
to be as remote from universal peace as
we were century ago.
The fact is that the conference at The
Hague, like its predecessors there and
elsewhere, has set out toward a laudable
goal along an entirely wrong path It is
indeed remarkable that peace cong -esses,
peace societies and philanthrop:sts gen.
orally should be so universally deluded by
the idea that the way to promote peace 10
to minimize the rgors of war. From the
persistent efforts. generally successful, to
make war less horrible-you cannot
make 1t less foolish-than it is, the sus-
plcion is aroused that the so-called peac
conferences are actually fostered by those
who really wish to preserve warfare, and
heir promoters. und the guise of al
legged humanity, deceive the unthinking
into the belief that they deplore strife
between nations. when, as a matter of
fact. they depend upon it for self-ag-
grandizement.
Let War Be Inhuman.
The more humane war is made the
more nations will indulge in it. The more
barbarous it is made the sooner will man
Kind awaken to its injustice and it's alb
surdity, and Danish 1t from the earth.
During the past century the horrors
OF war have been mitigated in many
ways until warfare has become q gen.
teel art. with numberless really ridiculous
amenities. Prisoners Of war are treated
with kindness and courtesy; the enemy's
wounded are succored; captured cti
are preserved and guarded; private prop
erty OF citizens of q hostile country is
scrupulously respected and, if taken, is
paid for; unusually painful weapons and
missiles are forbidden; unfortified towns
are immune from bombardment; no de-
struction is permitted anywhere save that
unavoidable in military operations. In
fact, war has become sort of enlarged
foot ball game, played strictly according
to rules.
So long as this sort of thing continu s
war will continue. If the nations really
want peace-prompt, universal and last
ng peace-let them proceed as follows
and without delay:
Call at once a conference of the nations
Aprogate the promises of all preceding
peace conferences, and then adjourn
This will be the last International agree
ment concerning war, which will hence
forth be waged without rules until it van
ishes. Make 1t deadly struggle too hor-
rible to contemplate
For example once nation has decided
to- make war upon another, it will give no
more notice of it than can be helped. The
first blow will be struck with vigor and
suddenness. perhaps in the form of slay-
ing all the enemy's citizens within the
borders of the war-waging country.
InenCefOrth mans ingenuity at cr11elfv
would be given full play The war wou d
be a death G apple betw en- two entire
nations. men and women, old and young
instead of between small selected frac-
ton of the male population of each
Abolish Rules