The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
NO AERIAL WARFARE
Use of Airships as Means of Destruction Forbidden
Until 1912

and It IS then possible that new regula-
tlons based on the progress the airshlp
ouilGers nave made viii be put into effect.
Chemical gases and deleterious com
pounds Of the chemists art. the distrjby-
ton OF germs Of disease. on auv OF the
more horrible methods OF making zhat 1
would b really modern warfare ans I
which have occurred 10 the minds Of the
writers OF weird stories. Il not 10 the
men VINO make up the plans Of cam
PaiBnsi are forbidden. The firing N a
proJeetiie filed with any OF these gases
would be breach Of international faith
punishable By the strictest SORT of dfu-f-
pine by the other powers looking IN AZ
the game There is 4 clause thar takas q E.
the expanding bullets. which began Lex
the dum-dUm. used first by the British
army in India 70 stop the fanatic -ush-
ing onward OF the enemy after thsv v,a-a
by all civilized ideas hurt badly enough
TO be out Of the game The d15ro-dur,
deriving its name from the locality N
India where Il was first used, and otbs-
soft-nose leaden bullets with coprsr on
steel cases that are designed 10 r1sir,
rather than TO render an enemy useless
as part Of his command, are an Iegis-
lated against. To-day the modern bullet
plays a most humans part in the war
game
Poison Not Permitted.
The poisoning Of food supplies and OF
streams is also banned, as Il should BE-
Pillage is prohibited. The laws relative
70 contact mines in the harbors OF the
world are extensive. and. Ike the balloon
laws are 70 be taken up again at the
next Hague conference. They were
adopted 20 have effect only up 70 that
time. In this connection the setting Of
mines outside Of the three-mfls limit nav
become an international law It was
sought by Great Britain n the last con-
ference, but was not passed. The laws
regarding mines relate a. much 70 neutral
powers as they Go TO beIHgerents and
are at present most necessary for the
protection OF shipping Of the world.
Ali combatants. IN the same manner as
all ships o. war, must bear the signs
Of being engaged n the strife. IN othe-
words. the Uniform IS necessary. The Mr.
Smith Of An Euglishman's Home" who
IS taken out 20 be shot because he IS
found defending his home armed with 4
rife. IS given as an example IN England
Of what might happen 10 any uon-com-
batant who had the temeritv 70 shoulder
arms without providing himself with a
Uniform. The captain Of the sailing vessel
would have to show that he was an
officer in the pay OF the government and
connected with its naval forces. The
citizen combatant would CO well al least
70 be connected with the home guard" in
one way OF another
The rules n regard 70 the lombard
ment OF unfortiied coast towns ard
cities which were adopted at the second
Hague congress are supplemented By the
rules that protect the coast fishing fleets
from interference. The DOgEer bank IN
cident. IN which the Russian feet or its
way 70 Japan fired upon the English
fishing boats n the North Sea. was re-
sponsible for some OF the agitation that
led Up 70 the adoption Of this rule The
Russian admiral was evidently much
beside himself when ne imagined that
the Jsps were so near St Petersburg.
and the incident aside from lis serious
aspects. was one OF the most ridiculous
OF any that war produced
New Subjects Coming Up.
Before the next Hague congress thers
are likely TO be new subjects for Dis
eussion- The Maxim "silencer" may bs
taken Up. and the possibilities OF modern
science are almost unlimited But, as
has been said. the modern idea OF war IS
that OF q great game. The rules foruu-
ated are more and more strict. The s..
Petersburg conference n ISIS. the Geneva
and London assemblies, leading as they
5id 70 the Cars first congress at the
peaceful city OF The Hague. had their
share II the present code. Ths peace
people. realizing that the Cars ideal.
that OF the disarmament Of the nations
of the world. is not q practicable one. are
taking the long way round. which may
be after al the shortest way through
Every now and then II the deliberations
The cid war spirit crops out even II the
most peaceful OF the delegates The
world is evidently not quite ready 70
yi-e II al up
The laws concerning the arbitration Of
disputes are making war less likely 70
begin The conferences naturally give q
arge part of their tine 20 these laws
war as X Is. however. has
been the big feature Of every congress.
and the reformed game with its elsbor-
ition OF the flag OF truce. the blockade
avs. the rights OF beIligeTents and
as they were understood in the
inc Of Napoleon and Wellington. and
wen before that. make VI what might b
ermed to-day'S Marquis of QueensberTy
ules Of the international game OF give
nd take.
A gentleman BY the name of Grotius.
\ 1875. wrote the first serious treatise On
he subject, DE JUre Bslli et Pacis" Be
ore that time "all was fair IN war"
nd war was much nearer what Gen.
Sherman said Il was IN the civil war
INES in our own country Grotius had
is little influence After him came the
ong line OF peacemakers with their futile
attempts TO put stop TO the whole busi-
less, and last. within the last half-cen-
ury. the men who have undertaken the
.odihcatiOn OF the laws OF warfare. and
hey have begun TO make international
'eace look more plausible than It ever
I'D before.
Their reward has been truly foretold n
he beaTitude. Blessed are the peace
aakers" That they shall inherit the
aTth is not by any means q UtopIzn
dea- Meanwhile they VIII continue 20
ormulate with their warrior brethren
avs that narrow and hUmanize the scope
Z warfare until they shall have legis-
ated II out or business IN The Hague
ourts.
AFR0pTANEc NOT EYDFNcTVF