Evening star., 1914-08-01
MODERN WAR LIMITED.
Restrictions Put Upon Combatants
BY Geneva and Other Conventions.
FROM the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
\ war between the great powers of
Europe you'd not visit its atrocities upon
the 500. 10000 souls that compose the
vast British empire, upon the 16O.OO0OOO
Of Russia, the 100000 of France and
her colonies the G5.OOO,OO0 of Germany.
the 5O,OOOO0O OF Austria-Hungary and
Italy's 100000 The mass Of these
500. 10000 people and their property are
protected by the rules Of modern war
fare. The principle Of these rules nao
its most notable enunciation from the
lips of Talleyra who in 1850 begged
to remind Napoleon that the business OF
war should be confined TO professional
fighting men, to soldiers; that II con-
cerned states, not their subjects or clti-
zens.
The honor of codifying the rules that
protect the non-combatant majoritles OF
civilized nations belongs to the limited
States Francis Lieber in 1S6. drew up
the code for President Lincoln. which he
Immediately promulgated as Generat
Orders No. 1907 for the conduct Of the
Federal forces in the civil war From
this sprang the International convention
of the Brussels Conference in 1874. and
the two Hague conferences reafflrmed the
convention, adding restrictions to the
field of combat. The chief safeguards
lie in respect for family honor and rights.
the lives of persons. and private prop
erty, which cannot be confiscated, and
for religious convictions and practice.
Only If the Inhabitants of a territory
spontaneously take up arms to resist in
vading troops and carry arms openly
are they to be regarded as belligerents
The attack or bombardment of towns,
villages, dwellings or buildings which are
not defended is forbidden, and pillage of
captured towns is prohibited. An army
of occupation can seize only the cash,
funds and realizable securities that be-
long strictly to the state, and only the
means of transport, stores and supplies,
and all movable property possessed by
the state that may be used for military
operations Appliances for transmission
of news or for the transport of persons
or things may be seized, even if they be-
long to private individuals, but must be
restored and compensation fixed when
peace Is made. The citizens of hostile
nation cannot be compelled to hght
against their country. and their rights
cannot be declared abolished. suspended
or inadmiSsible in court of law. The
poisoning of wells, discharge of projec-
tiles from balloons. the seizing of SUBJ
marine cables and destruction of monu-
ments and works of art are specially in
terdicted.
But war between actual belligerents is
also much circumscribed. They cannot
declare that no quarter will be given.
Elaborate safeguards are made for the
rights and humane treatment of prison.
ers of war. The Geneva convention per-
mits the comprehensive activities of the
Red Cross in the care of the sick and
wounded on both land and sea. lnus-
ually cruel weapons are prescribed.
! Towns must be amply warned before
siege or bombardment. and occupied ter
ritory may be compelled to supply only
the actual needs of the invading army.
All these rules were ruthlessly violated
in the conduct of the Balkan wars. as
the recent report of the international
commission to inquire into their causes
shows. The Balkan states are rot fully
civilized War provokeS SaVagery. but a
war involving the great powers would be
fought with due restraint.