The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-08-07
PROTECTION FOR
MASSES IN WAR
People at Home Saved From
Its Atrocities.
AMERICAN C0DIF|EO RULES.

Document Which Lincoln Promulgated
Resulted In international Action.
Undefended Towns Safe From Bonn
bardment and PiIlase-BeiIiserene
-Citizens' Rights Defined.
A war between the great powers OF
Europe, says the New York Times edi-
torially, would not visit its atrocities
upon the 396,OOOOOO souls that COM
pose the vast British empire. upon the
16O, 100000 Of Russia, the 92,OOO.OOO Of
France and her colonies, the 65.OOO,-
600 of Germany, the 100000 Of Aus
tria- Hungary and Italy's 100000.
The mass of these SOO,OOO.OO0 people
and their property are protected by
the rules Of modern warfare.
The principle Of these rules had its
most notable enunciation from the
lips Of Talleyrand, who in 1906 begged
to remind Napoleon that the business
Of war should be confined to profess
sional fighting men, to soldiers; that
1t concerned states, not their subjects
or citizens.
The honor of codifying the rules that
protect the noncombatant majOrities
Of civilized nations belongs to the Unit
ed States. Francis Lieber in 1862 drew
up the code for President Lincoln,
which he Immediately promulgated as
General Orders No. 1907 for the con-
% xln IN, hn ofxyil
war. From this sprang the interna-
honal convention of the Brussels con-
ference in 1874, and the two Hague
/, conferences reatfirmed the convention,
adding restrictions to the field Of COM
bat The chief safeguards lie In re-
spect for family honor and rights, the
lives Of persons and private property,
which cannot be confiscated. and for
religious convictions and practice.
When Inhabitants Are Belliserents.
Only If the inhabitants Of a terri
tory spontaneously take up arms to
resist invading troops and carry arms
openly" are they to be regarded as bel
ligerents. The attack or bOmbardment
of towns, villages, dwellings or build
ings which are not defended Is forbid
den, and pillage Of captured towns is
prohibited. An army Of occupation
realizable securities that belong strict
! ly 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 OPP
/ erations.
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 can
not be compelled to fight against their
country, and their rights cannot be
declared abolished. suspended or mad.
m1ssible in court of law. The poison
ing Of wells, discharge Of projectiles
from balloons. the Selling of subma-
rine cables and destruction Of mOnu
ments and works Of art are specially
interdicted
Prisoners Of War Safesuardsd.
But war between actual belligerents
Is also much circumscribed. They can
not declare that no quarter will be Civ
en-. Elaborate safeguards are made
for the rights and humane treatment
Of prisoners of war. The Geneva con-
ventiOn permits the comprehensive
activities Of the Red Cross in the care
Of the sick and wounded on both land
and sea. Unusually cruel weapons are
prescribed. Towns must be amply
warned before siege or bombardment.
and occupied territory may be CON-
PEELED to supply only the actual needs
Of the invading army.
All these rules were ruthlessly VIC
lated In the conduct Of the Balkan
wars, as the recent report Of the in
ternational commission to inquire into
their causes shows. The Balkan states
are not fully civilized. War provokes
savagery. but. says the editorial In
conclusion. war involving the great
powers would be fought with due re-