New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-13
Making Waste Paper Of the Hague
Rules of War.

m. r,,,ooean nsttons went into the present wal
With modernized rules 81 war TO ~n'cn 'ne9 "''
all subscribed in one OF The Hague treat'eS signed
., octobe- 1s. 1907. The rules Of war are de
.,,,ol largely ~ restrain armies operating in hos
file territory and 10 protect non-comostan@ e1
rosed 70 the pers Of actual Sighting and The rsor'
q, military occupation. The two nations Vnicn
have oTerrun hostile territory to any extent 50 a
are Germany and Russia
We know very little shout ne crndoct OF 'ns
Rrssian armies In East Prussda and 0sEoe- VIC
,,so,, ~ Tho rule. OF war may have occurred
there. But Of Germany's Offences IN Belgium ana
France against the spirit and letter OF The hague
treaty we know great deal German indiherence
70 the rights Of belirerents and Of non-comostants
Is attestod BIZ constantly increasing mass OF evil
dence
The German aeroplane attacks on Paris are not
s.-,oa ,n Eo-IiD When Paris was threatened
with siege and the German advance Was almost
:, .,eht Of the city's outer forti6cstions there
,isb. have beer some color Of an excuse for these
hor,ha rd,nents II might have been argued that
,he German bomb throwers were trying TO hamper
tho rnovenen. of French troops or TO destroy
bridges. forts and supply depots In actual military
- ~ +ba enernv. The rules Of war require that
no+ice shan be given Of the tombsrhnent OF foT-
tiled places There might be SONS disposition t.
waive the Obligation n give notice 10 the case Of
an aeroplsne attack starting from 8 base many
miles distant Il that attack we're associated with
-,o.r military operations and had definite mill
tary object
But 10 drop bombs on 3 city seventy miles from
the nearest battle line, with no other result than
10 destroy private property and XIII women and
children and other con- batants Is not to carry
on civilized warfare II s clear violation of the
gus rantees given TO non-combataDts. 1t Stays the
innocent without cause and IN 30 far es u wan
toply destroys private property without any mill
tsry justification is as explicitly condemned by The
Hague convention as pillage ~.
In q protest from the French government re-
gently filed With our State Department the charge
is made that on August IL. 12 and IA the Germans
bombarded the unforti6ed and undefended city o.
ponta Mousson. That bombsrdment, IT is alleged
broke the laws Of war IN three respects-Ftrst II
that the CITY was unfortifed and undefendcd
second. in that notice vas given, and, third, II
that the German fire was directed at the city hos
pital which few the Red Cross flag and was ais
an historic monument.
The partial destruction OF the Rheims Cathedra
showed how Indifferent the Germans arc To tn
protection which the rules Of war seek to tbrov
about historic monuments and buildings dedicate
10 religion and art The world was outraged b
The vandalism practised at Rheims, Yet that piec
OF vandalism committed in the actual area OF hos
tiities. was nothing like as fragrant the droI
ping Of bomb last Sunday on Notre Dame Cathe
drsl in Paris. when the nearest point Of contac
between armed forces was seventy miles away .
the northwsrd.
The New York Times on Sunday contained
photograph Of war scene IN Belgium in whic
German troops standing guard over Belgia
captives required 10 dig rife pits before Antwerp
n this photograph is genuine it is evidence Of az
other violation Of the rules OF Article VI o
the international code says in regard 10 the labo
imposed ON prisoners: The tasks shall not be ey
cessIye and shall have connection with IN
oneyst,ons Of war" A hostile civilian populstio
is also protected by Article LII. which says in NJ
gard TO reouisitions in kind and services demande
hv an invading force: They shall be IN proper
.,on TO the resources Of the country and Of such
nature as not 10 Involve the Inhabitants in tn
obligation OF taking part In military operation
srainst their own country
In an issue OF the Hamburger Fremdenbstt
O, shout a month hack reference was made In a
sr,,cl. on one Of the prison camTs 10 Testphs Ii
70 the employment Of the prisoners there on earth
,vork." II these ca rthworks were OF militar
character the laws Of war were violated In maxim
prisoners construct them.
Furthermore the excessive cash ievtes made oil
Brussels and Iiege not justified by the inter
national code. An army occupying conquered ter
r+tory Is permitted TO collect taxes for the main