Evening star., 1914-10-04


not being able to subordinate our mill
tary action to our feelings of compass
sion for the sufferings of the nom
nsn1ins population. Our course is dis
tlnctly marked out to US by the law
OF war and by the duty OF protecting
the German army against new attacks
from the army of Paris
ihat the German artillery does not
intentionally fire upon buildings de-
signed to shelter women. children and
invalids it is scarcely necessary to as
sert, in view of the conscientiousness
with which the Geneva convention has
been observed by us, even under the
most difficult circumstances On ac-
count Of the style of architecture in
.he city. and the distance from which
the batteries still fire, a casual injury
to such buildings is with difficulty
avoided, as is also the wounding or
killing of non-combatants. who. in
every siege. are greatly to be pitied.
The fact that painful. and, by US, deep
ly regretted events must be connect
ed with siege in a city like Paris to
a greater extent than in other strong
holds. should have deferred the author
tiles of the city from fortifying or
from making an obstinate defense But
no nation can be permitted to make
war upon its neighbors, and, in the
course of the same, to endeavor to
protect Its main stronghold by point
ing to the unarmed and neutral inhabi-
tants residing therein, and to the hos
pitfalls, in the midst of which the armed
forces. after every attack. may seek
shelter and prepare for new attacks.
Count Bismarck further emphasizes
the fact that the German advices con-
tanned everything possible to induce
all the neutrals to leave Paris before
the actual investment began, and
blames the Partisan authorities fol-
having prevented this exodus.
Another feature of that great wal
; that is being duplicated in the present
war is the repetition of charges and
countercharges by the opponents OF
the struggle that their foes INDUCED In
inhuman and barbarous practices. The
first of these complaints was sent to
Minister Washburne in Paris. through
our Minister Motley at London, by
Count Bismarck. August %, 1870. II
charged that flags of truce had beer
fred on. He complained that there
were not enough German surgeons te
care for the French wounded. and thai
the flag Of truce was intended to Sc.
cure medical aid for them from the
French. He also charged that Ger.
man medical corps wearing the Red
Cross badge were fred on by the
French.
Minister Washburne presented this t.
the Prince De La Tour DAuvergne
the French minister of foreign affairs
to which the latter replied:
"The statements made In this tele-
gram are too contrary to the traditions
of the French army to make 1t possible
for me to accept them as exact have
this day made them known to the min
lister Of war. and I will hasten to COM
municate to you the explanation which
he will not fail to give me. and which
will, doubt not, reduce to their just
value the protestations of the Prussian
government"
Before further replies could be made
Count Bismarck followed them up by
further charges of violation of the
Red Cross convention.
Prince DAuvergne made a long re-
ply August 81, through our govern
ment, to the charges of Bismarck. in
cluding a long list Of counter accusa-
tions against the conduct Of the Prus-
sian army:
Prussia will persuade no one that
our soldiers have deliberately set at
naught the sacred privilege of ambu-
lances. and the freedom of flags of
truce, and we have no need to defend
ourselves against such accusations.
"It seems, moreover, that the Prussian
government has shown too much eager