The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-28
CLARIFYING OF HAGUE
RULES PLEASES U. s.
Officials Glad "Thc Sum IN
planned Their Lack of Force
in This War.
GLOOM ABOUT THE FUTURE

wAsutSGroN, Nov. 27.--The clarihca-
ton by THE Sun Of the facts REGARDING
the relation OF the Hague conventions
and rules of warfare to the present con-
hIct Is heartily. though privately and un-
officially. welcomed by those officials OF
the state Department who are thor
oughly informed on the subject.
That the general public has not under
stood that these rules have been virtually
nullifled because the belligerents have not
agreed to all of them has OF course oeeh
all along familiar 20 the Department OF
state.
For obvious reasons the Department
has not deemed 1t wise to make any an
nouncement In the way of correcting the
many Observation-Disclosures which have been
voiced by public men. but 1t has pri-
vately and Informally set right those VINO
have had occasion TO make specihc III
qulry on these questions
I'VE fact that the conventions may be
rendered nugatory for all the bellgefeH's
by the entrance of one belligerent VINO
has not ratified this or that rule mas io'
a long time been recognized by those IN
terested IN tho Hague conferences as one
of the short comings Of the work or these
conferences.
IL has been admitted that the struc-
ture built up at the conferences TOT the
purpose of conhning war operations WIN
in certain limits was weak in this par
ticuar
What was accepted, however, was re-
aarded as so much better than nothing
al all that considerable satisfaction mas
been taken in the partial approval as az
least a step In the right direction. No'
the least OF these causes for satisfaction
Il. a.
they would do much toward mouldln%
world opinion on the subject OF the rules
OF war and the practices the conventions
sought to prohibit ard thus prepare the
way for the strengthening Of the rules
themselves at the next conference.
Another weakness II the Hague con-
ventions. according to opinion here, was
th, total absence OF any supreme power
charged with the duty OF enforcing these
conventions Provision for anything APP
preaching such power IL conspicuous ny
its absence from the rules, and i IL saId
that this omission was due 20 the fact
that It was recognized as impossible even
to attempt such provision.
Tic delegates to the conferences, IL Is
declared recognized these defects a; IN"
time but found themselves wholly unable
20 20 any further than they did e. ana
were compelled to insert In each conNrn-
ton the clause that It should he Of no
force in war II one or more Of the BEL
ligercnts were no; pledged TO II.
The fact that practically all OF the rules
failed 10 get a unanin Us ratification is
regarded as conclusive proof - the In
ability OF the conference 20 attempt any
thing fur;her at that time Even the
United states failed 20 sgn all the con-
yentlons notably the one furbidding tn"
use OF dumdum or explosive or other
bullets calculated to inf'ict superhuous in
iurV ON he human body.
The state Department has conse-
dueute been unmoved in the face Of
public appeals 20 tn" Government to
protest to this or that h"l.igerent because
OF his violation Of certain provisions of
. he Hague c INVENTIONS.
There Is much pess!nism here regarding
.hc Hague convent MS in the light Of
their virtually comp,c'" breakdown AS a
restraining force in the present war
Those VINO had been the firmest believers
I'm the efficacy OF the rules are among
the most depressed as - the outlook
FOR the future