New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-22
GERMAN WAR BOOK
DEFENDS CRUELTY
Favors Destruction of In
tel!ectuaI and Mate
rial Resources.
tBy cable TO The Tribune ]

London. Jan. 22-Professor J. IL.
Morgan has just translated into the
English language "Thc German War
Book" a manual of the usages OF war
on land. issued by the General Staf
Of the German army. II is the most
authoritative work of its kind in Ger
many. There is reference in the
introduction 10 Humanitarian consld-
er,tious. which not infrequently de-
generate into sentimentality and iabby
emotion" A revealing passage is the
following;
"A war conducted with energy can
not be directed merely against the COM
batauts Of an enemy state and the posi-
ton; they occupy. but il will and must
in like manner seek 10 destroy the
total intellectual and material re-
sources Of the latter"
The Daily Chronicle which pub
Uehes a review Of Professor Morgan
translation. SAYS: after what has
bappened i'm Belgium there is cruel
IRONY i'm the direction that churches,
schools. libraries and museums shout ID
be spared and that open towns ought
not to be bombarded. According 10
this German War Book assassination
and incendiarism are, in gwen clrcum-
stances. justiiable, as viii be seen oy
the following quotation:
Not Opposed to International Law.
".Thc bribery of an enemy's sub
iocts. with the object of obtaining a
military advantage, the acceptance Of
offers Of treachery, the reception or
deserters. the utilization o. the dis
conteuted elements of population, the
support Of pretenders and the like are
pernissible; indeed, international law
ia Ina no way opposed to the eNplolta-
lion Of the crimes of third parties, such
as assassination. incendiarism, robbery
and the like, TO the prejudice OF the
enemy. The ugly and inherently I'M
moral ASPECT of such methods cannot
affect the recognition OF their lawful
ness. The necessary aim OF war gives
a belligerent the right and imposes
upon him according to circumstances
the duty not 10 let slip the important
and. it may be, the decisive advantages
to be gained by such means.
According to the Germans, an m
vader can compel man to betray ms
country, and the view that no IN
habitant of occupied territory can be
compelled TO participate directly IN a
struggle against his own country is
subject TO an exception by the gen
eral usages Of war which must recorded
here the calling up and employment
of inhabitants as guides on unfamiliar
ground.
Condemned by " riters of All Nations.
However much it may ruffie human
feeling to compel a man TO do harm
10 his own fatherland and indirectly
10 fight his troops, none the less no
army operating in an enemys coun-
try will altogether renounce this ex-
pedient; but a still more severe meas
ure is the compulsion OF inhabitants
TO furnish information about their own
army, its strategy, its resources and its
military secrets. A majority of the
writer's Of all nations are emphatic in
their condemnation of this measure.
Nevertheless it cannot be entirely dis
pensed with. Doubtless it will be ap-
piled with regret. but the argument
of war will frequently make IL neces-
sary."
The Manual stringently prohibits
plundering, and says that movable pri-
vate property is to be treated as in
violable. Among the questions and
answers in this book are:
SHOULD the peaceful inhabitants Of
an invaded country be exposed 20 the
fire of his own troops? Yes; it may
be indispensable, but its main justi-
fication is that il is successful
Should women and children, old and
feeble. be allowed to depart before a
bombardment begins? On the contrary,
their presence is greatly to be desired.
1t makes bombsrdment all the more
effective"