The labor world., 1915-06-19
NEW CONDITIONS IN
WAC|NC WARFARE
German Professor Discusses Alter.
ations Necessary in DEGREES
of Hague Convention.

BERLIN, June 1S.-The changes
that the present war may render nec-
essary in the decress Of the Hague
convention are discussed at consider
able length in an article by Professor
Sigurd Ibsen, waich Is prominently
published in the Vossische Zeitung.
New conditions and developments
without precedent in former history,
says Professor 1bsen, must be pro-
vided for in new regulations and treat
les. In naval warfare, for example,
he observes:
''The right to wage war at sea must
be regulated anew. In fact, this has
never been established on a firm
basis. But no one could have fore
seen that it rested on a foundation so
utterly unstablente> as events - have
proved.
"'There have been many attempts
to place the law for war at sea on
a firm foundation. The second Hague
convention and the London conference
OF 1909 drew up a whole list Of reg
ulations in relation to sea warfare
which altogether made complete
book Of statutes on the subject. But
the difficulty was that many Of these
regulations were either rendered un-
workable by reservations or did not
gain the force Of law through failure
to obtain recognition from tae gov
ernments concerned. This was the
fate of the most important volume OF
declarations, the oft-quoted London
declarations, and England was able
very soon without announcing any
formal breach of the law to overstep
the boundaries Of the agreement. Ma
turally Germany went in for repris-
ais, and the result is a sea warfare
which stands in contradiction to al
most every International right that
has SO far been laid down.
''dowever uncertain the obligations
were in the past, there were certain
limitations which could not be over
stepped. But 1t seems that at present
there is no limitation to the claim of
every state to do as it pleases. The
low of contraband has received a de-
trade and the shipping of neutral
countries have been placed under a
control which has became humiliat-
ing. The sinking Of enemy merchant
ships, which formerly was allowed
only when unavoidable, has now be-
come a. regular practice.
Sea Warfare More Intensive.
'This condition of things is due to
the working of two factors. In the
first place, sea. warfare has become a
J much more intensive way than here
tofore anyone could have believed, a
battle of financial weapons, a bitter
fight for the means of existence. In
the second place the improvement OF
the modern means of war, in particu-
lar the submarines and mines, mas
developed a kind of war which Is
| with precedent in former history and
| which falls by necessity outside the
adapted to conditions very different
from the present.
"All this must be put right at the
next Hague conference. It will be the
aim of the conference to make inter.
national law as far as possible square
| with these new facts. More tnan thiI
one cannot say at the present NOM.
ont. No one can say what regulation.
will be drawn up for contraband
blockades and other. matters OF thii
kind. or what code Of conduct can b.
! sphere of warfare, or what can b.
! Eonceded tosneutrats. a-@
These regulations must be drawI
up in the light Of experience and 40
/ cording to power and influence which
different states or, groups Of state
can exercise. Anything however, viii
be better tnan the present loose ar
rangement."
The writer, turning to the interna
| ClOll11 -tI0Su1t1kAV11S l9Ot0SIl1u8
/ and field operations,/ maintains, the
International rights have been ignore,
by the French and English In ;thei
treatment Of enemy SUBJECTS and en-
envy property in their countries.
As to humanizing warfare. Profes
sor Isben has little hope Of interna
tional law being able to accomplish
much. 'Warfa1 e, instead of bein,
humanized," he remarks, "must nee
essarily become more and more fright
i full, in accordance with the ceaseles
4 development Of technical skiA In tn
Il weapons It is an illusion to believ
that war can be waged IN gentler fas
hion. There ia only one proposttio,
worth consld dering, and that Is to se
that no occasion arises sfor war. Thit
tional slawy yers, mt ofs ftictans 81