Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-08-18
Development Of international Law.
From the Philadelphia. Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
One great purpose of international law
has been to lessen the horrors of war, to
bring its conduct into closer relation
ship with the principles Of civilization.
Even In medieval warfare there was q
certain instinct Of chivalry. Henry ",
Of England. laid down the rule hat
churches. women and children and tillers
of the soil were immune. Cruelties re-
mained too common. but the whole ten
dcncy of the Renaissance was toward q
greater humanity. The 30 years war,
1t Is true, marked a reversion to bar
barism, but this was in sharp contrast
to the contemporary civil war in Eng
land. 1t was the evil of the former CON-
flict which impelled Grotius and Suarez
to define the doctrine of the society of
nations. with its insistence upon the
equal rights OF every member of that
society. There have been lapses into
great soldiers Of the last two centuries.
however practice might differ from
theory, refrained from outrages such as
have disgraced the present conflict. The
German emperor would find no warrant
from Frederick the Great for the de-
struction Of defenseless towns or the
murder Of noncOmbatants.
In the progress toward humanity the
~stricter definition of the rights and du-
ties of neutrals has played an important
part. During the Napoleonic wars the
United States developed several now
generally accepted principles of neutral
ity. At The Hague conferences 1t con-
tended for even greater protection Of
| property at sea h International law
/ yet recognizes. 1t would be, therefore.
an abandonment Of its historical posi-
ton as we'll as OF It's moral duty II 1t
W any sanction now to the practices
Germany follows and defends. Not ever
for the sake OF preserving friendly rela-
tions would 1t be Justified in bargaining
way neutral rights. Respect by belli-
gerents for these rights has been slowly
won. The German proposals would undo
all that. There can be no distinction be-
tween belligerent and neutral ships so
far as the protection of noncombatants
is concerned. no separation Of passenger
traffic from cargo traffic. The idea that
neutrals may travel without molestation
on condition that the vessel does not
carry c~ontraband il plainly suggested
as an excuse for such crimes Is the
sinking OF the Lusitania. It has nc
standing in international law. and no
neutral power. least Of all the United
States, should accept 1t for q moment.
To do that would be to reduce warfare at
sea to the old level of mere piracy.
Within half q century there ave been
some remarkable contributions to the
cause of humanity. The code drawn w
by our own government at the beginning
Of the civil war chronicled an Immense
advance in this respect. 1t has been Ill
but universally adopted. In effect: ever
In he German war book its influence
may be traced. The conventions Of Gle.
neva, of Brussels and Of The Hague EN-.
phasized rules which civilized nation,
AVE at least endeavored to respect. The
Russians and japanese. the japanese
and the Chinese. the Americans and the
! Spanish. all kept their military operations
within bounds. It a been left for the
Germans t. enunciate the policy Of
"frightfulness." This is an offense
against not only the nations with which
Germany is at war. but the nations which
ct this time are peculiarly concerned u
uphold the ground won by the growing
recognition OF international rights AMI
duties. To admit that practices futtorjy
at variance both with law and with hi.
mainly have n shadow Of Ieg1t1maej
would be to set back for centuries III IL
better aspirations q mankind.
A great war invas1ahly infIueneee a.
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