Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-07-16
Austria Publishes RED Book"
Revealing Horrors Of War

|
been guilty This ruthlessly illegal
way of conducting war operations and
the cruel and treacherous participa-
ton of the entire population in acts of
war, certify once more the lapse from
civilization which the people of these
countries have undergone
" The Collection of Evidence does
not purport to be complete in any re-
spect. 1t is naturally restricted to the
exposition of facts which have been
either officially Investigated or au-
thenticated in an unimpeachable way.
"In proportion to the number of
cases which have actually occurred,
the number of proven instances is ex-
ceedingly small. Up to this day, the
ministry of foreign affairs is still with
out information concerning the fate
of several consular officials who have
been arrested. The Austrians and
Hungarians who are being detained in
hostile countries can be counted by
the thousands. Almost all of them
still endure in silence the outrageous
methods wherein the governments Of
hostile countries set human dignity
at naught. The breaches of the laws
of warfare as compiled in part of this
collection, must likewise be consider
ed, however, as only individual evil
dence. For the time being we cannot
have anything approaching a compre-
hensive knowledge of events in the
territories beyond the enemy's lines.
And yet, from the reports which
reach US and from trustworthy news
published in foreign daily papers, it is
possible to draw the well-founded con-
clusion that thousands of shocking
violations of the law of nations have
occurred especially in the districts of
our country occupied by the enemy.
ut may be conceded that certain
LuooaLon 80 ;n+orpo+i opa1 lau- coopn m
be an inevitable consequence of the
massing of troops on so huge a scale
as this war has produced But it is
nevertheless most Disappointing that
the international agreements assuring
the protection of lives, the honor, the
freedom of the religious faith of
peaceful citizens, and the arts AMI
sciences, should be wilfully violated
by the troops and officials of the very
government under the aegis of which
The Hague conference reformed and
completed the laws of warfare. One
of the main causes for this unfortunate
situation must be ascribed to the en-
ployment of troops wholly unable to
perceive the legal restrictions applied
to warfare The French professor OF
law, already quoted above, enumerates
the doctrine that countries at war
with nations of low standard of civ
ilization are compelled to apply meth
DDS of warfare which correspond to
the level of their opponents morals
He adds: The French acted in &C.
cordance with this precept in Africa
Tonkin China and Dahomey; the
English in India and Russians in eau
casia and in Turkeston. France, Great
Britain and Russia could, therefore
not possibly expect that their African
ana ASldIlC SUBJECTS NOuIu IeSpeCL luS
provisions of international law; there
cannot be the slightest dorbt that they
are we'll aware that they are disre
garding the law of European nations
when they line up savages and half
savages against the troops of European
powers.
"The object of this publication is t.
adduce only such violations of the in,
ternational law as have been perpe,
trated directly and individually against
nationals of the dual monarchy; it
therefore, does not include the evil
dences of numerous exceedingly gray;
breaches of the law which affected
Austria Hungary in an indirect an
general way. Such breaches are t
be found in the arbitrary and unlawful
declaration of France and Great Brit