New Britain herald., 1917-09-08

Convention. These violations oc-
CURED during the Teutonic occupation
Of Belgium since the world war be-
gan. And the articles of The Hague
Convention with the invaders of Bel
GUM applying their own interpreted
tons proved almost valueless. They
were as SCRAPS of paper"
Abiding to The Hague Convention,
Mr.. de Leval, who was the lawyer in
the now famous Edith Caven case,
quoted Article NLIII. which states
that the military authority when oc-
cupying an enemy country will re-
spect the laws of that country and
make no changes unless there is an
"absoIute necessity" According to
this distinguished lawyer, who points
out something the world at large
knows in part, The Germans nave
given to absolute necessity Won
derful extension. If a law IS re-
ouired by which a machine can be
taken out of Belgium to be used by
a German manufacturer for no mat
ter what kind of work useful to the
German empire, it is soon 1ouno an
absolute necessity to empty Belgian
to replenish a German factory. If a
German politician thinks that g. GER
tain rule imposed on Belgium VIII
have some political Importance In
Germany in quarter of century,
that rule will be established IN BEL
GUM by absolute necessity If BEL
gian courts seem too fair to the Ger
mans to be relied upon when Ger
man interest is involved, 1t will be
an absolute necessity to modify the
rules Of those courts and to bring
before a special court, made in Ger
many, all questions in which such
interest is concerned"
These things are true. The world
knows they are true. Belgium was
protected by the covenants Of The
Hague Convention. We know how
much protection Belgium really got.
L
of The Hague articles. And yet we
have bad three years of the worst
war the world has ever known. Now,
it comes down to this: If the articles
of The Hague were treated so lightly
by Germany when Germany deemed
it an absolute necessity" to ignore
them, what would eventually happen
to similar treaties, were they enacted
now, If Germany at some future date
saw fit to do likewise? That ques-
ton delved into far enough will show
the reasons for the outstanding fact in
the case as it stands today. There
can be no peace with the Hohen-
zollerns. And Germany, as it is
known now, is the Germany of the
Observation-Disclosures the Germany of
the German people. When the Ger
man people get around to it and see
that the Hohenzollerns are made sub
servient to the Reichstag and not the
Reichstag to the Hohenzollerns there
may be some chance for the dove of
peace to alight; but not until then.
There is, indeed, great deal Of
loose and very mischievous talk about
peace. That talk is being pro-
nounced not only in England but in
America. 1t is shouted from the ton
of soap boxes in Piccadilly and re-
echoed from the same super-struc
lures on Broadway. It may catch a
few people and turn their minds
away from the business in hand
| the making Of the world safe for
| democracy,--but 1t will never stav til a
hearts that are determined to vine
| from the face Of the earth all those
| who promote the doctrine of Might
| makes Right. 1t will never cut an
inroad on those true patriots who
! have made up their minds to scratch
from the olden books the false
| preachments about the Divine Right
of Kings. When peace comes it will
be on terms of the people, not of the
purple.