Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-24
KAISER FACES
MANY CHARGES
Britain Collects Much Evidence OF
Violations Of Hague Confer
ence Covenant.

The indictments against former
Emperor William to be pressed at
the international court now being
planned will probably be lengthy.
Documentary evidence has been
| collected by the British since the
first Belgian atrocity. For four long
years awaiting the final accounting,
the legal staff of the British gov
eminent has been collecting evil
dence and documents that would be
received in a court of trial.
| The Bryce report, which with
held names, gave to the public some
of the atrocities in alleged violation
of international law charged
! against German commanders and
some of which are said to have been
inspired at imperial sources.
The charges against the former
kaiser will be based largely upon
violations of the covenants of the
| second peace conference held at the
Hague in 1907 to which Germany
subscribed.
Great Britain, in its Bryce report,
alleges violation of the following
parts of the Hague peace covenant:
SECTION II-OF HOSTILITIES.
Article %.
Belligerents have not an unlimit-
ed right to the choice of injuring
the enemy.
Article %.
In addition to the prohibition pro-
vided by special COZ. entions, it is
particularly forbidden:
(a) To employ poison or poisoned
weapons.
(b) To kill or wound by treach-
cry individuals belonging to the
hostile nation or army.
(c) To kill or wound an enemy,
who, having laid down his arms, or
no longer having means of defense,
has surrendered at discretion.
Id To declare that no quarter
will be given.
(e) To employ arms. projectiles,
or material calculated to cause IN
necessary suffering.
Cf) To make improper use of a
flag of truce, of the national flag or
of the military insignia and uniform
of the enemy, as well as the distinc-
tive signs of the Geneva convention.
(g) To destroy or seize enemy
property, unless such destruction or
seizure be imperatiyeIy demanded
by the necessities of war
CHI To declare abolished, sus-
pended or inadmissable the right of
the hostile party to institute legal
proceedings.
A belligerent is likewise forbid
den to compel the subjects of the
hostile party to take part in the
operations of war directed against
their own country, even il they
were in the service of the
beligerent before the war.
Article "a.
Ruses of war and the employ
ment of measures necessary for OBJ
tanning information from the enemy
and the country are considered
necessary.
Article 25.
The attack or bombardment by
any means whatever, of undefended |
towns, villages. dwellings or build
ings is forbidden.
Article IS.
The officer of an attacking party |
must do all in his power to warn |
the authorities before commencing |
a bombardment except in cases of |
assault.
Article 81.
In sieges and bombardments all
necessary. steps. must be taken to
spare as far as possible, buildings |
dedicated to public worship, art,
or charitable purposes, his
toric monuments, hospitals, and
places where the SICK and wounded
are collected, provided they are
not used at the time for military
purposes.
1t is the duty of the besieged to
Indicate such buildings or places by
distinctive visible signs which shall
be notified to the enemy before
hand.
SECTION III.-Military Author
ity over the territory Of hos
tile state.
Article As.
1t is forbidden to force the inhabi-
ANTS of occupied territory to swear
to the hostile power.
Article 46.
Family honor and rights, individ-
lal life and private property, as
we'll as religious convictions and
smust be respected. Private
property may not be conflscated.
Article AZ.
Ptllage is expressly forbidden. /;
Article 48.
If. in the territory occupied, the
occupant collects the taxes, dues 4
md tolls payable to the state, he
hall do so, as far as possible, in
accordance with the legal basis I
md assessment in force at the time,
md shall in consequence be bound ;
o defray the expenses of the ad- /
of the occupied terri I
DRY to the same extent the nation
Il government had been bound.
Article 40. b
If, in addition to the taxes men I
Toned above, the occupant levies '
ny other money contributions in 3
he occupied territory, it shall only {
'e applied to the needs of the army {
II of the administration of the ter '
itory in question. II
Article so. q
No collective penalty shall be in I
Iicted upon the population on ac-
cunt of individuals for which it
annot be regarded as collectively q
{
Article 50. lie
acquisitions in kind and services G
hall not be demanded from local / [