The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-11
AMERICA TO TAKE

| Continued from Page One.)
9-Forced labor Of civilians in con-
nection with the military operations OF
the enemy and otherwise,
l0-Usurpation of sovereignty dur
| ing military occupation.
11-Compulsory enlistment of SOL
diers among the inhabitants of oecu-
pied territory.
12-Attempts to denationalize the
inhabitants of occupied territory.
13-Pilage.
14-Confiscation of property.
l5--Exaction of illegitimate or of
exorbitant contributions and requisi-
tons.
1s-Debasement of currency. and
issue of spurious currency
17--Imposition of collective penal
ties.
1s-wanton devastation and de-
struction of property.
19-Deliberate bombardment OF on-
defended places.
2o-The wanton destruction OF
religious. charitable, educational ana
historic buildings and monuments
21-Destruction of merchant ships
and passenger vessels without warn
ing and without provision for the
safety of passengers and crew.
22-DeStruCtloH " HSiIiAS boh'0 e'ii'
relief ships,
23-Deliherate bonn bardment of
hospitals.
24-Attack on and destruction of
hospital ships
25-Breach of other rules relating
to the Red Cross.
26--Jfse of deleterious and asphyXi-
ating gases.
27--rse of explosive and expanding
bullets. and other inhuman appliances.
os-Directions to give no quarter.
29---1ll- treat ment Of prisoners Of
war.
3o--Employment Of prisoners of
war on unauthorized works.
3f-Misuse Of flags OF truce.
32-Poisoning of wells
In application Of their stand
against the trial of the kaiser. Messrs.
Lansing and Scott set forth the fol-
lowing views:
The American representatives ad~'
ntied from the moral point Of view
that the head Of state be he termed
emperor king or Chiet executive, is
responsible to mankind but from the
legal point of view they expressed
themselves as una BILE 10 see how any
member of the commission could
. claim that the head of a STATE eXer-
cising sovereign rights is responsible
to any bat those who have conhded
those rights 70 him by consent eX-
pressed or implied
THE majority of the commission,
however. was not influenced by the
legal argument. They appeared 70
be fixed in their determination To try
and punish by judicial process tho eN-
kaiser Of Germany. That there might
be no doubt about their meaning, they
| insisted that the jurisdiction OF the
hirh tribunal whose constitution they
knacorsar es d should Include si,s read $
of states. and they therefore inserted
a provision to this effect In express
words in the clause dealing with the
! jurisdiction Of the tribunal
! Tn view nj their objection 10 the
uncertain law 10 he apritad. varying
| according 20 the conception Of the
members Or the high court \ 6 to the
laws and principles Of humanity and
] in view also of their objections to the
extent NJ the proposed Jurisdiction of
that tribunal, the American represen~
tatives were constrained to decline 20
+ he party 10 Its creation. Secpssariiv
they declined tho proffer on behalf Of
! tho mission that the United States
should take part In the PROCEEDINGS
! fft9it ttiftt tribunal, or ie nave ire
United States represented in the
prosecuting commission charged with
tho duty of selecting the the cases
for trial before the tribunal and OF
directing and conducting prosecutions
before IT.
! American adherence 70 the views Of
Mr. Lansing and Scott means that We
VIII take no part in the trial OF the
/ former kaiser. and the same. nit is
believed, will be true Of japan The
American representatives, express re-
gret nj their inability TO agree with
the other members Of the commission
and conclude their objections with
this statement,
They fhe Americansl submit their
views, rejected by the commission "a
the conference. in full confidence, tina,
II is only through the administration
OF law, enacted and known before il
is violated, that justice may ulti-
mately prevail internationally. as i,
actually does between individuals in
all CIVILIZED nations"