Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-08
Lessening the War Horrors.

Adoption i'll committee or q IAN
upon the use Of poison gas in warfare
puts the Washington conference still
further ahead In its movement to les
sen the horrors of war while seeking
to reduce its likelihood Of outbreak.
Such international agreements are. of
course, not necessarily effective. They
are subject to violation by any nation
that appeals to arms. Germany was
supposedly bound by certain limita-
tions In 1914 when she attacked in the
grand offensive through Belgium and
France. Practically all Of the so-called
humanizing restrictions that had been
adopted at The Hague, all the rules Of
war that had been devised to lessen
needless casualties and suffering, were
scrapped, treated as was the treaty
guaranteeing Belgium's neutrality.
But in so doing Germany incurred q
responsibility that operated to her
great disadvantage in the settlement
Of peace terms. She is paying or is ex-
pected to pay for these attractions.
OF all the horrors of the great con-
flict. those of the poisonous gases are
perhaps the worst. In every country
lately at war there are today hopeless
sufferers from the effects Of the vapors
and fumes precipitated upon them by
the enemy. All the nations used the
gas weapon before the war was over.
They had to do so in order to match
Germany's offensive In this respect.
But it does not follow that in another
war there would be the same sort OF
competition in horror. For the fate of
Germany as a beaten nation, with the
weight of this responsibility upon it,
must serve as a wholesale deterrent.
The ban against poison gas will per-
haps disappoint some Americans. who
have learned that the chemical en-
eineers Of the Army have produced
gases far beyond any known in the
late war. for efficiency and means OF
projecting them superior to those late.
ly employed. 1t must be remembered,
however, that the chemical engineers
of other countries have probably been
Just as active and just as successful In
producing such materials. 1t does not
follow that in the event of war this
country would have any advantage in
respect to attack by vapors.
Whatever chance there may be OF
these agreements being violated, it is
we'll that the great powers now in con-
ference should bind themselves to re-
spect the principles OF more humane
warfare. The next war may be the
most terrible ever known. But such
agreements as this make less the
probability of another war:
The conference is writing declara-
ton of principles. and 1t follows natu'
rally from the earlier statement of the
limitation principle that that OF de-
cency in warfare should also be stated.
The conference has banned submarine
piracy and ruthlessness. 1t Is writing
a code to which all may subscribe ex'
cent those who still believe that every
thing is legitimate and fair in war
that serves to destroy the other side.
Reprisal was probably the worst fea'
ture of the great war. The dispos1-
ton of each side to match the other In
efficiency" of destruction led to q
race in diabolism with no rules, no
limits. This conference seeks to inter
nose a check upon that frightful en-
terprise, and the prayer of all who
hone for peace in the world Is that 1t
will succeed, not merely In making
war less terrible. but in making war
less likely.