New Britain herald., 1929-08-17
PRISONERS IF WAR
 BENEFIT BY CODE
New Rules Provide for Humane
 Treatment by Enemy

Geneva. Aug. r UP)-War prs oners in the future will be guarah- feed a degree of humanltarlan treatment never dreamed ot lh 'hS past, .- u,oao to
 This is the declaration made .o +bo T-nitad Press by Major Allen w. Gu,lion. one of the Amerlcah "ei1 oates 10 the recent conference q" Geneva for the revision ot the ''i- ternatonal convention on the "1-'S mant of prisoners of war.
 "pnfore the conference ,' declared Na5or Gullion. the American dr'e- cation should have as q basic Pi1a- ci,I. that the war prisoners Sho7'" be guaranteed the highest degree O. humanitarian treatment con'pau"'' with the military interests of the powers engaged in war,
 "Virtually without exec p'ion 'A, American delegation was suppoF}' | bv all the other delegations on '" noints based on this prlnclpl" eN- cent in rare cases where the rN'a'~ ing laws of given country l""d" accordance impossible and as r@- spIt the new code for the treatment of war prisoners is virtually all Una could be demanded from hHlna!I!- tarian point of view,
 "One of the outstanding Ncior''s in the drawing up of the new con- yantion is the provision that war prisoners shall never be the Snp- feet of reprisals.
 Tn addition all forms Of corpoTat punishment are prohibited as "''l as all cruelty and all Imprisonment in cells that are not lighted by day light. .r
 "Provision is also made that all nenalties inflicted by military tt.- bunals shall not exceed those 'n- nicted fol the same offcnses m the army by which prisoners have been captured. ,,
 'In q general way prisoners W''I he subjected only to dlscIpllhafN measures and these are to consist largely of periods of arrest but 'I' no case are these to exceed @A days |.
 "E,ven in the case of attempts 10 escape nothing but disciplinary measures are to be enforced al though the prisoner Of recaptufe may be subjected to special surNeli- lance.
 "The convention provides that nrisoners are to be evacuated iron the danger zone at the earliest mo ment possible, but in the case they are obliged to walk to the prison camp or other place of detention they cannot be obliged to walk more than 20 kilometers Q day.
 "The prisoner is to be allowed to keep his grade, wear his decora- tions. receive his regular pay, re- ceiye proper food, clothing, and living conditions, enjoy full re- ligious privileges, correspond WIT his relatives and receive regular pay in the event he is used foi special work.
 "The fundamental idea that pro dominated the conference was tha the prisoner is in no way gum! of any crime and that he therefor' honest man is entitled as long d' has the full right to enjoy and re tain all the privileges to which am these are not incompatible Wit the military interests of the couh try of which he is prisoner.
 "Another feature of the conNen ton provides for the immediate creation of information bureaus which will keep relatives and famH lies quickly and accurately informed of the status of the prisoner,
 Still another provision, and Whiei might have saved the life of Miss Edith Cavel had it been in force a . that time, provides that no pris oner sentenced to death by a mlli tary tribunal shall be executed unu three months after due notification to his home government"