LAWS AND USAGES OF CIVILISED WARFARE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 48, 25 August 1914, Page 3

LAWS AND USAGES OF CIVILISED WARFARE

A summary of the actual laws and usages of civilised warfare was contained in the project of an international declaration submitted to the Brussels Conference of 1874. The conference did not result in any international convention, and England firmly repudiated portions 6T the declaration, which appeared to be calculated to "facilitate aggressivo wars, and to paralyse the patriotic efforts of an invaded people."' But on the whole this document, although not accepted into the legislation of nations, expresses their general sense on most of the points with which it deals. It lays down rules with regard to (1) the occupation of a hostile country by military force, (2) the distinction between combatants and noncombatants, (3) the means of injuring an enemy, (4)- sieges and bombardments, (5) spies, (6) prisoners of war, (7) sick and wounded, (8) private individuals and private property, (9) contributions and requisitions, (10) flags of truce, .(11) capitulations, (12) armistices, (13) belligerents interned or wounded treated in neutral territory. Under the first, second, eighth, and ninth heads, the effects of war are restricted to the property of the State, and its recognised army, although the necessity of military organisation in order to entitle combatants to the rights of war is laid down too stringently. Private property must be respected, and pillage is expressly forbidden, but on the other hand an army of occupation has a right to sieze all the personal property of the State which is likely to be of use in war, including munitions of war, although belonging to private individuals or companies. The occupying State is to consider itself in the light of an administrator and usufructuary of the public buildings, etc., of the hostile State. Contributions and requisitions may be imposed on the inhabitants, for which receipts must be given.