PRISONERS OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2249, 8 September 1914, Page 7

PRISONERS OF WAR

HAGUE CONVENTION RULES - ANCIENT PRACTICES By this tinio the combatants in Europe have taken thousands of prisoners of war. These it is to be expected will be treated with a humanity that affords a sharp contrast with early usage. Their internment' is now regulated -by The Hague Convention, which,' as far as military necessities make it possible,- will probably bo observed by all belligerents. ■_ The earliest practice was to kill all prisoners, and sometimes to eat them as well. Such is the method still pursued/among barbarous tribes. A relaxation of this extreme severity arose in the practice of making all prisoners slaves, and amongst the Romans slavery was regarded as a mitigation of the. rigour of tho earlier rule. Two centuries ago tho Spaniards sent their prisoners' of war to work in tlio galleys, and purchased Algerian prisoners' from tho Dutch, who had some scruples aboxit possessing slaves themselves, but none about selling into slavery. Tho practice died out in Europo early in the eighteenth century, except, in Turkoy. In tho Barbary States, too, slavery based on piratical capture prevailed till quite.recently. To Grotius is due the amelioration of the old savage rule. He protested that Christians should bo contcnt_ with ransom instead of reducing their prisoners to slavery. A fixed tariff was arranged for tho ransom of prisoners of all ranks, tho price varying with status. t Sometimes prisoners gave their captors a kind of promissory note in. consideration of their release. The System of Exchange. 'As an alternative to ransom exchange was instituted. Somo nations made treaties botwecn one another, and fixed •tho terms of exchange and ransom beforehand. Tin's was done by England and Franco in 17S0. Under this convention a rnareclial of Franco and an admiral of England ■ were valued at sixty common soldiors, .who in turn wofo valued . at the equivalent of ono pound sterling. So a marcchal or an admiral could bo oxchanged for sixty men, or as -an alternative ransomed for £GO. Later, ransom fell into disuse, and exchange took its place. Still later a practice grow up of releasing officers, and sometimes men as well, on parole. Tlioy solemnly promised to take no further Dart in tho war. The penalty for breach of parole was death. A still further relaxation of these rules camo into forco after the Brussels 'Conference of 18G1, when the Government, -in whose power arc the prisoners of war, undertakes to nrovido for their -maintenance, which had previously bcoii loft to chance. - A British Doctrine, It has boon urged by military oxpcrte that in thoso cases in which tho , commander finds it impossible without

great daugor to his forces to retain prisoners of war he is still quite justified in doing away with them. The last occasion on which this doctrine was put' into actual practice on a largo sc'alo was by Napoleon at Jaffa in 1709. Hero ho held 4000 prisoners, who had formed part of tho garrison of that town. Napoleon's position was indeed a difficult one. Ho was unable to food tho prisoners, his own troops being halfstarved j ho could not spare a sufficient oscort to take them to Egypt, nor could ho release them on parole, for their religion forbade tliem making . a binding oath with an infidel. To have released them would have meant their' immediately joining tho enemy. In this plight after a discussion lasting two days, the whole four thousand were shot, though they surrendered on condition that their lives .would bo spared. This massacre hit back at the French forces boomeraiig-like, for it inspired the garrison of Acre with such desperate courage that all tho assaults of tho French failed to reduoe the place, and they had at last to give up all hope of Oriental conquest. Modern Conditions. . As already indicated, tho treatment of prisoners of war is now regulated by Hie Hague Convention, 1907. It lay's it down that prisoners of war aro in the power of the hostilo Government, but not of the individuals or corps which captures them. Thoy must bo humanely treated. All their personal belongings except arms, horses, and military papers remain their property. They, may be interned in a town, fortress, camp, or other place, and are bound not to go beyond certain fixed limits, but they cannot be placed in confinement except as an indispensable measure of safety and only while the circumstances which necessitate the measure continue to exist. The State may employ the labour of prisoners of war other, than officers according to their rank and capacity. ■ The work shall not he excessive, and 6hall hayo no connection with the operations 'of tho war. Prisoners may be authorised to work for the public sorvico, for private persons, or in their own interest. Work done for the State is' to bo paid for at rates proportionato to tho work of a similar kind executed by soldiers of tho national army, or if there are no such rates in force, at rates proportionate, to the work executed. When the. work is for other branches of tho public sorvico or for private persons tho conditions aro settled in agreement with tho military authorities. Tho wages of the prisoners shall go towards improving their position, and the balance shall be paid thorn on their release, deductions on account of maintenance excepted. It is also provided by the Convention that the Government into whoso'hands the prisone.s of war have fallen is charged with their maintenance. In default of special agreement between' the belligerents, prisoners of war shall be treated as regards rations, quarters, and clothing on the same footing as tho troops of the Government which captured them. Prisoners of war shall be subject to the laws and regulations in force in tho army, any act of insubordination justifying the adoption towards them of such measures of. severity as may bo considered necessary. Escaped prisoners who are retaken before being able to rejoin their own army, or before leaving the territory occupied by tho army that captured them, are liable to disciplinary punishmont. But prisonorß who, after succeeding in escaping, aro again taken prisoners, aro not liable.to punishment on acconut of their previous escape. .Every prisoner of war is bound to give, if asked, his true, name and rank, and if he fails to do so he is liable to have the advantages given to prisoners of his class .curtailed. . Prisoners may be set at liberty on parole if the laws of.their country allow it, and in such cases thoy. are [ bound oh' their personal, honour scrupulously to fulfil their engagements.- No.prisonor of war may be compelled to accept his liberty on parole. Nor is a hostilo Government obliged to set anyone at liberty on parole. Newspaper correspondents, , sottiers, and contractors who fall into the enemy's hands are entitled to bo treated as prisoners of war if they hold a certificate' from tho authorities of the army which they accompany. Bureau of Information. A bureau of information 'relative to prisoners of war is to be. instituted at the commencement of hostilities in each, of the belligerent States, and, when necessary, in neutral countries which have received belligerents into their territory. The business of this bureau is to reply to all inquiries about prisoners, to receive from the various services concerned full information respecting internments, transfers, releases on parole, exchanges, escapes, admissions into hospital, deaths, as well as any other'information necessary for it to make out and keep up to date an individual return of each prisoner of war. The bureau must also, state in this return the regimental number, name, age, place of origin, rank, wounds, date and place of capture, internment, wounding, and death, as'well "as collect all valuables, letters, etc., found on tho field of battle ' or on prisoners.