AN APPEAL TO CIVILISATION

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 212, 4 June 1938, Page 10

AN APPEAL TO CIVILISATION

One of the horrifying features of modern warfare, as exemplified in the fighting in Spain and in China, is the extent to which the civilian populations are suffering from bombing attacks by aircraft. Humanitarian sentiment throughout the' world has been profoundly moved by the reports of the wholesale slaughter of civilians, including women and children, that has been going on. Yesterday it was reported from Hankow that the Chinese Government had issued an appeal to governments, associated with the League of Nations, and to the conscience of the world at large, asking for urgent’measures to ueal with this aspect of modern warfare. Ihe cry will find an answering echo everywhere, hut consideration of the realities of the case shows how difficult it is for anything to be done as long as nations persist m waging war by present methods and tactics. A few years ago the League of Nations attempted to secure agreement to abolish both submarine warfare and bombing attacks from the air, but the desired degree of unanimity was lacking. It might seem strange that it should be possible to lay down i tiles tor the piotection of the Red Cross in war, and yet impossible *.o arrive at a general agreement to dispense with a form of warfare capable of dealing such cruel suffering on non-combatants. It must be remembered, however, that war is not a game. It is a life and death struggle between nation?, and in extremities the rules go overboard. Everyone no doubt will remember the horror and indignation moused w.ien, for the first time in a war between civilised, nations, gas attacks were introduced by the Germans. Yet the Allies had to face the fact, and were compelled to resort to counter-measures. Again, in the attempt to starve Britain into submission, German submarine warfare was extended to include attacks on unarmed non-combatant ships,. whic.i were sunk on sight. Thus another atrocity was introduced, this lime in complete repudiation of the rules of civilised warfare. Under modern conditions, with whole nations, not only armies, at war, it has become very difficult to distinguish between open and defended towns. The existence of a munition factory in or in proximity to a town is sufficient to expose it to attack by aircraft. Ever, when such is not the case, an unscrupulous enemy can always find a pretext for dropping bombs. The principle of strategy in air-raids is that hv terrorising the civilian populations the morale of a nation mav be shattered, and the subsequent defeat of its armed forces facilitated. It is argued that any device which will shorten a war is in the end the least cruel. All that may be hoped, in these circumstances, is that the conscience of humanity may be sufficiently roused by the tragedies now being enacted in Spain and China to make yet one more attempt to outlaw^war altogether. Is such an attempt practicable in the state of mind that prevails in Europe and the Far East to-day? We doubt