REGULATING AIR RAIDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 199, 8 August 1923, Page 5

REGULATING AIR RAIDS

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. San Francisco, June 26. While President Harding was busy campaigning throughout the United States advocating America’s entry into the World Court, another of the major accomplishments of the Washington Arms Conference was announced as having been consummated with the acceptance bv the Allied Powers of the new rules of international law governing the use of radio and aircraft in time of war.

The revised rules, drafted at The Hague by a committee of jurists authorised by the Washington Conference constitute a comprehensive and humane control over the newest agencies of warfare, it was learned in Washington official circles. The recommendations will be drafted into the form of a treaty to give them permanency. Of foremost importance is the absolute ban on the dread air raids such as terrorised London and Paris during the World War.

“Aerial bombardment for the purpose of terrorising the civilian population, of destroying or damaging private property, not of a military character or of injuring non-combatants is prohibited,” declared Article 22. “Aerial bombardment for the purpose of enforcing complaisance with requisitions in kind or payment of contributions in money is prohibited.” Aerial bombardment is permissible under the new rules only when directed “exclusively” at a military .objective. Such objectives are defined as “military’ forces; military works; military establishments or depots; factories constituting important and wellknown centres engaged in the manufacture of arms, ammunition, or distinctively military supplies; lines of communication or transportation used for military purposes.” CITIES EXEMPT. Specifically exempted are “cities, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings” with the ultimatum that in cases where it is impossible to bombard military objectives without the indiscriminate bombardment of tho civilian population “the aircraft must abstain from bombardment.”

I Belligerent aircraft likewise are cautioned to take all neapssary steps- “to spare as far as possible buildings dedicated to public worship, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuj ments, hospital ships, and other places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided such buildings, objects or places are not at the time used for military purposes.” Detailed instructions are given for the marking of such places so as to be distinguishable by day or night. One of the outstanding features of the rules governing use of radio is that when “a belligerent commanding officer considers that the success of the operation in which he is engaged may be prejudiced by the presence of vessels or aircraft equipped with radio installations in the immediate vicinity of his armed forces or by the use of such installations therein, he may z order neutral vessels or neutral aircraft on- or- over- the high seas: (1) To alter their course to such an extent as will be necessary to prevent their approaching the armed forces operating under his command, or (2) not to make use of their radio transmitting apparatus while in the vicinity of such forces.”

“Failure to comply with these commands would expose the craft to the risk of being fired upon.”—(Auckland “Star” Correspondent.)