ANSWERABLE IN HIS OWN PERSON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 17, 22 January 1919, Page 5

ANSWERABLE IN HIS OWN PERSON

IN PENAL AND CIVIL LAW.

FUR CRIMES OF HIS ARMIES

(Reuter’s Telegrams.) PARIS, Jan. 20. An official bulletin issued by the Conference g-'ves a report upon the Kaiser’s responsibility for the war by the jurists mentioned, namely, M. Larnande, doyen of the Faculty of Law, and M. l>e la Praddela, Professor of International Law at Paris University. The report states that the Kaiser is answerable in hig own person, both in penal and in civil law, for the wav and ihe crimes committed) by the armed forces under his command. The Kaiser’s position is similar to that of directors of a public company, who can bo punished by the criminal law. The whole position of the German nation is similar to that of shareholders, who cannot be punished. Th e Kaiser cannot escape his responsibility, because the German constitution gives to him alone the power of decision. The German Sovereign depends solely upon God and his sword. The Kaiser, in his speeches, frequently expressed this view of authority, and according to the constitution the Kaiser declares war in the name of the confederacy of which is the dominant partner, and the Kaiser was King of Prussia. The Jurists quote a letter showing that the Kaiser ordered and desired ferocious methods of warfare. The Kaiser early in the 1 war wrote to the Emperor of Austria stating: “Everything must be put to fire and sword. Men. women and children and old men must be slaughtered, and no house or tree left standing. With methods of terorism which alone are capable of affecting a people as degenerate as the French, the war will be over in two months,”

The report comments that thus the Kaiser incurred personal penal responsibility, to which must be added the civil responsibility of the German Empire. Both are responsible, the Empire at civil law and the Kaiser at penal and civil law, according to the most elementary rules of right. Finally the jurists quote Vat tel. to show that a prince guilty of an unjust war is liable to personal penalties if such are necessary as an example, for the security of the injured party and for the security of human society.

THE RUSSIAN PROBLEM.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) PARIS, Jan. 18. It is expected that- the Peace Conference will consult the Russian representatives now at Paris. The French Government adheres to its decision to have no dealings with the Bolshevik Government, but other countries hope to find. a way of including it in the deliberations without departing from their abhorrent- attitude towards the Bolshevist terrorism'.