DECLARATIONS OF WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11200, 21 October 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

DECLARATIONS OF WAR.

[by BRITAXXICTJS.]

Ik some quarters surprise has been expressed at the fact that Great Britain and the South African Republic are at war, though no war has been formally declared by either belligerent. This feeling is due, of course, to the erroneous, but widely prevalent, impression that it is customary for a declaration of war to precede an outbreak of hostilities. Such was the practice, no doubt, in ancient times, when high ceremonial and a scrupulous regard for established usage were in greater esteem than they are to-day. The Romans, as every schoolboy knows, never carried on a war without first solemnly declaring it by specially appointed priests. These feciales, as they were called, were sent to tho nation against whom the Romans had a grievance, to demand redress, and if it was not immediately given, thirty-three days were given to consider the matter, at tho expiration of which time it was permissible to declare war. The priests wcro again sent to the frontier of the enemy, and having thrown a bloody spear across the border, formally declared that war existed. In the feudal ages, and days of chivalry, a herald was always sent to proclaim war, or to throw down the gauntlet. But in the sixteenth century this custom fell into disuse, and we have a writer of the period declaring that though a solemn war is "a war solemnly declared, or proclaimed by our King against another State," a state of war " may be between two kingdoms without any proclamation or indication thereof, or other matter of record to prove it." But in all the ware between 1700 and 1898, only some twelve or thirteen formal declarations were issued, while in the present century alone there have been innumerable cases of war unp''tceded by any declaration. In only the single instance of 1870, says General Maurice, is there a case of notice formally sent to _ the Court of the assailed Power prior' to hostilities on the part of any one of the contending parties. The course that is usually followed is to attack suddenly, seize some position of importance, secure, if possible, an advantage, and then announce that a state of war exists. In 1001, the Danish fleet, off Elsinore, was destroyed by the British in reprisals for a treaty entered into between Denmark and Russia. No notice was sent to Copenhagen of this attack. It was mads without any declaration of war, and when fire opened the Governor of Elsinore was without information of British intentions. Thus, too, in the following year, Napoleon, without even the pretext for a quarrel with Switzerland, seized Zurich, Berne, and Soleure, and in 1804 the British fleet captured four Spanish frigates, laden with treasure, though England and Spain were then supposed to be at peace. This attack, upon the vessels of a neutral State, was strongly denounced at tho time as a piratical enterprise, but. Parliament sustained the Ministry, Lord Westmoreland declaring that " war without a previous declaration was neither contrary to the law of nations nor unprecedented in history." On April 1, 1806, the King of Prussia declared himself Sovereign of Hanover, without more ado, and England, without a word, followed suit by sweeping Prussian commerce trom the seas. In the same year,-, while the King of Prussia was waiting to reaeive the French ultimatum, Napoleon entered Saxony, and commenced the war. In 1807 General Fraser, with a force of British troops, occupied Alexandria without any declaration of war against Turkey, and on September 2, in the same year, in the midst of profound peace, the Danish fleet was seized by the British and Copenhagen bombarded. This unexpected and almost unparalleled act against a neutral Power long formed a topic of ardent debate. Its only justification was that the British Government believed, probably rightly, but without anything like certainty, that if they did not seize the Danish fleet it would fall into the hands of the French. Admiral Gambicr and Lord Cathcart were accordingly despatched with a force of 27 ships and 20,000 men to Copenhagen. The Danes were wholly unprepared for the attack, but refused to surrender, whereupon the British began the bombardment of the city, which was partly destroyed, while over 2000 lives were lost. "From the 2nd of September until tho evening of the sth," says Admiral Gambier, in his despatch, " the conflagration was kept up in different places, when a considerable part of the city being consumed, and the remainder threatened with speedy destruction, the general commanding the garrison sent out a flag of truce, desiring an armistice, to afford time to treat for a capitulation." On June 18, 1812, the United States of America declared war against England, but before this America had seized all British vessels in harbour, so that they might not convey news of coming war, and it was not until a month later that the fact of war was known in England. In 1816 all Europe was startled by the Portuguese invasion of the Spanish colonies in South America, in a time of profound peace, and in 1826 Spain, without any proclamation of hostilities, invaded Portugal, whereupon Mr. Canning despatched troops to assist tho Portuguese, expressly denying that in doing so he declared war on Spain, a somewhat paradoxical statement, reminding one of Mr. Gladstone's vehement denial that the British bombardment of Alexandria in 1882 was an act of war. On October 20, 1827, the Turkish 'fleet at Navarino was destroyed by the combined fleets of England, France, and Russia, though these Powers wero not at war with Turkey, and the Sultan had been assured they would not intervene in the campaign he was waging against the Greeks. Then again, in 1828, the French, while still at peace with Turkey, sent 20,000 men to the Morea, and seized all the Turkish fortresses. Three years later France and England, though refusing to declare war, sent fleets to Lisbon, to dictate terms to King Miguel, and in 1840 England, Russia, and Austria combined to put down Mehemet Ali, without warning, which drove Thiers into urging instant war with England, and caused him to resign because his advice was not taken. Denmark was invaded in 1848 by the King of Prussia six days before the Frankfort Assembly authorised him to take up the cause of Schleswig, and in 1850 Lord Palmerston, while declaring in Parliament that "diplomatic relations between this country and Greece have not been suspended," caused all Greek vessels to be seized, and sent a British fleet to Athens. In 1854, the English Ambassador, being (till in St. Petersburg, and the Russian Ambassador in London, the British fleet entered the Black Sea, with orders , to compel the Russian fleet to return to Sebastopol. In the Japanese war of 1894, hostilities broke out a week before war was declared, and though war between Amcrica and Spain was not formally declared until April 25, 1898, Congress announced that it had existed since April 21, and as a matter of fact, the first shot was fired on April 23.

It will be seen from the foregoing instances, that it by no means follows that war must first be formally declared before being entered upon; that, on the contrary, the most common practice has been to begin war without any formal proclamation whatever. The fact, so far as the British and Boers are concerned, has not much importance, but it is of deep interest in view of possible movements on the part of European Powers hostile to Great Britain.

The military maxim is to surprise your enemy, and secure an advantage before he is aware of your intentions and it is absolutely certain that if any European Power made up its mind to go to war with England, it would strike the first blow without giving us a moment's warning.