PUNISHING ENEMY CRIMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17008, 15 November 1918, Page 6

PUNISHING ENEMY CRIMES.

POWER IN INTERNATIONAL LAW.

The British Attorney-General Sir Frederick Smith, sneaking at Liverpool recently, dwelt on the possibility of punishing Geiman crimes. I have given close attention," said the Attorney-General, "to tho subject of international law, and I tell vou plainly that there Is in international law abundant warrant for the punishment, both in their persons and in their purses, of proved and identified criminals. It has not been becoming, until the hope of victory was recently formed upon the events in the field, to talk of what we should do when victory came. That those persons who can be identified with universally admitted acts of outrage are to escape with impunity is a view of tho situation which I certainly should find it difficult to

accept. " Wo are told it will not be possible for Germany to pay indemnities, although she herself is demanding £300,000,000 from the Bolsheviks. T .fro are great assets in Germany. It is a matter which is irrelevant from one point of view as to whether those assets are pledged by the German Government to the citizens of that country who have supplied the money for the war to be carried on. The relevant answer on the subject to the Gorman Government is, ' You nave pillaged and destroyed Belgium and ravaged France, «rid your first obligation is to compensate Belgium and then Franco, and then pay those who put up the money to enable you to commit those out]ages.'"