MILITARY BALLOONS

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8295, 25 September 1903, Page 4

MILITARY BALLOONS

The acceptance of the offer of M. Santos Dumonfc to put his airships at the disposal of the French Government for military purposes has drawn, attention to the status and belligerent rights of the. aeronaut in time of war. A representative of the Echo de Paris has had an interview with Professor Fauchilk, the French delegate at thei annual conference of tile Institute of International Law, held at Brussels six months ago, when questions of this nature were disouesed. 35?. Fauchille said that international law now recognised that the atmosphere above the territory of a State was also a, theatre far hostilities. Balloons, therefore, had the right to discharge projectiles—without, however, injuring neutral persons—and to make -use of scouts and other means of procuring information.' The enemy -had the right to act towards - the passengers of the .'balloon as they would towards combatants. They could discharge artillery at them, capture them, arid- treat them as prisoners of war. They could never put them to death,--as even when seeking information, were'not to ba ooijfouD'ded with spies. ; The French law of April 18, 1886, and the German law of July.-5,1893;; dn espionage, defined spies as those who secretly endeavored to give information to:;tteir ijGoyeriianeiits on the military forces of another State. ■ An aeronaut could not act with concealment. In conclusion, M. Fauchille, said that the aeronaut, armed with the most perfect photographic apparatus, coul3 reproduce the minutet details .of a fort 1000 or 1500 metres; ip. the air. This, disttnoe, . thjj; professor thought, could serve as the basis for a regulation to protect European nations against espionage in time of 'peace. ,