ENEMY CRIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17635, 27 May 1919, Page 6

ENEMY CRIMES

THE COMMISSION'S REPORT. THIRTY-ONE CLASSES OF OFFENCE. The Sub-Commission (Bight Hon. W. F. Masscy, chairman) appointed by tho Peace Conference Commission on the Responsibility of the Authors of the War and tho Breaches of the Laws a"d Customs of War, to investigate questions of fact relating to the enemy's offences against these laws and the fundamental principles of humanity, states in its report that it examined a considerable amount of material submitted to it by tho various Allied and Associated Governments in regard to acts of the enemy deemed to breaches (writes Mr R. Riley, official correspondent with the Now Zealand Peace Delegation, under date 26th March). The material was systematised under tho following heads.;— (a) The nature of the offence com- ' mitted. (b) The date or approximate date of commission. (c) Tho place of commission. (d) The persons or authorities responsible. (e) Reference to the source whence , , this information is derived, and where details may be found. It was decided to hold back (for obvious Teasons) for tho present the names of specified individuals. The Sub-Commission explains that it was impracticable to divide the various classes of offences into clearly denned and exclusive categories—for example, into those committed under orders conformably to the political or military policy of tho enemy; and those committed by enemy forces on their own initiative, not necessarily involving a political or military motive. For these reasons the subcommision adopted the simplest and most practical plan ■of merely enumerating the classes of offences committed—an appalling list which is not regarded as complete and exhaustive, but may be added to from time to time as deemed necessary. The following was the list arrived at in accordance with the facts as detailed in an annexure submitted to the plenary commission:— 1. Massacre of civilians. 2. Putting hostages. to death. 3. Torture of civilians. 4. Deliberate starvation of cmliane. 5. Rape. 6. Abduction of girls and women for the purposes of enforced prostitution. 7. Deportation of civilians. 8. Internment of civilians under inhuman conditions. 9. Forced labour of connection with the military operations of tho enemy, and otherwise. 10. Usurpation of sovereignty during military occupation. 11. Compulsory enlistment of soldiers among the inhabitants of occupied territory. 12. Attempts to denationalise the inhabitants of occupied territory. 13. Pillage. 14-. Confiscation of property. 15. Exaction of ■, illegitimate or of exorbitant contributions and requisitions. 16. Debasement of the currency, and issue of spurious currency. 17. Imposition of collective penalties. 18. Wanton devastation and destruction of property. 19. Deliberate bombardment of undefended places. 20. Wanton destruction of religious, charitable, educational, and historic buildings and monuments. 2L Destruction of merchant ships and passenger vessels without examination and without warning. 22. Destruction of fishing boats and of relief ships. 23. Deliberate bombardment of hospitals. 24. Attack on and destruction of hospitalships. 25. Breach of other rules relating to tho Red Cross. 26. Use of deleterious and asphyxiating gases. 27. Use of explosive and expanding bullets, and other inhuman appliances. 28. Directions to give no quarter. 29. 111-treatment of prisoners of war. 30. Misuseof flags of truce. 31. Poisoning of wells. In view of tho faot that the offences enumerated and the particulars given were not regarded as being complete the sub-commis-sion made the following recommendation: " The sub-commission recomends the appointment of a Standing Committee or other representative body for the purpose of collecting and systematising such further information, with a view to laying before a. tribunal or tribunals eventually to be set uo a comprehensive list of charges and accused persons, subject to the conclusions reached by tho other sub-commissions."