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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144668, 30 April 1915, Page 2

Thc exact lino of demarcation between methods of warfare which arc permitted and those which are forbidden is not very easy to define. The principle is clear enough and is that no method of attack or defence shall he used 'which involves undue suffering to combatants without any corresponding military advantage, or in short, that war shall ho conducted as humanely as posable. On these grounds the use of dumdum bullets is forbidden because they produce such ghastly wounds. Xo doubt sbrapnel shells when they hurst fan produce serious mutilation, hut the military rliix-t of shrapnel is go undoubted Unit its use is permitted, ’the Germans were the tir.-t nation to employ vast to roes of artillery in the present war. but since the British at Xenvo Cliapclle shewed a superiority of artillery lire the Germans have discovered that such methods are murder and tun war. The employment of poisonous gases is expressly prohibited by The Hague Convention, which was signed by Germany and is now regarded by belli s another "scran of paper.’’ German newspapers justify this breach by explaining that it is more pleasant to ho suffocated by chlorine than to be hilled by shrapnel. One can imagine tile wild hysteria of tho German press if the Allies had boon the first to employ the barbaric methods which are only praiseworthy wlton used by the Germans. The charge against the British of using asphyxiating bombs' is of course quite groundless. All explosions giro rise to poisonous gases’and miners know that it. is dangerous to approach a place where a shot has been tired until the gases produced have dispersed. A lyddito shell exploded in a confined spare may produce death’from the reuniting gases, but this point was considered at Tho Hague Conference and lyddito was permitted, as the poisonous gases were a mere incident of the explosion and not the primary object in view. German shells of course produce similar effects to those of the Allies.

The question is frequently asked whether the funds subscribed in New Zealand for the relief ol Belgian distress can bo relied upon to reach its Intended destination. As far as the fund .subscribed through our columns is concerned we may say that wo have had the assurance of the Belgian Consul in AVolliiigton, who cabled to tho Belgian Committee at homo, on tho point, that subscribers may rely upon the money being properly used for tho purpose for which it is given. Since then wo notice that an American correspondent who is contributing to Tho Times a series of articles from Belgium on the same question is able to give equally emphatic assurance, tie says that ''tho moment the Gormans take so much us one baking for their army the cotnmsision will withdraw its relief and tell tile world the reasons. This it must do for its own protection, lest it be overwhelmed by tho indignation ut Americans at home. No philanthropic work was ever more carefully scrutinised by the subscribers than this which is operating between the naval forces of one belligerent and tho land forces of another*to succour the victims of war. Thus far the Germans have absolutely kept, faith. Not only that, but the commission has secured an order that no more cattle or fodder, or any form of provender for man or beast, will be requisitioned while the commission continue their work. AVhen some bakers wore found to, be sifting out the white flour for sale to restaurants and hotels, and mixing the residue of bran with that given to the people, tho Gorman authorities offered their assistance in punishing the culprits.” After showing that it is policy for the Gormans to keep faith, he goes on to say.—‘‘Yet isn’t it possible, you may ask. that, while the conduct of their right hand is exemplary, the, Germans arc secretly forcing tribute front timorous bakers with their left? They are not, because every baker who has the privilege of baking from the commission must pow produce art amount of bread in keeping with the quality and

qiiantiyy of the flour which he receives. They are not, because of the character

of the men who supervise the work.” orenter assurance cannot be expected or asked for under the circumstances, and wo do not think that anyone need withhold their help on the around that it may be intercepted by the Germans.