Notes & Comments - Oct. 8, 1914

General Von Moltke, chief of the German army has been dismissed, which means that the Kaiser is not satisfied with the way the war is going. We have always understood that it was bad policy to swap horses while crossing a stream.

Published Oct. 8, 1914
Aylmer Express Newspaper, Notes and Comments

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Belgium’s protest against the bombardment of Antwerp by a Zeppelin will excite sympathy every where, since Belgium was one of the powers which signed The Hague conference declaration of Oct 18, 1907, prohibiting the discharge of projectiles and explosives from airships. Such methods of attack flagrantly increase the horrors of warfare and undo to a large extent the progress made in the last century toward a humaner consideration of the right of noncombatants.

Neither Germany nor France signed the declaration of 1907 regarding aerial warfare and neither of these countries holds itself bound by it. Belgium may not be able, therefore, to make out a direct case of treaty violation against Germany. The only international compact which holds Germany is article 27 of the rules of land warfare adopted by The Hague conference on Oct 18, 1907. This says: “In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic documents, hospitals and places where sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes.”

It is evident that an airship operating at night at considerable distance above a city cannot discern the marks which should give protection to such buildings. It is also evident that in a hurried night flight over a city “all necessary precautions” cannot be taken to spare the buildings which ought to be spared.

Published Oct. 8, 1914
Aylmer Express Newspaper, Notes and Comments

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