d'armes qui aggraveraient inutilement les souffrances des hommes mis hors de combat, ou rendraient leur mort inévitable; Que l'emploi de pareilles armes serait dès lors contraire aux lois de l'humanité ; Les Parties Contractantes s'engagent à renoncer mutuellement, en cas de guerre entre elles, à l'emploi par leurs troupes de terre ou de mer, de tout projectile d'un poids inférieur à 400 grammes qui serait ou explosible ou chargé de matières fulminantes ou inflammables. Elles inviteront tous les Etats, qui n'ont pas participé par l'envoi de Délégués aux délibérations de la Commission Militaire Internationale réunie à Saint-Pétersbourg, à accéder au présent engagement. Cet engagement n'est obligatoire que pour les Parties Contractantes ou Accédantes en cas de guerre entre deux ou plusieurs d'entre elles il n'est pas applicable vis-à-vis de Parties nonContractantes ou qui n'auraient pas accédé. Il cesserait également d'être obligatoire du moment où, dans une guerre entre Parties Contractantes ou Accédantes, une partie non-Contractante, ou qui n'aurait pas accédé, se joindrait à l'un des belligérants. Les Parties Contractantes ou Accédantes se réservent de s'entendre ultérieurement toutes les fois qu'une proposition précise serait formulée en vue des perfectionnements à venir que la science pourrait apporter dans l'armement des troupes, afin de maintenir les principes qu'elles ont posés et de by the employment of arms which uselessly aggravate the sufferings of disabled men, or render their death inevitable; That the employment of such arms would, therefore, be contrary to the laws of humanity; The Contracting Parties engage mutually to renounce, in case of war among themselves, the employment by their military or naval troops of any projectile of a weight below 400 grammes', which is either explosive or charged with fulminating or inflammable substances. They will invite all the States which have not taken part in the deliberations of the International Military Commission assembled at St Petersburg, by sending Delegates thereto, to accede to the present engagement. This engagement is obligatory only upon the Contracting or Acceding Parties thereto, in case of war between two or more of themselves; it is not applicable with regard to non-Contracting Parties or Parties who shall not have acceded to it. It will also cease to be obligatory from the moment when, in a war between Contracting or Acceding Parties, a non-Contracting Party or a non-Acceding Party shall join one of the belligerents. The Contracting or Acceding Parties reserve to themselves to come hereafter to an understanding whenever a precise proposition shall be drawn up in view of future improvements which science may effect in the armament of troops, in order to maintain the principles which they have established, and 1 About 14 ounces avoirdupois, concilier les nécessités de la guerre avec les lois de l'humanité. Fait à Saint-Pétersbourg, le vingt-neuf Novembre mil huit cent soi onze Décembre xante-huit. to conciliate the necessities of war with the laws of humanity. Done at St Petersburg, the 29 Nov. 1868. 11 Dec. The Conference at St Petersburg which was summoned by the Emperor Alexander II. was composed of military delegates from the following Powers who signed the Convention:-Great Britain, Austria and Hungary, Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Prussia and the North German Confederation, Russia, Sweden and Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, and Würtemberg. Baden and Brazil subsequently acceded to the Declaration. The reasons for the summoning of the Conference at St Petersburg are set forth in a Memorandum which the military delegates took into consideration. From this it appears that in 1863 a bullet had been introduced with a cap which exploded on contact with a hard substance. The object of the bullet was to blow up military and ammunition wagons when the bullet was fired from a short distance. In 1867 a modification was introduced which enabled the bullet to explode on contact with a soft substance. General Milutine the Russian War Minister induced his government to summon a conference of military delegates to see if an agreement could be arrived at in reference to the use of such explosive bullets. The Prussian delegate was prepared to discuss the wider question of weapons, but the other delegates were opposed to this, and ultimately the Declaration was agreed to as set forth above1. The Declaration of St Petersburg is the first formal agreement restricting the use of weapons of war, both in land and maritime warfare. The statement of the reasons for this restriction is marked by a high feeling of humanity. War is necessarily productive of great pain to the combatants, and the civilised world has agreed that it is inhuman to uselessly aggravate the sufferings of disabled men." This Declaration is by reference incorporated into the Regulations respecting the laws and customs of war on land annexed to the Conventions on this subject adopted by both the Hague Conferences (Art. 23), and similar humane. principles prompted the Three Declarations of the Conference of 1899. Although general principles are enunciated in the preamble to the Declaration the application made at the time was a limited one, and appears to be practically obsolete; but the fact of the adoption of these principles is of great importance; a standard has been set, which it is to be hoped no civilised state will in the future fail to reach. 1 For Protocols see De Martens, Recueil, etc. Vol. xvii. pp. 450-474. GENEVA CONVENTION, 18641 Convention pour l'amélioration du sort des militaires blessés dans les armées en campagne. La Confédération suisse, S.A.R. le Grand-Duc de Bade, S.M. le Roi des Belges, S.M. le Roi de Danemark, S.M. la Reine d'Espagne, S.M. l'Empereur des Français, S.A.R. le Grand-Duc de Hesse, S.M. le Roi d'Italie, S.M. le Roi des Pays-Bas, S. M. le Roi de Portugal et des Algarves, S. M. le Roi de Prusse, S.M. le Roi de Wurtemberg-également animés du désir d'adoucir, autant qu'il dépend d'eux, les maux inséparables de la guerre, de supprimer les rigueurs inutiles, et d'améliorer le sort des militaires blessés sur les champs de bataille, ont résolu de conclure une Convention à cet effet et ont nommé pour leurs Plénipotentiaires, savoir: Convention for the amelioration of the condition of soldiers wounded in armies in the field. The Swiss Confederation, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Baden, His Majesty the King of the Belgians, His Majesty the King of Denmark, Her Majesty the Queen of Spain, His Majesty the Emperor of the French, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, His Majesty the King of Italy, His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, His Majesty the King of Portugal and the Algarves, His Majesty the King of Prussia, His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg, being equally animated by the desire to mitigate, as far as depends upon them, the evils inseparable from war, to suppress useless severities, and to ameliorate the condition of soldiers wounded on the field of battle, have resolved to conclude a Convention for that purpose, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: (Suivent les noms des Plénipotentiaires.) (Here follow the names of the Pleni potentiaries.) 1 British State Papers, 1865, Vol. LVII. p. 471; G. F. de Martens, Nouveau Recueil de Traités, Vol. XVIII. p. 607; Vol. xx. pp. 375–399; Holtzendorff, Handbuch des Völkerrechts, Vol. IV. §§ 74-77; Bluntschli, Das Völkerrecht, pp. 329 et seq. § 586; Despagnet, pp. 585-8; Mérignhac, Les lois et coutumes de la guerre sur terre, pp. 114–139; Hall, pp. 401–6; Lawrence, pp. 338, 339, 491-3; T. E. Holland, Studies in International Law, pp. 61-65; Idem, The Laws and Customs of War on Land, pp. 18-27 (containing commentary on this Convention); Halleck, Vol. I. p. 36; Wheaton, p. 474; Maine, p. 156; T. A. Walker, Science of International Law, pp. 357-362; H. Taylor, § 528; J. Westlake, War, pp. 60-72; L. Oppenheim, Vol. II. pp. 123-8; J. B. Moore, Digest of International Law, Vol. 1. p. 474; Vol. vII. p. 235. Lesquels, après avoir échangé leurs pouvoirs, trouvés en bonne et due forme, sont convenus des articles suivants : 1. Les ambulances et les hôpitaux militaires seront reconnus neutres, et, comme tels, protégés et respectés par les belligérants, aussi longtemps qu'il s'y trouvera des malades ou des blessés. La neutralité cesserait si ces ambulances ou ces hôpitaux étaient gardés par une force militaire. 2. Le personnel des hôpitaux et des ambulances, comprenant l'intendance, les services de santé, d'administration, de transport des blessés, ainsi que les aumôniers, participera au bénéfice de la neutralité lorsqu'il fonctionnera, et tant qu'il restera des blessés à relever ou à secourir. 3. Les personnes désignées dans l'article précédent pourront, même après l'occupation par l'ennemi, continuer à remplir leurs fonctions dans l'hôpital ou l'ambulance qu'elles desservent, ou se retirer pour rejoindre le corps auquel elles appartiennent. Dans ces circonstances, lorsque ces personnes cesseront leurs fonctions, elles seront remises aux avant-postes ennemis par les soins de l'armée occupante. 4. Le matériel des hôpitaux militaires demeurant soumis aux lois de la guerre, les personnes attachées à ces hôpitaux ne pourront, en se retirant, Who, after having exchanged their powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles: 1. Ambulances and military hospitals shall be recognised as neutral, and, as such, shall be protected and respected by the belligerents, so long as any sick or wounded may be therein. Such neutrality shall cease if these ambulances or hospitals shall be held by a military force. (Cp. G. C. 1906, Arts. 6-8.) 2. Persons employed in hospitals and ambulances, including the staff for superintendence, medical service, administration, transport of wounded, as well as chaplains, shall participate in the benefit of neutrality whilst so employed, and so long as there remain any wounded to bring in or to succour. (Cp. Add. Art. 1868, Art. 1. 3 H. C. 1899, Art. 7. G. C. 1906, Art. 9. 10 H. C. 1907, Art. 10.) 3. The persons designated in the preceding article may, even after occu pation by the enemy, continue to fulfil their duties in the hospital or ambulance which they serve, or may withdraw in order to rejoin the corps to which they belong. Under such circumstances, when those persons shall cease from their functions, they shall be delivered, by the occupying army, to the outposts of the enemy. (Cp. Add. Art. 1868, Art. 1. 3 H. C. 1899, Art. 7. G. C. 1906, Art. 12. 10 H. C. 1907, Art. 10.) 4. As the equipment of military hospitals remains subject to the laws of war, persons attached to such hospitals cannot, in withdrawing, carry emporter que les objets qui sont leur away any articles but such as are their propriété particulière. private property. Dans les mêmes circonstances, au contraire, l'ambulance conservera son matériel. 5. Les habitants du pays qui porteront secours aux blessés seront respectés et demeureront libres. Les généraux des puissances belligérantes auront pour mission de prévenir les habitants de l'appel fait à leur humanité, et de la neutralité qui en sera la conséquence. Tout blessé recueilli et soigné dans une maison y servira de sauvegarde. L'habitant qui aura recueilli chez lui des blessés sera dispensé du logement des troupes, ainsi que d'une partie des contributions de guerre qui seraient imposées. 6. Les militaires blessés ou malades seront recueillis et soignés, à quelque nation qu'ils appartiendront. Les commandants en chef auront la faculté de remettre immédiatement aux avant-postes ennemis, les militaires blessés pendant le combat, lorsque les circonstances le permettront, et du consentement des deux partis. Seront renvoyés dans leurs pays ceux qui, après guérison, seront reconnus incapables de servir. Les autres pourront être également renvoyés, à la condition de ne pas reprendre les armes pendant la durée de la guerre. Under the same circumstances an ambulance shall, on the contrary, retain its equipment. (Cp. G. C. 1906, Arts. 12 and 14.) 5. Inhabitants of the country who may bring help to the wounded shall be respected, and shall remain free. The generals of the belligerent powers shall make it their care to inform the inhabitants of the appeal addressed to their humanity, and of the neutrality which will be the consequence of it. Any wounded man entertained and taken care of in a house shall be considered as a protection thereto. Any inhabitant who shall have received wounded men into his house shall be exempted from the quartering of troops, as well as from a part of the contributions of war which may be imposed. (Cp. Add. Art. 1868, Art. 4. G. C. 1906, Art. 5.) 6. Wounded or sick soldiers shall be brought in and taken care of, to whatever nation they may belong. Commanders-in-chief shall have the power to deliver immediately to the outposts of the enemy soldiers who have been wounded in an engagement, when circumstances permit this to be done, and with the consent of both parties. Those who are recognised, after their wounds are healed, as incapable of serving, shall be sent back to their country. The others may also be sent back, on condition of not bearing arms again during the continuance of the war. (Cp. Add. Art. 1868, Art. 5. G. C. 1906, Art. 2.) |