nformed that soldiers always shoot badly wounded horses
after, or during, a battle, whenever they are given time to do
so, _i.e._ whenever the operation does not involve risk to
human life. He fears that no more than this can be done unless
and until some international convention extends to those who
care for wounded animals the same protection for which the
Geneva Convention provides in the case of men; and he would
suggest that you should turn your efforts in that direction."

Thereupon, Mr. Lawrence Pike, on November 23, addressed to _The
Times_ the letter which called forth the letter which follows.

WOUNDED HORSES IN WAR

Sir,--Everyone must sympathise with the anxiety felt by Mr. L.W. Pike to
diminish the sufferings of horses upon the field of battle. How far any
systematic alleviation of such sufferings may be compatible with the
exigencies of warfare must be left to the decision of military experts.
In the meantime it may be as well to assure Mr. Pike that the Geneva
Convention of 1864 has nothing to do with the question, relating, as it
does, exclusively to the relief of human suffering. This is equally the
case with the second Geneva Convention, which Mr. Pike is right in
supposing never to have been ratified. He is also right in supposing
that "the terms of the convention are capable of amendment from time to
time," but wrong in supposing that they can be amended "by the setting
up of precedents." The convention can be amended only by a new
convention.

It is not the case that Art. 7 of the convention, which merely confides
to commanders-in-chief, under the instructions of their respective
Governments, "les details d'execution de la presente convention," gives
them any authority to extend its scope beyond what is expressly stated
to be its object--viz. "l'amelioration du sort des militaires blesses
dans les armees en campagne." While, however, the Geneva Convention,
does not contemplate the relief of animal suffering, it certainly cannot
be "set up as a bar" to the provision of such relief. Commanders who may
see their way to neutralising persons engaged in the succour or
slaughter of wounded horses would be quite within their powers in
entering into temporary agreements for that purpose.

I may add that the "Convention concerning the laws and customs of war on
land," prepared by the recent conference at The Hague, and signed on
behalf of most Governments, including