Paragraph
8, for forced labor exacted by the enemy from civilians; Paragraph 9,
for damage done to property "with the exception of naval and military
works or materials" as a direct consequence of hostilities; and
Paragraph 10, for fines and levies imposed by the enemy upon the
civilian population. All these demands are just and in conformity with
the Allies' rights.

Paragraph 4, which claims for "damage caused by any kind of maltreatment
of prisoners of war," is more doubtful on the strict letter, but may be
justifiable under the Hague Convention and involves a very small sum.

In Paragraphs 5, 6, and 7, however, an issue of immensely greater
significance is involved. These paragraphs assert a claim for the amount
of the Separation and similar Allowances granted during the war by the
Allied Governments to the families of mobilized persons, and for the
amount of the pensions and compensations in respect of the injury or
death of combatants payable by these Governments now and hereafter.
Financially this adds to the Bill, as we shall see below, a very large
amount, indeed about twice as much again as all the other claims added
together.

The reader will readily apprehend what a plausible case can be made out
for the inclusion of these items of damage, if only on sentimental
grounds. It can be pointed out, first of all, that from the point of
view of general fairness it is monstrous that a woman whose house is
destroyed should be entitled to claim from the enemy whilst a woman
whose husband is killed on the field of battle should not be so
entitled; or that a farmer deprived of his farm should claim but that a
woman deprived of the earning power of her husband should not claim. In
fact the case for including Pensions and Separation Allowances largely
depends on exploiting the rather _arbitrary_ character of the criterion
laid down in the pre-Armistice conditions. Of all the losses caused by
war some bear more heavily on individuals and some are more evenly
distributed over the community as a whole; but by means of compensations
granted by the Government many of the former are in fact converted into
the latter. The most logical criterion for a limited claim, falling
short of the entire costs of the war, would have been in respect of
enemy acts contrary to International engagements or the recognized
practices of warfare. But this also would have been very difficult to
apply and unduly unfavorable to French interests as