ison or poisoned weapons._

(c) _To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his
arms, or having no longer means of defense, has surrendered
at discretion._

(d) _To declare that no quarter will be given._

(e) _To employ arms, projectiles, or material calculated to
cause unnecessary suffering._

(f) _To make improper use of a flag of truce, of the
national flag, or of the military insignia and uniform of
the enemy, as well as the distinctive badges of the Geneva
Convention._

(g) _To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such
destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the
necessities of war._

(h) _A belligerent is likewise forbidden to compel the
nationals of the hostile party to take part in the
operations of war directed against their own country, even
if they were in the belligerent's service before the
commencement of the war._

ARTICLE 25. _The attack or bombardment, by whatever means,
of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are
undefended is prohibited._

ARTICLE 27. _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 monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and
wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at
the time for military purposes._

ARTICLE 28. _The pillage of a town or place, even when taken
by assault, is prohibited._

It seems that the men of The Hague, when they wrote those
articles, had a sort of prescience of the future cruelties
of war and that they wanted to avoid them. Let us see how
far they have succeeded.

It was forbidden to employ poison or poisoned weapons. No
later than last spring when the Germans evacuated certain
parts of the north of France instructions emanating from the
German general headquarters were found in the pocket of many
German prisoners or on the dead, and those instructions
indicated how the water of the wells was to be poisoned:
"Such and such a soldier," ran instructions, "will be in
charge of the wells, will throw in each one a sufficient
quantity of poison or creosote, or, lacking these, all
available filth."

It was forbidden to declare that no quarter would be given