VICTORIA COLLEGE DEBATING SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2775, 19 May 1916, Page 9

VICTORIA COLLEGE DEBATING SOCIETY

4 Oil Saturday evening tlia Victoria University Collego Debating Society debated the hucstion "That reprisals should be adopted by tho British in answer to Germany's infringement of the rules of war." Messrs. A. J. George and J. H. lloss led the alßrinativo, and Messrs. E. Evans and H. C. Jenkins opposed. Mr. J. Caughley, M.A., acted as judge, and Mr. J. Byrne was in the chair. The movers maintained that the rules of war formed a contract betweeii nations, and that since Germany had persistently infringed those rules the other parties were 110 longer bound by them, lieprisals in warfare had been established by long usage, and had never been revoked. AVa had taken all the peaceful steps necessary to induce Germany to hold to the terms of lier contract, and ono course only was left to us—to adopt reprisals.. Theso were necessary to pun. ish Germany, to vindicate international law, and to protect the interests of civilisation. Tho opposers contended that no military advantage could bo gained by adopting reprisals, and British soldiers were not tho kind of 111011 to undertake £uch work. Our ideals of war were nobler than those of our enemy, and we should keep our namo clean by adhering to the terms of our contract. The best method of reprisal in answer to the campaign of revenge and spite which had made Gei-. many's name the scorn of nations was to redouble our efforts and crush her military power for ever. All interesting debate followed, in which Miss It; Dnniej], and Messrs. Howie, Archer, Wilson, Kay, Cocker, Crawford, and Rogers took part, and the motion was icai--ricd on a show of hands.. The judgo then gave his decision, placing Messrs. George, Evans, Ross, Jenkins, and Howie in that order as tho five best speakers for tho purposes of the union prize. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to Mr. Caughley for his services as juagc.