CRIME AND WAR POLICY t-r—1 '

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3112, 16 June 1917, Page 6

CRIME AND WAR POLICY t-r— 1 '

Something mure than the punishment of crimo is involved in tho demand for reprisals which has been raised in England as au outcome of the recent enemy air-raid in which more than five hundred Londoners, including a very large proportion of women and children, were- killed or injured. The-.only object pursued in this raid was the indiscriminate murder of civilians without regard to sex or age, and from the purely moral standpoint it was an atrocious crimo meriting tjio sternest punishment. But this is not the only .aspect which demands attention. It is a fact to be recognised that this crime has a definite place in the policy of terrorism upon which Germany has from the outset relied to a very great extent to gain her ends in the war. A day or two ago the Kaiser was 'credited with the statement that Germany is only striving to break the enemy's will to war. In the sense- that Germany's military masters no 'longer expect to better their existing position in tho war and base their remaining an assumed ability to tire out their enemies, the statement is no doubt perfectly true. It may be accepted as equally true that, |he Kaiser and bis war lords regard such foully criminal attacks as were lately made on London as a most important means to tho end of "breaking the enemy's will to wax." And it cannot be- lightly taken for granted that they are entirely wrong in this view of the matter. It may be, and probably is, true that the hopes they base upon the abominable crimes practised by their forces on land and sea and in the. air as tending to break down the fortitude of. tho Allied nations are delusive, and that tliey at once- overestimate the effect of these crimes in producing demoralisation and underestimate tlieir effect in stiffening the determination of tho nations attacked. But while tho enemy is not likely to full success in his policy of terrorism it would bo foolish to deny that ho is capable of reaching more limited results which in their scope are- damaging. The people of London would liemore than human if they were not in some degree shaken by the terrible experience whicK they lately passed and by tho prospect of having to endure similar ordeals in future. Tho question by which the British Government is faced is not merely whether atrocious crimes shall go unpunished but whether the enemy shall be permitted to continue unchecked one of tho principal activities by,which bo hopes to compel Britain to agree to an inconclusive, peace. Self-respect and a regard for moral law havo compelled tho nations at war with Germany to set limits to the policy of reprisals in kind. has committed some crimes which it is impossible for any civilised nation to emulate, even in the. interests of .retributive justico, but eho has been guilty, of

.others upon which retaliation in kind is not merely permissible and just but inevitable. 'IV governing consideration iii these cases was (.hat lo leaw Ihi , enemy i>. monopoly of his criminal deviw would not merely have been to Irt, crime go unpunished, bill, would have, placed the Allio:; permanently <il. a terrible, disadvantage. Similar consideration!; apply to I.I"-' bombardment of London from the air. There- is no reason to doubt Ihnf. Britain is in a position in this case as in others to punish tho enemy's crime and defeat his object, but it is fairly certain that these ends will not bo gained by purelv defensive measures or by. the limited policy of reprisals hitherto pursued. Tho latest reports in hand- indicate that all the enemy aeroplanes which dropped bombs on. London got safely a.way, and though this has given rise- to criticism, there is reason to fear that the exploit may be repeated with equal impunity if Britain continues to upon defensive measures. The raiders flew at such an extreme altitude that they were practically out of range of the British anti-aircraft guns, and at the same time were, assured of a long start from the aeroplanes which rose in pursuit. These tactics would not serve in a.h attack upon a definite military objective, wnen a "much nearer approach to the target would be essential, btffc they are capable of practically indefinite application, where it is a case merely of dropping bombs with murderous intent upon, a great city. The only aparcnt remedy is to improve upon (.ho tho enemy's tactics in attacking his own cities.^ Germany is as definitely outclassed by the Allies in tho aerial arm iis she is in other vital war factors. Her airmen a-s a body are admittedly much inferior to those, of Bri'fiain- and France, and she has long Wn outpaced in tho production ot machines. Only a few months ago she made a desperate effort to challenge tho Allies' aerial supremacy in the Western theatre, and was decisively defeated. Their established aerial supremacy has been a most important factor in enabling the' Allies to win their recent victories. Britain is most certainly in a postion- to retort with deadly effect upon such attacks as the berinans made on London, and to refrain from doing so would bo not only to tolerate crime but to encourage the enemy to make still more extended use of the aeroplane as an instrument of murder. From every point of view tho demand tor reprisals which appears to be gaining head in England is justified. It would be little better than madness to permit Germany to gam by a criminal departure from the laws of war an advantage she is unable to tain in fair fighting. One of to-day s messages states that Me. Bonak Law declined to answer questions on the subject in the Houso of Commons, but' it is unlikely -that this means that the Imperial Government stands definitely opposed to a policy of reprisals/ No doubt the question is under consideration by the War Cabinet, and it .is' probable also that Britain is consulting her Allies.