PUNISH THE MALEFACTORS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 12 August 1915, Page 8

PUNISH THE MALEFACTORS.

Baron d'Estournelles cle t Constant, French pioneer of the Entente Cordia,le, and representative of Prance at the laternational Peace Congress" at the Hague* is of opinion- fcb&t jtfce Allies should, when the war is over, punish the violaters of Article 3 of the Conventions of 1899 :and 1907, in which it is stipulated that each signatory i s "responsible for all acts committed by the; persons forming part of its armed force." The "acts" to be ! judged ar e known —arson, robbery, : rape, murder, crimes against private persons and private property, the use of means prohibited by t&e laws of ! war, e|tc. The Baron would include in the criminal indictment the Kaiser, the German Kings, the Chancellors, and the generals of the two States, but he does not say how th e High Court could reach the sovereigns. The practical part of his proposal is rather that which touches the high command of th e enemy's armies and navies. A High Court of criminal procedure, erected under the sanction of 44 signatory States, might certainly be able to enforce its sentences on notorious malefactors. M. Heury Berenger, sen-: ator, in his turn, thinks that, now that the Germans' are less sure of victory, it is quite probable that the knowledge t nat tne ? r will be held personally Responsible for violation of ; international law may act as a deterrent.

MAKING- THE MONEY FLY. It is too much, perhaps, to hope that any war could be conducted without wasteful extravagance, but the ways of some of the British Government Departments are just about the limit. A Louden man, who has had some experience of Government contracts, tells how his company recently had a vessel taken over by the Government at,£2oo a day for hire. It lay idle for three weeks after the contract was signed. then the interior was gutted and rebuilt for troops' accommodation, and when all that had been done it was discovered that the vessel was unsuitable. By that time it had cost the nation £30.000. Another company had a couple of old ships, no longer in commission, and of so little consequence that they did not even appear in the company's balance-sheet. The Government bought them to use as harbour barrage, and the price paid for thorn was actually more than the original cost. But the record transaction concerns a very famous liner which was taken over at the beginning of tlie war. Men were set to work with pickaxes and crowbars to hew out her magnificent fittings, and arter the job had been done with commendable thoroughness it was discovered that the vessel was too big, and she was returned to the owners. It is going to cost the nation about £250,000 to repair the damage, and there is a colossal hire bill to' meet in addition.