ger, to take only 'in
proportion to the resources of the country.' He must take
whatever is needful for his existence. We cannot ask him for
what is superhuman.

"The greatest kindness in war is to bring it to a speedy
conclusion. It should be allowable with that view to employ
all methods save those which are absolutely objectionable
('dazu muessen alle nicht geradezu verwerfliche Mittel
freistehen'). I can by no means profess agreement with the
Declaration of St. Petersburg when it asserts that 'the
weakening of the military forces of the enemy' is the only
lawful procedure in war. No, you must attack all the resources
of the enemy's Government: its finances, its railways, its
stores, and even its prestige. Thus energetically, and yet
with a moderation previously unknown, was the late war against
France conducted. The issue of the campaign was decided in two
months, and the fighting did not become embittered till a
revolutionary Government, unfortunately for the country,
prolonged the war for four more months.

"I am glad to see that the manual, in clear and precise
articles, pays more attention to the necessities of war than
has been paid by previous attempts. But for Governments to
recognise these rules will not be enough to insure that they
shall be observed. It has long been a universally recognised
custom of warfare that a flag of truce must not be fired on,
and yet we have seen that rule violated on several occasions
during the late war.

"Never will an article learnt by rote persuade soldiers to see
a regular enemy (sections 2-4) in the unorganised population
which takes up arms 'spontaneously' (so of its own motion) and
puts them in danger of their life at every moment of day and
night. Certain requirements of the manual might be impossible
of realisation; for instance, the identification of the slain
after a great battle. Other requirements would be open to
criticism did not the intercalation of such words as 'if
circumstances permit,' 'if possible,' 'if it can be done,' 'if
necessary,' give them an elasticity but for which the bonds
they impose must be broken by inexorable reality.

"I am of opinion that in war, where everything must be
individual, the only articles which