c. To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, or having no longer means of defence, 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. To declare abolished, suspended, or inadmissible in a Court of law the rights and actions of the nationals of the hostile party. 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 24. Ruses of war and the employment of measures necessary for obtaining information about the enemy and the country are considered permissible. ARTICLE 25. The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited. ARTICLE 26. The officer in command of an attacking force must, before commencing a bombardment, except in cases of assault, do all in his power to warn the authorities. 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. It is the duty of the besieged to indicate the presence of such buildings or places by distinctive and visible signs, which shall be notified to the enemy beforehand. ARTICLE 28. The pillage of a town or place, even when taken by assault, is prohibited. Chapitre II.-Des Espions. Article 29. Ne peut être considéré comme espion que l'individu qui, agissant clandestinement ou sous de faux prétextes, recueille ou cherche à recueillir des informations dans la zône d'opérations d'un belligérant, avec l'intention de les communiquer à la Partie adverse. Ainsi les militaires non déguisés qui ont pénétré dans la zône d'opérations de l'armée ennemie, à l'effet de recueillir des informations, ne sont pas considérés comme espions. De même, ne sont pas considérés comme espions: les militaires et les non militaires, accomplissant ouvertement leur mission, chargés de transmettre des dépêches destinées, soit à leur propre armée, soit à l'armée ennemie. A cette catégorie appartiennent également les individus envoyés en ballon pour transmettre les dépêches, et, en général, pour entretenir les communications entre les diverses parties d'une armée ou d'un territoire. Article 30. L'espion pris sur le fait ne pourra être puni sans jugement préalable. Article 31. L'espion qui, ayant rejoint l'armée à laquelle il appartient, est capturé plus tard par l'ennemi, est traité comme prisonnier de guerre et n'encourt aucune responsabilité pour ses actes d'espionnage antérieurs. Chapitre III.-Des Parlementaires. Article 32. Est considéré comme parlementaire l'individu autorisé par l'un des belligérants à entrer en pourparlers avec l'autre et se présentant avec le drapeau blanc. Il a droit à l'inviolabilité ainsi que le trompette, clairon ou tambour, le porte-drapeau et l'interprète qui l'accompagneraient. Article 33. Le chef auquel un parlementaire est expédié n'est pas obligé de le recevoir en toutes circonstances. Il peut prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires afin d'empêcher le parlementaire de profiter de sa mission pour se renseigner. Il a le droit, en cas d'abus, de retenir temporairement le parlementaire. CHAPTER II.-Spies. ARTICLE 29. A person can only be considered a spy when, acting clandestinely or on false pretences, he obtains or endeavours to obtain information in the zone of operations of a belligerent, with the intention of communicating it to the hostile party. Thus, soldiers not wearing a disguise who have penetrated into the zone of operations of the hostile army, for the purpose of obtaining information, are not considered spies. Similarly, the following are not considered spies: Soldiers and civilians, carrying out their mission openly, intrusted with the delivery of despatches intended either for their own army or for the enemy's army. To this class belong likewise persons sent in balloons for the purpose of carrying despatches and, generally, of maintaining communications between the different parts of an army or a territory. ARTICLE 30. A spy taken in the act shall not be punished without previous trial. ARTICLE 31. A spy who, after rejoining the army to which he belongs, is subsequently captured by the enemy, is treated as a prisoner of war, and incurs no responsibility for his previous acts of espionage. CHAPTER III.-Flags of Truce. ARTICLE 32. A person is regarded as bearing a flag of truce who has been authorized by one of the belligerents to enter into communication with the other, and who advances bearing a white flag. He has a right to inviolability, as well as the trumpeter, bugler or drummer, the flag-bearer and interpreter who may accompany him. ARTICLE 33. The commander to whom a flag of truce is sent is not in all cases obliged to receive it. He may take all the necessary steps to prevent the envoy taking advantage of his mission to obtain information. In case of abuse, he has the right to detain the envoy temporarily. Article 34. Le parlementaire perd ses droits d'inviolabilité, s'il est prouvé, d'une manière positive et irrécusable, qu'il a profité de sa position privilégiée pour provoquer ou commettre un acte de trahison. Chapitre IV-Des Capitulations. Article 35. Les capitulations arrêtées entre les Parties contractantes doivent tenir compte des règles de l'honneur militaire. Une fois fixées, elles doivent être scrupuleusement observées par les deux Parties. Chapitre V.-De l'Armistice. Article 36. L'armistice suspend les opérations de guerre par un accord mutuel des Parties belligérantes. Si la durée n'en est pas déterminée, les Parties belligérantes peuvent reprendre en tout temps les opérations, pourvu toutefois que l'ennemi soit averti en temps convenu, conformément aux conditions de l'armistice. Article 37. L'armistice peut être général ou local. Le premier suspend partout les opérations de guerre des Etats belligérants; le second, seulement entre certaines fractions des armées belligérantes et dans un rayon déterminé. Article 38. L'armistice doit être notifié officiellement et en temps utile aux autorités compétentes et aux troupes. Les hostilités sont suspendues immédiaiement après la notification ou au terme fixé. Article 39. Il dépend des Parties contractantes de fixer, dans les clauses de l'armistice, les rapports qui pourraient avoir lieu, sur le théatre de la guerre, avec les populations et entre elles. Article 40. Toute violation grave de l'armistice, par l'une des Parties, donne à l'autre le droit de le dénoncer et même, en cas d'urgence, de reprendre immédiatement les hostilités. ARTICLE 34. The envoy loses his rights of inviolability if it is proved in a clear and incontestable manner that he has taken advantage of his privileged position to provoke or commit an act of treachery. CHAPTER IV.-Capitulations. ARTICLE 35. Capitulations agreed upon between the contracting parties must take into account the rules of military honour. Once settled, they must be scrupulously observed by both parties. CHAPTER V.-Armistices. ARTICLES 36. An armistice suspends military operations by mutual agreement between the belligerent parties. If its duration is not defined, the belligerent parties may resume operations at any time, provided always that the enemy is warned within the time agreed upon, in accordance with the terms of the armistice. ARTICLE 37. An armistice may be general or local. The first suspends the military operations of the belligerent States everywhere; the second only between certain fractions of the belligerent armies and within a fixed radius. ARTICLE 38. An armistice must be notified officially and in good time to the competent authorities and to the troops. Hostilities are suspended immediately after the notification, or on the date fixed. ARTICLE 39. It rests with the contracting parties to settle, in the terms of the armistice, what communications may be held in the theatre of war with the inhabitants and between the inhabitants of one belligerent State and those of the other. ARTICLE 40. Any serious violation of the armistice by one of the parties gives the other party the right of denouncing it, and even, in cases of urgency, of recommencing hostilities immediately. |