§ 255. Article 24 of the Hague Regulations now enacts the old customary rule that a belligerent has a right to employ all methods necessary to obtain information, and these methods include espionage and treason. But this right stands face to face with the right to consider and punish as war criminals enemy individuals, whether soldiers or not, committing acts of espionage or treason. There is an irreconcilable conflict between the necessity of obtaining information on the one hand, and self-preservation on the other; and accordingly espionage and treason, as has been explained above in § 159, bear a twofold character. On the one hand, International Law gives a right to belligerents to make use of espionage and treason. On the other hand, the same law gives a right to belligerents to consider espionage and treason, committed by enemy soldiers or enemy private individuals within their lines, as acts of illegitimate warfare, and consequently punishable. Espionage has already been treated above in §§ 159-161. War treason may be committed in different ways. The following are the chief cases of war treason that may occur:-- (1) Information of any kind given to the enemy. (2) Voluntary supply of money, provisions, ammunition, horses, clothing, and the like, to the enemy. (3) Any voluntary assistance to military operations of the enemy, be it by serving as guide in the country, by opening the door of a defended habitation, by repairing a destroyed bridge, or otherwise. (4) Attempt to induce soldiers to desert, to surrender, to serve as spies, and the like, and negotiating desertion, surrender, and espionage offered by soldiers. (5) Attempt to bribe soldiers or officials in the interest of the enemy, and negotiating such bribe. (6) Liberation of enemy prisoners of war. (7) Conspiracy against the armed forces or against individual officers and members of them. (8) Wrecking of military trains, destruction of the lines of communication or of the telegraphs or telephones in the interest of the enemy, and the destruction of any war material for the same purpose. (9) Circulation of enemy proclamations dangerous to the interests of the belligerent concerned. (10) Intentional false guidance of troops by a hired guide or by one who offered his services voluntarily. (11) Rendering courier or similar services to the enemy.