Thereupon, Mr. Lawrence Pike, on November 23, addressed to _The Times_ the letter which called forth the letter which follows. WOUNDED HORSES IN WAR Sir,--Everyone must sympathise with the anxiety felt by Mr. L.W. Pike to diminish the sufferings of horses upon the field of battle. How far any systematic alleviation of such sufferings may be compatible with the exigencies of warfare must be left to the decision of military experts. In the meantime it may be as well to assure Mr. Pike that the Geneva Convention of 1864 has nothing to do with the question, relating, as it does, exclusively to the relief of human suffering. This is equally the case with the second Geneva Convention, which Mr. Pike is right in supposing never to have been ratified. He is also right in supposing that "the terms of the convention are capable of amendment from time to time," but wrong in supposing that they can be amended "by the setting up of precedents." The convention can be amended only by a new convention. It is not the case that Art. 7 of the convention, which merely confides to commanders-in-chief, under the instructions of their respective Governments, "les détails d'exécution de la présente convention," gives them any authority to extend its scope beyond what is expressly stated to be its object--viz. "l'amélioration du sort des militaires blessés dans les armées en campagne." While, however, the Geneva Convention, does not contemplate the relief of animal suffering, it certainly cannot be "set up as a bar" to the provision of such relief. Commanders who may see their way to neutralising persons engaged in the succour or slaughter of wounded horses would be quite within their powers in entering into temporary agreements for that purpose. I may add that the "Convention concerning the laws and customs of war on land," prepared by the recent conference at The Hague, and signed on behalf of most Governments, including our own, though not yet ratified, contains a chapter "Des malades et des blessés," which merely states that the obligations of belligerents on this point are governed by the Convention of Geneva of 1864, with such modifications as may be made in it. Among the aspirations (_voeux_) recorded in the "Acte final" of the conference, is one to the effect that steps may be taken for the assembling of a special conference, having for its object the revision of the Geneva Convention. Should such a conference be assembled Mr. Pike will have an opportunity of addressing it upon the painfully interesting subject which he has brought forward in your columns. Your obedient servant, T. E. HOLLAND. Oxford, November 27 (1899). The "second Geneva Convention," above mentioned, was the "Projet d'Articles additionnels," signed on October 20, 1868, but never ratified.