Letters to "The Times" upon War and Neutrality (1881-1920)Holland, Thomas Erskine
History
Letters to "The Times" upon War and Neutrality (1881-1920)
Holland, Thomas Erskine
Neutrality; War (International law)
Sir,--If my friend Sir Edward Clarke will glance again at my letter of
Monday, he will, I think, cease to be surprised that it contains no
answer to his censure from an ethical standpoint of our treatment of
Freiburg. My object was merely to indicate the desirability of keeping
the question whether acts of the kind are in violation of international
law (which I answered in the negative) distinct from questions, which I
catalogued, as to their practical inutility, with which some of your
correspondents have occupied themselves, or their repugnancy to feelings
of honour and humanity with which Sir Edward has dealt exclusively. Any
discussion of political expediency or of high morals would have been
beside my purpose.
It is curious that Sir Herbert Stephen should to-day speak of my letter
of the 7th as a defence of the aerial bombardment of Freiburg. It
neither attacked nor defended the bombardment, but, solely in the
interests of clear thinking, indicated the desirability of keeping
distinct the three points of view from which the topic may be regarded,
viz.: (1) of international law; (2) of practical utility; (3) of
morality and honour.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. E. HOLLAND.
Oxford, May 9 (1917).
* * * * *
SECTION 16
_Peace_
UNDESIRABLE PEACE TALK
Sir,--There has been more than enough of premature discussion by groups
of well-meaning amateurs, not unfrequently wirepulled by influences
hostile to this country, with reference to the terms of the treaty of
peace by which the world-war now raging will be brought to a close.
Movements of the kind have culminated in the action of a body rejoicing
in the somewhat cumbrous title of the "International Central
Organisation for a Durable Peace," which is inviting members of about
fifty societies, of very varying degrees of competence, to a
cosmopolitan meeting, to be held at Berne in December next. Lest the
unwary should be beguiled into having anything to do with the plausible
offer made to them that they should, there and then, assist in compiling
"a scientific dossier, containing material that will be of vast
importance to the diplomats who may be chosen to participate in the
peace congress itself," it may be worth while to call attention to the
composition of the executive committee by which the invitations are
issued, and to its "minimum programme."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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