pynchon-l-digest V2 #1560

[JBFRAME at aol.com]

But isn't it possible to imagine some "human" (maybe 
you mean "humane"?) ways of waging war?

In 1874 at the Brussels International Conference an attempt was made to make 
rules for "humane" warfare.  The recent war in France had lead to some 
confusion as to how to treat so-called "irregular" forces.  The French Army 
had been so badly beaten by the Germans in regular battles that it almost 
ceased & resistance was carried on by the "Francs-tireurs", guerrillas who 
did not wear uniforms.  The Conference made a declaration that for guerrillas 
to be recognized as lawful belligerents that they must have a specific 
commander, wear a distinctive badge, carry weapons openly, and conform to the 
laws and customs of war.  If armed persons were caught resisting regular 
military forces without recognized identifying insignia, they could be 
treated as spies & executed.  This neglected warfare against tribal warriors 
& the rules  agreed to at this Conference were used in later years to justify 
atrocities by American & German military forces against so-called Primitive 
peoples, such as the Moros in the Philippines & the Herreros in Namibia. 

jbf