Among the special Army Orders issued by the War Office
on Thursday was the following :—" Any officer or soldier who when in the presence of the enemy displays a white flag or other token of surrender will be tried by general Court- Martial. Charges will be framed under Section 44 of the Army Act." That is excellent, and the only wonder is that it was not the rule of our Army long ago. The public must not, of course, imagine that trial by Court-Martial means military condemnation. It merely means that raising the white flag is to be treated like losing a ship. The officer Will be called. upon to justify his conduct to the full before a strict Court of Inquiry. If, as sometimes happens, he can show he had no alternative but to raise the white flag, he will, of course, be fully acquitted. If he cannot justify his action, or can only partially justify it he will be dealt with as the varying merits of the ease deserve.
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