Personal belongings.
The prisoners of war remain in possession of their private property with the exception of arms, horses, and documents of a military purport. If for definite reasons any objects are taken away from them, then these must be kept in suitable places and restored to them at the end of their captivity.
The Information Bureau.
Article 14 of the Hague Regulations prescribes that on the outbreak of hostilities there shall be established in each of the belligerent States and in a given case in neutral States, which have received into their territory any of the combatants, an information bureau for prisoners of war. Its duty will be to answer all inquiries concerning such prisoners and to receive the necessary particulars from the services concerned in order to be able to keep a personal entry for every prisoner. The information bureau must always be kept well posted about everything which concerns a prisoner of war. Also this information bureau must collect and assign to the legitimate persons all personal objects, valuables, letters, and the like, which are found on the field of battle or have been left behind by dead prisoners of war in hospitals or field-hospitals. The information bureau enjoys freedom from postage, as do generally all postal despatches sent to or by prisoners of war. Charitable gifts for prisoners of war must be free of customs duty and also of freight charges on the public railways.
The prisoners of war have, in the event of their being wounded or sick, a claim to medical assistance and care as understood by the Geneva Convention and, so far as is possible, to spiritual ministrations also.
These rules may be shortly summarized as follows:
Prisoners of war are subject to the laws of the country in which they find themselves, particularly the rules in force in the army of the local State; they are to be treated like one’s own soldiers, neither worse nor better.
When Prisoners may be put to Death.
The following considerations hold good as regard the imposition of a death penalty in the case of prisoners; they can be put to death:
1. In case they commit offenses or are guilty of practises which are punishable by death by civil or military laws.
2. In case of insubordination, attempts at escape, etc., deadly weapons can be employed.
3. In case of overwhelming necessity, as reprisals, either against similar measures, or against other irregularities on the part of the management of the enemy’s army.
4. In case of overwhelming necessity, when other means of precaution do not exist and the existence of the prisoners becomes a danger to one’s own existence.