THE EXTERNAL MARK OF INVIOLABILITY
[Sidenote: How to tell a Non-combatant.]
Those persons and objects who in war are to be treated as inviolable
must be recognizable by some external mark. Such is the so-called
Geneva Cross (a red cross on a white ground) introduced by
international agreement.[77]
Attention is to be attracted in the case of persons by armlets, in the
case of buildings by flags, in the case of wagons and other objects by
a corresponding paint mark.
If the mark is to receive adequate respect it is essential:
1. That it should be clearly visible and recognizable.
2. That it should only be worn by such persons or attached to such
objects as can lawfully claim it.
As to 1. Banners and flags must be sufficiently large to be both
distinguishable and recognizable at a far distance; they are to be so
attached that they will not be masked by any national flag that may be
near them, otherwise unintentional violations will be unavoidable.
As to 2. Abuse will result in the protective mark being no longer
respected, and a further result would be to render illusory, and to
endanger, the whole of the Geneva Convention. Measures must therefore
be taken to prevent such abuses and to require every member of the
army to draw attention to any one who wears these marks without being
entitled to do so.[78]
Regulations of international law to prevent and punish misuse of the
Red Cross do not exist.[79]