Plenipotentiaries of the Hague Peace Conference · 1899

Declaration concerning Asphyxiating Gases (Hague Declaration IV, 2)

Language
French
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Other
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English
No English translation · Official English text on Avalon Project
Selected
Ben Breen, 2026-09-29; suggested by Claude research agents, 29 Sep 2026
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Arguments unverified; quotations chosen by machine, unchecked

  • Q27CONTROL

    Should a useful invention be restricted if its harmful consequences cannot be reliably controlled?

    Yes. ban a weapon technology in advance. The contracting powers agree to abstain from projectiles whose object is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases.

    Les soussignés, Plénipotentiaires des Puissances représentées à la Conférence Internationale de la Paix à la Haye, dûment autorisés à cet effet par leurs Gouvernements, s’inspirant des sentiments qui ont trouvé leur expression dans la Déclaration de St. Pétersbourg du 29 Novembre/11 Décembre 1868 Déclarent: Les Puissances contractantes s’interdisent l’emploi de projectiles qui ont pour but unique de répandre des gaz asphyxiants ou délétères. La présente Déclaration n’est obligatoire que pour les Puissances contractantes, en cas de guerre entre deux ou plusieurs d’entre Elles.

    The undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the Powers represented at the International Peace Conference at The Hague, duly authorized to that effect by their Governments, inspired by the sentiments which found expression in the Declaration of St. Petersburg of 29 November/11 December 1868, Declare: The Contracting Powers agree to abstain from the use of projectiles the sole object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases. The present Declaration is only binding on the Contracting Powers in the case of a war between two or more of them.

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