New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-23
Military Cash Levies on Conquered
Territory.

may perbaps still claim TO be within the letter oil
,,,. t,ocue treaty of October IS 1907, regulating
warfare ON land. but they have manifestly violated
if, spirit If. as is further reported, they have
,oize5 100000 in cash in the private banks Of
fisre they have violated the treaty both in letter
and spirit
In .orderorinc such demands as the German army
ID. reported TO have made on Brussels and hege
, is not necessary to classify them, as The Lon
don Chronicle does. as "a bold return, in defiance
- the humanitarian code which Germany pledged
herself fifteen (seven0 years ago to observe 20
the odous piratical practices Of nations in the sew
crteentb and eighteenth centuries" Nor is 1t neces'
.arv 70 take seriously "The Chronicles" suggestion
shat the United states should appeal 10 Germany
and naturally 10 all the other belgerents-in the
interest of the strictest observance Of the Hague
international agreement. Moral pressure from us
will not prevent breaches of that compact The
.rv real restraining force will he the fear Of eacn
i,q1icerent that it may have to pay in like coin
for the violations of the rules Of war Of which it
happens TO be guilty.
If Germany has levied a tax Of 100000" on
brussels and tax of 100000 on Liese she has
certainly taken an unfair advantage Of conquered
communities which viii probably return 10 plague
her We do not give much credence 10 the report
of The seizure of 100000 in the private banks
of Iiace because the Hague code expressly says
.bat in any occupied territory private property
mi
ouor and rights the lives Of persons and private
property. as well as religions convictions and prae-
ticc. must be respected"
IL would be surprising if Germany had de
BrersteIv challenged one Of the fundamental rules
of modern warfare and reverted TO medieval
habits of pilage and brigandage. Chancellor
Rethmann- Holweg says that the present war Is
holy war" because it is being waged for the
maintenance of German standards Of civilization
against the onrush Of "Niuscovite barbarism" But
what would Teutonic civilization be worth to the
world if its first impulse in war was TO smash
the safeguards now thrown by the pressure OK
civilized opinion about private property in con
quered territory:
The laws Of war properly allow army Of oc-
cupstion to take possession Of cash, funds and
reslizable securities which the property of the
state and all supplies and movable property be
longing TO the state which may be used for mill
tary purposes. Appliances for the transmission Of
news and for transport and all munitions Of war
NAV also be seized, even though they belong to
private individuals But these latter must be re
turned and compensation for the use Of them fixed
when peace IS restored.
So far as the use Of the taxing power is con
cerned, the theory of the Hague treaty is that
the invading force shall act generally in lieu II
the expelled government The following articles
from the treaty clearly set forth that theory:
49, If in the territory occupied the occupant col
lects taxes dues and tolls imposed for the benefit
Of the he shall do so, far as rs possible, ln
accordance with the rules of assessment and incidence
n force and shall in consequence be bound 70 defray
the expenses Of the administration OF the occupied
territory 20 the same extent as the legitimate govern
ment was bound.
above article the occupant leyies other money con-
tributons in the occupied territory. this shan
COMMUNICATION Of the territory IN question.
SO 10 general penalty peeunary or otherwise.
the acts Of individuals Tor which they cannot be
egardcd jointly and seyerally responsible
These rules do away with the old system Of
military freebooting They give occupying army
the right TO demand reasonable amount for its
own maintenance. 1t must preserve order. taking
;he place and performing the functions Of the ex.
PEELED native army. II may divert the amount
needed for It's own support out Of the regular gov
ernmental revenues, il may supplement the or
binary revenues by special tax But 1t would
depart entirely from the spirit Of the Hague
treaty II it should levy excessive special taxes. like
those which it is reported the Germans have levied
ou Brussels and Liege. A tax Of $40OOOOOO levied
ON Brussels would represent $50 for every man.
woman aud child in the community 1t would
represent more than twice the cost for year OF
the entire Belgian military establishment IT
would be a crushing exacton from people pun.
shed not for any offence which they have ever