Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-06
STEPS TAKEN BY BELGIUM
 TO PAY GERMAN WAR LEVY
Provinces Have Just Paid Ninth Monthly lnstalIment-Taxed $e6,- 100000.


 Amstedam, Nov 4. via London, $500
 p. m.-The chamber of commerce of Antwerp has issued a report written
 by its president, E. Castelin, to the
 members of the permanent deputation. which represents the chamber before the Belgian government, outlining the steps which the Belgian provinces had
 taken to pay the German war levy of
 4S0.000,000 francs (s96,000, ,000). The report states:
 The Belgian provinces have just paid the German administration the
 ninth monthly instalment of the war levy of 4S0,000,000 francs. They have up to date actually paid out 360, DOC, 900 francs of which 45,000, 900 are to be
 credited to 60,000.000 imposed special ly with the guarantee, given by the German authorities in December, 1914, that indemnity for reQuisitioncd mer- chandise or merchandise which would still be requisitioned en bloc would be
 paid as soon as possible inecurrency, in commercial bills of exchange, or in
 credits on German banks. It there
 fore remains to our provinces in order to free our country completely, from the heavy burden imposed upon her after four months of invasion and devastation, to make. monthly pay ments for September, October and No- ember, 1915-that is another 20,000,- 900 of which 15,000,0 900 are on account of the 60,000,000 special imposition in exchange for the guarantee of prompt payment for requisitioned goods.
 These facts show that for the past nine months Belgium has most scrup-
 ulously met the engagements made in her name at the time of the conven- tion relating to war contributions. This convention is, however, of an en-
 tirely reciprocal character. Moreover,
 if Belgium has fulfilled her ohliga- tions the German administration is very. much behind with theirs. which is shown clearly by the facts gath
 cred by the Antwerp chamber of
 commerce and from the general com
 mercial world of Antwerp = facts which is my duty to lay before you gentlemen in all sincerity and with due deference and loyalty.
 T had the honor to send you on
 March 19 last a duplicate report which I addressed to the international commission on subjects of requisi- tfons en masse which had been impos- ed on the trade of Antwerp. These requiSltions reached an enormous f1g-
 ure. embracing the total amount of stocks in our. warehouses and stores accumulated there at the time of the occupation of our town by German
 troops. The requisitioned goods were
 for the most part removed from the l town during the months of November and December by virtue of might which is greater than right. with the minimum of formality, without any
 regard to the rights of the owners or holders, without any previous agree
 ment as to the price. of the sale. The actual figures of the acquisitions, of which have been able to get details only regarding raw merchandise, this | then representing the major part of our imports, have reached and passed 85,000,000 francs. Five months more have passed since I described the sit uation in my report of March with out the smallest improvement l1 that situation. Payments received since | then do not represent a tenth part of the sums still owing. May I also persuade myself to call these so-call- ed payments advances representing some thirty to fifty per cent of bills, advances made by credits in marks i payable at the Reichsbank, recoverable three months after the conclusion of peace and the payment of which on maturity involves the parties in the risks of exchange to an extent which can be appreciated by all.
 "1n short, on bases within the limits of my report of March, giving an ap- proximate round value to goods re- moved from shipping and transport | houses (which I was not able to do before) can assert that from sixty to seventy million francs for acquisitions remain to be paid-requisitions which ] include nothing but merchandise com | ing from various principal sources of commerce of Antwerp. excluded from my calculations everything re- | lattng to the industrial world, fact(ry | buildings and yards. have no facts
 or authority in this quarter, which is not within the domain of the chamber | of commerce, but 1t Is general
 knowledge that here, too, the requi- | sitions have been considerable and should represent in sum total great number of millions. I shall allow my l self to call them to your attention, be- cause the interests involved therein | have as much right to be included, | from the point of view or reparation, 1 which it is beyond all justice, beyond
 humanity. to delay any longer"
 M. Castelin then reviews series
 of acts and formal engagements hy
 which the Ger mans and BeIgians reg | ulated the matter of acquisitions, stating at first the Germans made many acquisitions forcibly in a sum- mary manner. Then, in December, 1 francs monthly for a series of twelve l months. The Belgians accepted this l figure after long hesitation and after,
 1t Is declared, securing a formal promise of prompt settlement of the reQuisitions, the sum was raised to
 stipulated. On January 9, 1915, Gov ernor General Won Bissing confirmed this agreement, the report states, and
 the promise was made that a body of l Belgian business men would be ap- | pointed to reach a solution of the problem of payment for irregular re- I quisittons. M. Castelin continues: l Of all these. gentlemen. nothing 1 has naterialized. No commission was appoiSted at Antwerp and with few I exceptions the acquisitions were not paid for"
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