The Elbert County tribune., 1917-12-28

----'-~>----~~~--0-'-~~--o-~
of the second peace conference at The
Hague, 1907. pledged themselves to the
following:
Article L. No general penalty, pc
cuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted
upon the population on account of the
acts or individuals for which they can
not be regarded as Jointly aad several
ly responsible"
Article LII. acquisitions in kind
and services shall not be demanded
from municipalities or Inhabitants ex-
cept for the needs of the army of oc-
cupation. They shall be in proportion
to the resources of the country, and of
such nature as not to involve the In
habitants in the obligation of taking
part In military operations against
their own country"
The German authorities have violat-
ed these articles from the very begin
ming. AS soon as they Invaded Bel
gium, heavy fines were laid upon indi-
vidual communities as reprisals for
some act against the German army or
its regulations which was committed
within their boundaries. In "An Ap-
peal to Truth" Cardinal Mercier cites
the following cases:
"Malines, working-class town.
without resources has had a fine of
10000 marks inflicted on it because
the burgomaster did not inform the
military authority of journey which
the cardinal, deprived OF the use of his
motorcar, had been obliged to make
on foot. In fact, upon the himsiest
pretexts heavy fines are inflicted on
communes. The commune of Puers
was subjected to fine of 5000 marks
because telegraph wire was broken,
although the inquiry showed that 1t
had given way through wear"
Merciless Exactions.
In addition to such arbitrary,
sporadic emotions. In December. 1914,
the Germans demanded 40.O0OO00
francs (sS,000,000), month to be
paid by the Belgian provinces Jointly.
Concerning this enormous imposition
Cardinal Mercier says, in the Appeal
to Truth :"
Now. In December. 1914. Belgium
was devastated. Contributions of war
imposed on the towns and innumerable
acquisitions In kind had exhausted her.
The greater part of the factories were
idle. and in those which were still at
work, raw materials were, contrary to
all law, being freely Communicated.
ut was on this Impoverished Bel
GUM, living on foreign charity, that
contribution of nearly 500,000,000
francs was imposed
The German military rules have also
made the families responsible for acts
committed By or charged against mem
bers as is shown In the following ex-
amples. which are quoted from the
appeal to Truth, cited above:
''The Belgian government have sent
orders to rejoin the army to the mi
litiamen OF several classes. All
those who receive these orders are
strictly forbidden to act upon them
In case of disobedience the
family of the militiaman will be held
equally responsible"
Punishment "Without Mercy"
ihc tHitl VI lDt DtT-
man army in Belgium posted procla-
nation declaring:
The villages where acts of hostility
shall be committed by the inhabitants
against our troops will be burned.
For all destruction of roads. rail-
ways, bridges. ETC., the villages in the
neighborhood of the destruction will
be held responsible.
THE punishments announced above
will be carried out severely and with
out mercy. The whole community
will be held responsible. Hostages
will be taken in large numbers. The
heaviest war taxes will be levied"
At the end of the Appeal to Truth"
Cardinal Mercier says:
But we cannot say all here. nor
quote all.
"If, however, our readers wish for
the proof of the accusations :.
we shall be glad to furnish them.
There is not in our letter, nor In the
four annexes Ito the Appeal to
Truth, one allegation of which we
have not the proofs In our records"