Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-03-20
BELGIUM PLUNDERED AND TORTURED
bYTHE WAR-MAD GERMAN MILITARY
Never Has There Been Brgandage So Methodca So Complete
War Contributions Alone Have Drained the Country Money
Raw Materials and All Economic Equipment Car
ried Of-Famine Now Threatens

Washington.-Th people Of the
United States have general idea OF
the awful condition existing in Bel
GUM ON account of the invasion OF the
Huns. Stories of atrocities have been
published and 1t is one unforgivable
fact against the Germans that they can
make no explanation for the outrageous
treatment they have inflicted upon the
inoffensive people of q small, weak ma
ton. If there was no other reason for
keeping the war spirit alive in the
United States. until the wrongs of Bel
gium were under process of being
righted, those wrongs would cry aloud
to every decent-thinking person and
make them insist that the war shall go
on tn a successful conclusion, and fur
Their that the perpetrators of the hide
Gus deeds in Belgium be punished.
The official Belgian information serv-
ice has procured facts showing the
situation of the Belgian territory occu-
pied by the Germans at the present
time. Not all of the stories that have
been published from time to time give
such complete summary of actual
conditions as this statement compiled
from the latest reports which show
the great necessity to continue the
work that has been carried on for more
than three years in America for the
relief of the people In Belgium. 1t
seems almost incredible that any ma
lion calling itself civilized could infiict
upon the people of small nation the
horrors which are described in the fol-
lowing.
The Material Suffering.
In the material domain never has
there been seen brigandage 30 meth
Odical or so complete. War contribu-
tions alone have, up to the present
time, drained the country of nearly two
billions of francs. These are still be-
ing collected &c the amount Of sixty
million francs n month. To this sum
must he added fines upon scores of
thousands Of individuals and the levies
and fines imposed upon the filmiest
pretexts, upon numerous localities, the
total 81 which amounts to several hun
uFbu llllElOiHs ltE NEDOSiAS VI illG
tional bank and the General Society of
Belgium, amounting to four hundred
thirty millions of marks were seized.
The stocks of raw materials, the ma
chinery, in short all the economic
equipment have been requisitioned and
carried away. At the beginning of 1915
the German depredations in Belgium
% -
1t would be difficult TO make even an
approximate estimate of them today.
The invaders have plundered and are
often demolishing the factories, not
only to send the machinery and the
old iron to Germany but for the
avowed purpose of running Belgian in
dustry after the war. They are now
plundering private domiciles. Their
spollations extend to bedding. cloth
ing, easseroles, window knobs. rods
and objects Of art. All that centuries
of a high civilization and long years
of labor had accumulated In the coun-
try has been devoured by the monster.
| The bells in many churches, the statues
In the public squares of Alost and
MOHS anu tie monuments III many
cemeteries have been sent to the fOun-
dry. The systematic destruction of the
forests goes on. on a large scale, More
than two thousand barges have been
seized. Horses have practically disap-
| peared.
Famine and Diseases.
The cessation of labor, the obstacles
| placed to the employment of those
without work, the acquisitions of ma
chinery and cattle. as well as yexations
| of all sorts have once more evoked
that plague which we believed to have
been forever overcome in Europe
| famine