Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-01-10

Germany, who signed the conventions
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 of individuals for which they can
not be regarded as Jointly and several
ly responsible"
article LII. Requisltions 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 a 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 us they invaded Bel.
gium, heavy fines We're laid upon indi.
.gilual communities as reprisals fol
some act against the German army 81
its regulations which was committed
within their boundaries. In "An Ap,
peal to Truth" CARDINAL Mercier cites
the following cases:
"AIalines, working-class town
without resources, has had 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 mo "a
on foot. In fact, upon the fimsiest
preteNts 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 it
had given way through wear.''
Merciless Exactions.
In addition to such arbitrary,
sporadic exactions, in December, 13 4
the Germans demandeds 40OO0,G1G
francs ($sO00,00o), a month to b,
paid by the Belgian provinces joint Y,
Concerning this enormous imposition
Cardinal Mercier says, in the Appeal
to TRUTH
"Now, in December, 1914, Belgi N
was devastated. Contributions of II
imposed on the towns and innumera le
acquisitions in kind had exhausted Il +,
The greater part of the factories We q
idle, and in those which We're still II
work, raw materials We're, contrary &C
all law, being freely commandment.
"It was on this impoverished Bel
GUM, living on foreign charity, that a
contribution of nearly 500,O00,G30
francs was imposed
The German military rules have also
made the families responsible for ac IS
committed by or charged against mell-
bers as is shown in the following es-
amples, which are quoted from the
Appeal to Truth, cited above:
1.-The Belgian government have seat
orders to rejoin the army to the MI.
litiamen of several classes. !. !. Au
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"
The commander in chief Of the Ger.
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.
1.-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 "Appenl to
TRUTH, one allegation Of which we
bave not the proofs in our records"