The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-04-11

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. acquisitions In kind
and services shall not be demanded
from municipalities or inhabitants OK
cupation. They shall be in proportion
the resources Of the country, and Of
such a nature as not to involve the III
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
GUM, heavy fines were laid upon indi-
viduRl communities rs repriSals for
some act against the German army OF
its regulations which was committed
within their boundaries. In IAN Ap.
peal to Truth Cardinal MERCER cites
the following cases:
"Malines, a workiug-class town,
without resources. has had a fine Of
10000 marks inflicted on It because
the burgomaster did not inform the
military authority of a journey which
the cardinal. deprived Of the use Of his
motcrcar, had been obliged to make
on foot. In fact, upon the f1imsiest
pretexts heavy fines are inflicted on
communes. The commune Of Puers
was subjected TO a fine of 5000 marks
because a telegraph wire was broken,
although The inquiry showed that 1t
had given way through wear"
MereiIess Exaetions.
In addition to such arbitrary,
sporadic ex%actions, in December, 1914,
the Germans demanded 100000
francs ($S,OOO,OO0), a month to be
paid by the Belgian provinces jointly.
Concerning this enormous imposition
Cardinal MERCER says, in the appeal
70 Truth
"Now, in December, 1911, 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.
1T was on this impoverished Bel
GUM. living on foreign charity, that a
contribution Of nearly 5OO,OOO,OOO
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 r quoted from the
appeal to Truth, cited above:
1.-THE Belgian government have sent
orders to rejoin the army to the mi.
litiamen Of several classes. . q. All
those who receive these orders are
strictly forbidden to act upon them.
In case Of disobedience the
family of the mllitiaman will be held
equally responsible"
Punishment without Mercy"
The commander in chief Of the Ger
man army in Belgium posted n procla-
nation declaring:
This villages where acts of hostility
shall be committed by the inhabitants
against our troops will he burned.
"For all destruction Of roads, rail-
WAYS, bridges, etc, the villages in the
neighborhood OF the destruction will
he held responsible.
The pu%uishmenis announced above
will he carried out severely and with
cSlt mercy. The whole community
VIII be held responsible. Hostages
Will be taken In large numbers. The
hcayiest war taxes. will he levied"
At The End Of the Appeal TO Truth
Cardinal MERCER says:
But we cannot; say all here, nor
quote all.
IF. however, our readers wish for
the proof Of the accusations q. 4.
we shall be glad to furnish them.
There is not in our letter, nor In the
four annex ITO the appeal to
Truth, one allegation If which we
have not the proofs In our records