The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-01-03

Of the second peace conference ut The
Hague, 1907, pledged themselves to tho
following:
article L. No general penalty, pc.
cunlary 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. ReQuisitions 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 q nature as not 70 involve the In
habltants 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 indl.
vidual communities as repriSals for
some act against the German army or
its regulations which was committed
within their boundaries. In IAN 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 1t because
the burgomaster did not inform the
military authority Of journey which
the cardinal, deprived Of the use Of his
m0tOrcar, had been obliged to make
on foot. In fact, upon the fllmsiest
pretexts heavy fines are inflicted OF
cOmmunes. The commune of Puer:
was subjected to a fine of 5000 marks
because q telegraph wire was broken
although the inquiry showed that II
had given way through wear"
MercIIess ExaetionS.
In addition to such arbitrary
sporadic exactions, in December, 1914
the Germans demanded 100000
francs ($S.OOO,000), month to b'
paid by the Belgian provinces Jointly
Concerning this enormous imposition
Cardinal Mercier says, in the "Appea
to Truth"
"Now, in December, 1914, Belgium
was devastated. Contributions Of wal
imposed on the towns and innumerablC
acquisitions In kind had exhausted her
The greater part of the factories were
idle, and in those which were still a
work, raw materials were, contrary Il
all law, being freely Communicated.
at was on this impoverished Bel
GUM, living on foreign charity, that ;
contribution of nearly 500,OOO.OO'
francs was imposed"
The German military rules have alst
made the families responsible for act
committed by or charged against mem
bers as is shown In the following ex
amples, which are quoted from tn
appeal to Truth, cited above:
'The Belgian government have sen
orders to rejoln the army to the mi
Iltiamen of several classes. Al
those who receive these orders ar
strictly forbidden to act upon then
/. In case of dlsobedience til
family of the militiaman will be hel
equally responsible"
Punishment "Without Mercy"
The commander In chief of the Gel
man army in Belgium posted u proofs
nation declaring:
"The villages where acts of hostilit
shall be committed by the lnhabitant
against our troops will be burned.
"FOr oil destruction Of roads, raj
ways, bridges, etc, the villages in til
neighborhoOd of the destruction wi
be held responsible.
"The punishments announced abov
will be carried out severely and witt
out mercy. The whole eOmmun't
will be held responsible. Hostage
will be taken In large numbers. III
heaviest war taxes will be levied"
At the end of the appeal to Truth
Cardinal MercIer says:
But we cannot say all here, n
quote oil.
"If, however. our readers wish 4
. the proof Of the accusations
we shall be glad to furnish ther
There Is not in our letter, nor 10 Il
four annexes ito the "Appes'
, TRUTH, one allegation Of which v
l J have not the proofs in our records"