Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-05
Brussels Ordered to Pay.

DOok-StallS-qu1te deserted now-lT
the Gellerie Borthier to the Gallierie
st. Hubert (where there was more
life and movement, 1 saw, in the
rue de rEcuyer a new affche, and
stopped TO read it:
Publication
The German government ordered
the payment of bons de requisition
having good reason to suppose that
the city would voluntarily pay the
whole of the war contribution that
had been imposed upon il. II was
only on that condition that the ex-
| ceptional treatment which the city
of Brussels had enjoyed could be
| justified, in contradistinction from
all the other cities in Belgium in
! which the bons de requisition would
! not be paid until after the conclusion
: of peace. Now that the city admin
/ istration of Brussels refuses to turn
! over the balance of the war contribu-
! ton, from this day forward no bons
/ de reQuisition will be paid by the
government treasury.
The Governor,
Baron Won Luttwitz,
Major General
Brussels, "a September, 1914.
The announcement bore an i'm
mense significance which was not per-
haps instantly seized by the small
group that so idly read it. They did
not, 1 fancied, all OF them at least,
( feel its dark presentiment CT impend-
ing evil. hurried home.
On the oath of August, Burgomas-
/ ter Max and General Won Jarotsky
had had some pourparlsis as to the
fifty millions of francs which the Ger
mans had demanded from the city.
Max had declared, as he had told
Won Jarotsky in our presence, that
he could not procure the entire sum.
However, he agreed to try to procure
a million and a half down and within
eight days following eighteen millions
and a half; and he tired to induce
Won Jarotsky to reduce the sum de-
handed to twenty millions. Won
Jarotsky said that he had no power
to do this, but he promised to use his
influence with the superior officers
of the army to have it done, as soon
as the twenty millions had been paid.
The contribution, as it was so polite
ly termed-war having need OF so
many euphemisms-was subsequent
" reduced to forty-five million francs.
The general also agreed, at the re-
quest of the burgomaster, that for
eight days the German authorities
would make no further acquisitions
Of food or provisions, either in the
city or in its faubourgs or from the
inhabitants. This agreement was
drawn up August "a, 1914, signed by
Won Jarotsky and the burgomaster
and witnessed by Grabowsky, the
counsellor aulique OF the German
legation. And the very next day a
German general passing through
Brussels told the burgomaster that
he would not observe this convention
unless Max made It possible for him
/ to bring at once by railroad froIn
ST. Trond, a place northeast of Brus-
sells. some stores of food and pro-
visions that he had there. Max
wrote a protest to Won Jarotsky In
sisting that the convention had been
made without condition and that for
a German general to introduce a con-
dition later was to break the given
word and destroy confidence in I
contract regularly signed by the
German government.
And again, on the 27th, two days
after the agreement made by Won
Jarotsky to the effect that there
would be no more acquisitions for
eight days, a superior officer sent by
a general in charge of an army fifty
kiIometers from Brussels, came to
the Hotel de Vile and ordered Max
TO furnish him with fifty pounds of
Yeast. Max again invoked the con-
vention, but this general said that
he was not bound by Won Jarotsky's
word.
In the meantime Max had sue
ceeded in obtaining a respite or thlr-
" DAYS for the payment OF the forty
five million francs. 1t had been de-
ciSed among the delegates of the va
rious communes of the Agglomera-
ton Bruxelloise CGreater Brussels
comprises fifteen communes, each
with its burgomaster, but the burgo-
master of the old historic Brus-
sells had always been considered
as the titular head of the whole
citv) that the commune of Brus-
sells would pay twenty millions
and the other communes thirty mil
lions. divided among them pro rata
to their population. The city-that
is. the commune of Brussels proper
made its payments regularly and
when the thirtieth of September
came there were only four million
four hundred thousand francs le1t
for the city to pay. The suburban
communes had not succeeded in rails
ing their thirty million, and the COM
mune of Brussels itself did not pos
sess the funds necessary to pay the
part of the other commune.
On the 26th September Baron Won
Luttwitz published the affiche set out
above. Following this and in reply
to it, NJ. Max wrote to NJ. Dutalre'
the directoire of the Deutsche bank
in Brussels, that the certificates or
Indebtedness could not be paid on
the goth and that he did this as a
risposte to the governor generals
publication.
May Is Arrested.
When [ returned to the legation
Villalobar was waiting there 10 see
me. We had chatted a little while
when the echevins (aldermenl
Jacauemain and Steen were an
nounced. and VI. Jacduemain came
down the corridor swiftly. his dark
face darker still in the stress of a
,r;,-;1 op,Ofiou