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diff --git a/old/51716-8.txt b/old/51716-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 053c072..0000000 --- a/old/51716-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13438 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Belgians Under the German Eagle, by Jean -Massart, Translated by Bernard Miall - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Belgians Under the German Eagle - - -Author: Jean Massart - - - -Release Date: April 10, 2016 [eBook #51716] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BELGIANS UNDER THE GERMAN EAGLE*** - - -E-text prepared by Brian Coe, Moti Ben-Ari, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive/American Libraries -(https://archive.org/details/toronto) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive/American Libraries. See - https://archive.org/details/2belgiansunderge00massuoft - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - A carat character is used to denote superscription. A - single character following the carat is superscripted - (example: XX^e). Multiple superscripted characters are - enclosed by curly brackets (example: R^{do}). - - - - - -BELGIANS UNDER THE GERMAN EAGLE - -by - -JEAN MASSART - -Vice-Director of the Class of Sciences in the Royal Academy of Belgium - -Translated by Bernard Miall - - - - - - - -London -T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. -Adelphi Terrace - -First published June 1916 - -(All rights reserved) - - - - -PREFACE - - -These pages were written in Belgium between the 4th August, 1914, and -the 15th August, 1915. - -I employed in this work only those books and periodicals which -entered the country, whether secretly or openly, and which every one, -therefore, can procure. - -But to drive conviction into the reader's mind I have observed a rule -of selection in using these documents: I have used those exclusively -which are of German origin, or which are censored by the Germans. - -They are-- - - (A) German posters exposed in Belgium. - - (B) Books and newspapers coming from Germany. - - (C) Newspapers published in Belgium under the German censorship. - - (D) The _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_, the only foreign newspaper - which has been authorized in Belgium since the beginning of the - occupation. As for the Belgian _Grey Books_, the Reports of the - Commission of Inquiry, and books published in Belgium, of these I - used only those which were known to us in Belgium before the 15th - August, 1915. - -In short, since I crossed the frontier I have not inserted a single -idea into this book: it therefore precisely reflects the state of mind -of a Belgian who has lived a year under the German domination. - -I have forced myself to remain as far as possible objective, in order -to give my work the scientific rigour which characterizes the Reports -of the Belgian Commission of Inquiry. I have simply transferred, to a -domain which is new to me, the methods of my customary occupations. - - * * * * * - -Here is a list of my principal sources, with the abbreviations which -denote them in the text:-- - - _N.R.C._ _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant._ From this journal - (with two exceptions) I have taken only those - articles which were not stopped by the German - censorship. - _K.Z._ _Kölnische Zeitung._ - _K.Vz._ _Kölnische Volkszeitung._ - _D.G.A._ _Düsseldorfer General-Anzeiger._ - _F.Z._ _Frankfurter Zeitung._ - _N.A.Z._ _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung._ - 1st to 12th Report. _Reports of the Belgian Commission of Inquiry._ - 1st and 2nd Belgian. _Grey Books_. - _Belg. All._ Davignon, _La Belgigue et l'Allemagne_. - -The English edition is not a complete translation of the French text. -To save space, many facts, and above all, many quotations, have been -suppressed. - - J. M. - - ANTIBES, VILLA THURET, - _October, 1915_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - =Preface= 1 - - =Introduction= 9 - - INTELLECTUAL LIFE IN BELGIUM 12 - - Prohibition of Newspapers and Verbal Communication--The - German Censorship--Authorized German Newspapers--Authorized - Dutch Newspapers--Newspapers - introduced Surreptitiously--Secret Propagation of News--Secret - Newspapers--German Placards--Regulations as to - Correspondence--Railway Journeys. - - - CHAPTER I - - =The Violation of Neutrality= 27 - - A. THE PRELIMINARIES 27 - - The Belgians' Distrust of Germany lulled--German - Duplicity on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August, 1914--The - Ultimatum--The Speech of the Chancellor in the Reichstag. - - B. JUSTIFICATION OF THE ENTRY INTO BELGIUM 31 - - C. GERMAN ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BELGIUM 36 - - Necessity of influencing Neutrals--Absurdity of the First - Accusations--A Change of Tactics--The Revelations of the - _N.A.Z._--1. The Report of M. le Baron Griendl, some time - Belgian Minister in Berlin--2. The Reports of Generals - Ducarne and Jungbluth--The Attitude of the Belgians - toward the German Falsifications--Neutral Opinion--The - Falsification of M. de l'Escaille's Letter. - - D. THE DECLARATION OF WAR AND THE FIRST HOSTILITIES 50 - - The three successive Proposals of Wilhelm II to - Belgium--Hostilities preceding the Declaration of War--The - Pacific Character of Belgium--German Espionage in - Belgium--The Mentality of the German Soldiers at the - beginning of the Campaign--Letters from German - Prisoners of War--German Lies respecting the Occupation - of Liége--The sudden attack upon France is checked--The - Disinterested Behaviour of Belgium. - - - CHAPTER II - - =Violations of the Hague Convention= 63 - - A. THE "REPRISALS AGAINST FRANCS-TIREURS" 63 - - Murders Committed by the Germans from the Outset--Were - there any "Francs-tireurs?"--The Obsession of - the "Francs-tireurs" in the German Army--The Obsession - of the "Francs-tireurs" in the Literature of the - War--The Obsession of the "Francs-tireurs" in Literature - and Art--Responsibility of the Leaders--Animosity - toward the Clergy--Animosity toward Churches--Intentional - Insufficiency of Preliminary Inquiries--A - "Show" Inquiry--Mentality of an Officer charged with - the Repression of "Francs-tireurs"--Drunkenness in the - German Army--Cruelties necessary according to German - Theories--Terrorization: "Reprisals" as a "Preventive" - Incendiary Material--The two great Periods of Massacre--Protective - Inscriptions--Accusations against the Belgian - Government--Treatment of Civil Prisoners--The Return - of Civil Prisoners--German Admission of the Innocence - of the Civil Prisoners. - - B. THE "BELGIAN ATROCITIES" 98 - - The Pretended Cruelty of Belgian Civilians toward the - German Army--Some Accusations--The Pretended - Massacres of German Civilians--Preventive and Repressive - Measures taken by the Belgian Authorities. - - C. VIOLATIONS OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION 111 - - Military Employment of Belgians by the Germans--Measures - of Coercion taken by the Germans--Living - Shields--A German Admission--Belgians placed before the - Troops at Charleroi--Belgians placed before the Troops at - Lebbeke, Tirlemont, Mons--Belgian Women placed before - the Troops at Anseremme--Belgians forcibly detained at - Ostend and Middelkerke--Bombardment of the Cathedral - at Malines--The Pretended Observation-post on Notre-Dame - of Antwerp--German Observation-posts admitted - by the Germans--Pillage--Thefts of Stamps--Illegal - Taxation--Fines for Telegraphic Interruptions--Fines - for Attacks by "Francs-tireurs"--Hostages--Contributions - and Requisitions--Contributions demanded from the - Cities--Exactions of a Non-commissioned Officer--Requisitions - of Raw Materials and Machinery--Conclusions--The - Famine in Belgium--The Flight of the Belgians--The - Causes of the Famine--Creation of Temporary - Shelters--The National Relief Committee--Belgium's - Gratitude to America. - - - CHAPTER III - - =The German Mind, Self-depicted= 179 - - A. PRIDE 179 - - Some Manifestations of Pride and the Spirit of Boasting--1. - Militarism--Might comes before Right--2. Disdain - of Others--Some Inept Proclamations, etc.--Lies Concerning - the Situation in Belgium--Lies concerning - "Francs-tireurs"--3. Cynicism--Photographs and - Picture-postcards--Alfred Heymel on the Battle of - Charleroi--Surrender of the Critical Spirit. Refusal to - Examine the Accusations of Cruelty--The Abolition of Free - Discussion in Germany--German Credulity--Voluntary Blindness - of the "Intellectuals"--The Manifesto of the - "Ninety-three"--The Manifesto of the 3,125 Professors--The - Protestant Pastors--The Catholic Priests and Rabbis. - - B. UNTRUTHFULNESS 217 - - 1. A Few Lies--Written Lies--A French Dirigible - Captured by the Germans--The Transportation of the - German Dead--Some Lying Placards--M. Max's Denial--How - the Officers Lie to their Men--2. Perseverance in - Falsehood--The German treatment of Mgr. Merrier--3. - The Organization of Propaganda--(_a_) Propagandist - Bureaux Operating in Germany--(_b_) Propagandist Matter - issued by the Publishing Houses--(_c_) Propagandist - Bureaux operating Abroad--Sincerity of the Censored - Newspapers--Persecution of Uncensored Newspapers--(_d_) - Various Propaganda--4. The Violation of Engagements--The - Independence of Belgium--The Promise - to respect the Patriotism of the Belgians--The Forced - Striking of the Flag--The Belgian Colours forbidden - in the Provinces--Prohibition of the Belgian Colours - in Brussels--The "Te Deum" on the Patron Saints' Day - of the King--The Portraits of the Royal Family--Obligation - to Employ the German Language--The Belgian - Army is our Enemy!--The "Brabançonne" Prohibited--The - National Anniversary of July 21st--The Anniversary - of the 4th August--School Inspection by the Germans. - - C. INCITEMENTS TO DISUNION 282 - - Incitements to Disloyalty--The Walloons incited against - the Flemings--Inciting the People against the Belgian - Government--Inciting the Belgians against the English. - - D. A FEW DETAILS OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF BELGIUM 295 - - (_a_) Present Prosperity in Belgium--Assertions of the - German Authorities--The Parasitical Exploitation of - Belgium admitted by Germany--The Tenfold Tax on - Absentees--Railway Traffic in Belgium--Trouble with the - Artisans of Luttre--Traffic suppressed at Malines--(_b_) - The Germans' Talent for Organization--Conflict between - Authorities--Supression of the Bureau of Free Assessment--The - Belgian Red Cross Committee Suppressed--(_c_) - The Belgian Attitude toward the Germans--(_d_) Behaviour - of the German Administration--The Appeal to - Informers--German Espionage--Agents-Provocateurs or - "Traps." - - E. FEROCITY 333 - - 1. Aggravations--Treatment inflicted upon Belgian Ladies--Filthy - Amusements--2. Physical Tortures--The Fate - of the Valkenaers Family--3. Moral Tortures--Moral - Torture before Execution. - - - =Index= 361 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Bismarck was given to quoting, with approval, a saying which has often -been attributed to him, but which was, in reality, first made in his -presence by a hero of the American Civil War--General Sheridan. It was, -that the people of a country occupied by a conquering army should be -left nothing--save eyes to weep with! - -And we Belgians, truly, are weeping: weeping for our native country, -invaded, in contempt of the most solemn conventions, by one of the -signatories of those treaties; weeping for our villages, which -are levelled to the ground, and our cities, which are burned; our -monuments, which are broken by shell-fire, and our treasures of art -and science, which are for ever destroyed. We mourn to think of those -hundreds of thousands of our countrymen who have wandered without -shelter along the highways of Europe; of Belgium, lately so proud -of her prosperity, but now taxed and crushed and exhausted by war -requisitions and contributions, and reduced to holding out her hand for -public charity. - -Who could help but weep when, in Flanders, our soldiers are defending -the very last corner of our territory; when, in our villages, men, old -folks, women, and children have been, and are yet, shot down without -pity in reprisal for imaginary crimes; when thousands of civilians -are imprisoned in Germany as hostages; when the burgomaster of the -capital, for daring to defend the rights of his constituents, is -confined in a Silesian prison;[1] when our rural clergy is decimated, -to such a point that divine service has necessarily been suspended -in entire cantons; when a scholar like Van Gehuchten dies in exile, -after seeing his manuscripts and his drawings, the fruit of ten years' -labours, disappear in the flames of Louvain? - - * * * * * - -Our sobs are mingled with tears of gratitude for the compassionate -intervention of Holland, America, Spain, the Scandinavian countries, -Switzerland, and Italy ... not forgetting our Allies. It is this -generosity that has prevented us from dying of hunger and want; a -million of our refugees have found in Holland a fraternal succour which -has never for a moment been relaxed; the United States, thanks to the -influence and the incomparable activity of their Minister in Brussels, -Mr. Brand Whitlock, supply us with our daily bread. - -Belgium will never forget the exactions of those who have reduced to -famine one of the richest and most fertile countries in the world, nor -the unequalled charity of the nations which have enabled us to live to -this day, and have saved us from death by starvation. - - * * * * * - -We are weeping! But we do not surrender ourselves to despair, for we -have kept intact our faith in the future, and the firm resolve to leave -no stone unturned that we may for ever be spared such another trial. -Above all, we refuse to bow our heads beneath the yoke. In vain have -the Germans afflicted us with increasingly unjust and unjustifiable -and vexatious demands; they will never daunt us. Let them proscribe -the Belgian flag as a seditious emblem; we have no need to unfurl it -to remain faithful to it; they are welcome to forbid the _Te Deum_ -on the day of the King's patron saint; since the King and the Queen -are valiantly sharing, on the Yser, in the efforts and the sufferings -of our brothers and our sons, royalty has no firmer supporters among -us than the leaders of Socialism. No, we assuredly are not ready to -abandon ourselves to despair. And nothing can sustain us more than the -international sympathies by which we feel ourselves surrounded in this -our unmerited misfortune. - - * * * * * - -The time has not yet come to judge the events which have delivered -Europe to fire and blood. Yet we hold that it is the duty of all those -who believe themselves in a position usefully to intervene to make -themselves heard. For Germany possesses so perfect an organization for -the diffusion of her propaganda in foreign countries, that the public -opinion of neutral States, hearing but one side of the question, would -finally come to believe our enemies. - -It would be useless and ineffectual to accumulate, as did the -ninety-three German "intellectuals," among others, a number of denials -and affirmations, without supporting them by a single definite fact. We -do not wish to put forward anything which we cannot immediately support -by easily verified proofs. This rule which we have compelled ourselves -to observe, has forced us narrowly to limit our field of investigation. -We shall speak only of actions and intellectual manifestations which -are immediately connected with the present war; and as the field -would be too vast even when so circumscribed, we shall say nothing of -military operations properly so-called, nor of all that has happened -beyond the Belgian frontiers. We do not propose to write a history. We -leave to those more competent the task of extricating the truth as to -present events; we shall content ourselves with taking indisputable -documents, which are nearly always cuttings from German books, or -German newspapers, or German posters, and with analysing their mental -significance; and, further, with showing how the Belgians react against -the actions recorded. - -In the following pages we shall first of all examine the _violation -of Belgian neutrality by Germany_, then the _infractions of the Hague -Convention of 18th October, 1907_. We shall be careful to invoke only -_precise and unquestionable facts_; but for that matter the number of -German infractions of the law of nations in Belgium is so enormous -that we have been able provisionally to exclude all those which are -not established in the most positive manner. At the same time we -shall endeavour to derive from these facts a few indications as to -our enemies' manner of thinking. This last will be studied in further -detail in a third chapter: _German Mentality Self-depicted_. - - -INTELLECTUAL LIFE IN BELGIUM. - -A few words as to the documents utilized. - -As the Germans occupied our country they took pains to isolate us from -the rest of the world. They immediately suppressed all our journals, -as these naturally refused to submit to their censorship. At the same -time the Germans forced certain journals to reappear; notably _L'Ami de -l'Ordre_, at Namur, and _Le Bien Public_, at Gand. The first of these -journals took care frankly to inform its readers that the military -authorities were forcing it to continue publication. - -As for foreign newspapers, their introduction was forbidden under heavy -penalties. - - -_Prohibition of Newspapers and Verbal Communications._[2] - - OFFICIAL NOTICE. - - Although the District Commandant[3] is continually causing - authentic news of the military operations to be published, the - foreign newspapers are intentionally publishing false news. - - It is brought to the knowledge of the public that it is therefore - strictly forbidden to any one whomsoever to introduce into Spa and - the surrounding district newspapers other than German, without the - previous authorization of the District Commandant. - - Offenders will be punished according to the laws of war. - - The same penalties will be applied to those who have verbally - spread false news. - - THE DISTRICT COMMANDANT, - ASKE, _Colonel_. - - SPA, _22nd September, 1914_. - (_Placard posted at Spa._) - - NOTICE. - - I call the attention of the population of Belgium to the fact that - the sale and distribution of newspapers and of all news reproduced - by letterpress or in any other manner which is not expressly - authorized by the German censorship is strictly prohibited. Every - offender will be immediately arrested and punished by a long term - of imprisonment. - - THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL IN BELGIUM, - BARON VON DER GOLTZ, - _Field-Marshal_. - - BRUSSELS, _4th November, 1914_. - (_Posted in Brussels._) - - - MILITARY COURT. - - In pursuance of 18, 2 of the Imperial decree of 28th December 1899, - the following persons have been punished:-- - - (_a_) The coal-merchant Jules Pousseur, of Jambes, with 2 months' - imprisonment and a fine of 100 marks, or 20 days' additional - imprisonment. - - (_b_) His daughter, Camille Pousseur, with 2 months' imprisonment, - because they frequently bought foreign newspapers and articles - from newspapers whose sale is prohibited; and further because the - daughter copied and collected, with the knowledge and permission - of her father, poems and articles hostile to Germany, containing, - for the most part, vulgar and obscene insults in respect of the - Emperor, the Confederate Princes, and the German Army; and because - she further, as one may fully realize from the careful manner in - which the numerous copies were made, communicated the originals to - others, and finally because Jules Pousseur admits that he has for - some time been engaged in forwarding letters, which is forbidden. - -The terms of imprisonment will run from the first day of detention. The -copies and other writings will be retained. - -_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, _4th April, 1915_. - - -_The German Censorship._ - -After the 20th August the eastern half of Belgium was thus deprived of -all intellectual communication with the outside world. For a fortnight -we were left absolutely without news. Then, from the 5th September, -the German Government permitted the publication of journals which were -carefully expurgated, and falsified by a rigorous censorship:[4] _Le -Quotidien_, _Le Bruxellois_, _L'Écho de Bruxelles_, _Les Dernières -Nouvelles_; and later _Le Belge_, _La Belgique_, _La Patrie_, etc., in -Brussels, _L'Avenir_ in Antwerp, and many more. Although submitted to -the censorship, the appearance of these newspapers was only provisional -and uncertain. _Le Bien Public_ reminds its readers of the fact in its -issue for the 13th December, 1914. All these journals were on occasion -suspended; for example, _Le Quotidien_, from the 9th to the 11th -December, 1914, without any reason being given; _L'Ami de l'Ordre_, -from the 2nd to the 7th September, 1914, for having printed an acrostic -regarded as insulting; and _Le Bien Public_, during the whole of May, -1915. - -The illustrated journals were as much subject to the censorship as -the ordinary newspapers. Numbers 1 to 3 of _1914 Illustré_, published -before the arrival of the Germans, could no longer be exposed for -sale: No. 1 containing portraits of King Albert, Nicholas II, M. -Poincaré, and King George V; No. 2 the portrait of General Leman, and -No. 3 that of M. Max. From November onwards the issues were severely -edited, so that they contained, for example, scarcely any more -photographs of towns burned by the German army. The other illustrated -papers--_Actualité Illustré_, _Le Temps Présent_, etc., also had none -but anodyne photographs, such as portraits of the new masters, military -and civil. - -In some degree to replace the newspapers, the printers conceived the -idea of publishing little booklets relating to the war, but giving -no direct news of the military operations. These publications were -naturally subjected to the censorship, and many of those which were -published before the decree of the 13th October, 1914, were prohibited; -it was thus with the very interesting brochure, _M. Adolphe Max, -bourgmestre de Bruxelles, son administration du 20th août au 26th -septembre, 1914_, and the Nos. 1 to 10 of the booklets issued by Mr. -Brian Hill. Illustrated postcards also were censored; the series in -course of publication, representing the ruins of Louvain, Dinant, -Charleroi, Liége, etc., had to be interrupted. Music even had to -receive the official approbation (_see_ the placard of 27th March, -1915, p. 274). - -In short, it will be seen that our public life already very closely -approached the German ideal: _Alles ist verboten_. To think that -Belgium, so justly proud of her constitutional liberties, is now -crushed, breathless, under the heavy Prussian jack-boot! - - -_Authorized German Newspapers._ - -As a compensation for those which the German Administration felt -obliged to suppress, it allowed us, about the 10th September, -to receive some German newspapers--the _Kölnische Zeitung_, -_Kölnische Volkszeitung_, _Düsseldorfer Tageblatt_, _Düsseldorfer -General-Anzieger_, and also a few illustrated papers, notably the -_Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung_, _Die Wochenschau_, _Du Kriegs-Echo_. -At a later date other newspapers were tolerated: _Vossissche Zeitung_, -_Berliner Tageblatt_, _Frankfurter Zeitung_, _Berliner Zeitung am -Mittag_, _L'Ami du Peuple_ (a special edition, for Belgium, in French -and German, of _Der Volksfreund_, of Aix-la-Chapelle), and also some -new illustrated papers, for example, _Kriegsbilder_, _Zeit im Bild_, -and above all the _Illustrierte Kriegs-Kurier_, published in German, -Flemish, French, and English,[5] whose sixteen pages, all covered -with illustrations, cost only 15 centimes: evidently an instrument of -propaganda, subsidized by the Central Administration. We shall have -occasion later on to insist on its veracity, if one may call it that. -For a long time none of these journals reached us regularly. - -We had also access to two journals published by the Government -itself: (1) the _Deutsche Soldatenpost_ (_Herausgegeben von der -Zivil-Vorwaltung des General-Gouverneurs in Belgiën_), originally -reserved for soldiers, but which was also sold to civilians--in a very -intermittent fashion, it is true--from September 1914 to the beginning -of December 1914; (2) _Le Réveil_ (_Écho de la Presse, Journal officiel -du Bureau allemand à Düsseldorf pour la publication de nouvelles -authentiques à l'étranger_), the latter being published simultaneously -in French and German. Forty-nine numbers were published. It felt such -an insurmountable disgust for untruth that having announced in the -introductory article of its first number that Belgium was entirely -in the hands of the Germans, it spoke, in a neighbouring column, of -battles in Western Flanders between the Germans and the Allies. Let -us say at once that from the point of view of sincerity and liberty -of opinion all the newspapers of the Trans-Rhenian world are of equal -worth: official or otherwise, they only publish that which is allowed, -or rather, inspired, by the Government. - - -_Authorized Dutch Newspapers._ - -One newspaper not subject to the Imperial censorship, one only, has -found grace with the authorities--the _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_. -Its tendencies, clearly favourable to Germany, enable it to penetrate -into Belgium; but not equally all over the country. At Gand one may -subscribe to it; but its sale in single numbers is prohibited. In -Antwerp it was proscribed for several months from the 7th December. - -At Louvain and Brussels it may be sold in the street, and also supplied -to subscribers. But it must not be supposed that the paper is anywhere -regularly distributed; the edition of the morning of the 10th November, -1914, was forwarded on the 27th November to a few subscribers who -were particularly persistent in their demands; it is true that this -number contains the article on the letters of prisoners of war made -by the Belgians (pp. 104-5), and that these letters annihilate not a -few accusations made by the Germans, while they throw a singular light -on their lies and acts of pillage. As for the issues for the 6th, -7th, and 8th December, 1914, they were never distributed; an official -announcement, which appeared in _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ of the 9th and 10th -December states that these numbers contain "inadmissible communications -as to the dislocation of troops." The issues of the 24th, 25th, and -26th December were also withheld. Since January 1915 some ten numbers -have been prohibited each month. - -From the _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_ we have copied only the -articles by contributors and correspondents of the journal itself; it -has seemed to us that to reproduce articles extracted from Belgian -newspapers was a proceeding which, while quite usual among the Germans, -is not entirely honest. - -Another Dutch journal, the _Algemeen Handelsblad_ of Amsterdam, arrived -in Brussels at the beginning of November; but its licence was withdrawn -at the end of a week. - -From February 1915 its sale was again authorized in Belgium. At -the same time the introduction of a few other Dutch journals was -permitted, their pro-German character being indubitable: such were _Het -Vaterland_, _De Maasbode_, _De Nieuwe Courant_. - - -_Newspapers introduced surreptitiously._ - -Let us say at once that despite all prohibitions and all the sentences -pronounced, prohibited newspapers continue to trickle into the occupied -portion of the country. These newspapers were at first those which were -normally appearing in the towns not yet subject to German authority. -Thus _La Métropole_ and _Le Matin_ of Antwerp, _Le Bien Public_ and -_La Flandre Libérale_ of Gand were very soon carried as contraband and -secretly sold in Brussels. Again, in the regions not yet invaded, some -of the newspapers of the towns already occupied were printed: thus -_L'Indépendance Belge_ of Brussels appeared at Ostend until the arrival -of the Germans in that town. - -The agents who sold these newspapers had also foreign papers, -especially French and English. Later, when all Belgium, save a corner -of Flanders, was subjected to the Germans, a number of Belgian papers -were printed abroad: _La Métropole_ and _L'Indépendance Belge_ in -London and _Le XX^e Siècle_ at Havre. - -We also used to receive from time to time occasional newspapers -published by Belgian refugees abroad. Of these we may cite: _L'Écho -Belge_, of Amsterdam, _La Belgique_, of Rotterdam, _Les Nouvelles_, and -_Le Courrier de la Meuse_, of Maastricht. - -It will be understood that prohibited journals are rare. On certain -days, when the hunt for the vendors is particularly fruitful, people -will offer fifty francs, or even two hundred, for a copy of the -_Times_. As it is chiefly across the Dutch frontier that the smuggling -of the English "dailies" is carried on, the authorities have enacted -measures which grow more and more Draconian relating to the traffic -across this frontier. By the end of 1914 it had become practically -impossible to enter Belgium from Holland by the ordinary route (_see_ -the _Düsseldorfer General-Anzeiger_ of the 20th December, 1915). The -smugglers of journals are therefore obliged to insinuate themselves in -secret, and their trade is not without danger; only in the suburbs of -Putte (province of Antwerp) the German sentinels killed two of them in -December 1914. - -Since the spring of 1915 the frontier has been guarded with barbed wire -and wires traversed by high-tension electric currents; the crossing has -naturally become more difficult. But "difficult" is not "impossible." - - -_Secret Propagation of News._ - -So that a greater number of readers may profit by the newspapers -smuggled into the country, the important passages, especially those -relating to military operations, are copied by means of the typewriter. -These extracts are searched after as much as the originals, but none -the less there are those who continue to prepare and to distribute -them in secret. In Brussels alone there are fifteen of these secret -sheets, each of which has its public of subscribers; many of them are -gratuitous. From time to time our oppressors scent out one of these -typewriting establishments, but some other devoted person immediately -continues the business. - -In certain well-known establishments one could, for a time, obtain -the use of a newspaper for ten minutes for one or two francs; but the -secret was finally betrayed, thanks to one or other of the innumerable -spies supported by the Government. - - -_Secret Newspapers._ - -Finally, not a few persons, possessing a typewriting machine or other -means of reproducing writing, copy and sell clandestinely, for the -profit of some charitable undertaking, articles from foreign newspapers -or reviews, which bear upon the current political situation. Many -documents have reached us in this form. - -Lastly, courageous Belgians have undertaken to print, in the midst of -the occupied territory, and in spite of all the German prohibitions, -newspapers which reach a circulation of many thousands. The two most -important are _La Libre Belgique_ and _La Vérité_. In vain have our -persecutors promised the most enticing rewards to those who should -denounce the authors of these sheets; they continue imperturbably to -appear. Which proves, be it said in passing, that the Germans lie most -horribly when they state that numbers of Belgians send them anonymous -information. - - -_German Placards._ - -Our intellectual pasture also includes placards. In the first place, -the _Notices_, _Orders_, and _Proclamations_ of all kinds. Then the -_News published by the German Government_, placards usually written in -three languages, in the principal towns. In Brussels, where they are -known as _Lustige Blätter_, they are particularly numerous. At Louvain, -Vilverde, and Mons they are in manuscript, and usually written in -German only. - -Two important sources of documentation are completely closed: -photography and correspondence by post. The taking and reproduction of -photographs is strictly prohibited, above all in the towns ruined by -the Germans. - - NOTICE. - - Whosoever produces, without authorization, representations of - destruction caused by the war, or who displays, offers for sale, - sells, or otherwise distributes, by means of postcards, illustrated - reviews, daily newspapers, or other periodicals containing such - representations, above all of buildings or localities burned or - devastated by the war, will be punished by a fine not exceeding - 5,000 marks or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year. - The seizure of formes and plates which shall have served for - the reproduction of these representations, as well as their - destruction, may also be ordered. - - THE IMPERIAL GOVERNOR, - FREIHERR VON HUENE, - _General of Infantry_. - - ANTWERP, _1st December, 1914_. - (_Posted at Antwerp._) - - -_Regulations as to Correspondence._ - -The sending of letters by carrier is prohibited. Until about the -middle of December correspondence was carried from town to town by -the carriers who undertake the goods traffic since the suspension of -the railways; one could still, therefore, easily enough obtain news. -But, as a souvenir of his joyous entry, the Herr Baron von Bissing, -who succeeded the Herr Baron von der Goltz as Governor-General in -Belgium, suppressed this little supplementary vocation of the carriers. -Thus Senator Speyer was condemned to pay a fine of 1,000 marks and to -undergo 10 days' imprisonment for the conveyance of letters. We have -no longer the resource of sending letters by carrier pigeons, as these -are closely scrutinized by the Germans. Finally, two remaining methods -of transmitting letters were taken from us: the use of a bow and arrow -(_N.R.C._, 1st January, 1915), and enclosure in a loaf baked in Holland -and sold in Belgium. So it is needless to say that we have neither -telegraph nor telephone. - -There is nothing to be done but to go in search of information oneself, -after finding out the hours (highly variable) during which one is -allowed to "circulate" in the localities through which one has to pass. - -Since then it has become very difficult to obtain precise information -as to an event which has occurred in another locality, for obviously -one cannot trust a missive of this kind to the German post, which -accepts only open letters, and passes them through a _cabinet noir_; -moreover, it does not guarantee communication with all points. - - BY ORDER OF THE GERMAN AUTHORITY. - - After 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Belgian) there must be no lights in the - windows of the houses of the town of Herve. - - The patrol has orders to fire into every window lit up, giving upon - the street. - - AD. CAJOT, _Sheriff_. - F. DE FRANCQUEX, _Judge_. - - (_Posted at Herve._) - -It must also be explained what administrative formalities one -had to fulfil in order to obtain a lodging. Thus, from January -1915 no one could obtain a lodging in Gand, whether in an hotel, -or a boarding-house, or apartments, without first obtaining the -authorization of the _Kommandantur_. - - -_Railway Journeys._ - -Once furnished with a proper passport, one has only to set out. By -suitably arranging one's route, one can often take advantage of -the local tramways. All other means of communication are extremely -precarious. The automobile is forbidden. Horses have been requisitioned -by the military authorities. - - _November 1914._ - - OFFICIAL RAILWAY TIME-TABLE - - _of railways at present operating in Belgium under the - administration of the German Government_. With details of journeys. - Price, 0 _fr._ 10. - - GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS. - - A certain number of trains have during the last few days been run - over the Belgian railways by the German Government. - - These are:-- - - 1. Brussels--Aix-la-Chapelle. - 2. Brussels--Lille. - 3. Brussels--Namur. - 4. Brussels--Charleroi. - 5. Louvain--Charleroi. - 6. Brussels--Antwerp. - 7. Brussels--Courtrai. - - Owing to the defective state of the lines and the telegraphic and - signalling apparatus, these trains can as yet travel only at a - moderate pace, and the duration of the journey is not guaranteed. - For this reason it is prudent to provide oneself on departure with - the necessary provisions for the journey. - - * * * * * - -The time-table of the railways is often made up in such a way that the -Belgian cannot make use of the trains. Thus the only train leaving -Brussels for Mons in November 1914 reached Mons at 9 p.m. But after -9 p.m. it is forbidden to walk through the streets of Mons. The only -train leaving Mons for Brussels leaves at 12.14 a.m., but one may not -"circulate" in the streets of Mons earlier than 4 a.m. - -We see to what extremities the Belgian population is reduced. Well, -well!--despite all these difficulties, we have procured documents of -great importance. We cannot, unfortunately, publish them all at this -juncture; for they would result in the identification of those who -conveyed them to us, and expose them to reprisals; and we have learned, -to our cost, all that this term signifies according to the ideas of our -present rulers. - - * * * * * - -This work, then, will necessarily be incomplete. We publish it only -because we think it useful to demonstrate that in spite of all the -annoyances which they receive at the hands of the Germans, the Belgians -do not allow themselves to be intimidated. Moreover, whatever may be -the provisional lacunæ (mostly intentional) of our documentation, we -cannot in any case be reproached with falsification. This, whatever our -enemies may think, is a point of capital importance. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Since this was written, M. Max is reported to have been released, -and to be living in Switzerland. - -[2] These documents are as far as possible translated literally, any -inelegancies of diction may probably be attributed to the German -authors, whose syntax is often peculiar.--(TRANS.) - -[3] _Commandant de Place._--(TRANS.) - -[4] We give examples of this censorship later (pp. 256-60). - -[5] The English text was soon discontinued. - - - - -BELGIANS UNDER THE GERMAN EAGLE - - - - -CHAPTER I -THE VIOLATION OF NEUTRALITY - - -A.--The Preliminaries. - -We were too confiding. - -With the exception of the military and a few statesmen, the Belgians -were convinced that nations, just as individuals, were bound by -their engagements, and that as long as we remained faithful to our -international obligations, the signatories of the Treaty of London -(19th April, 1839), which set forth the conditions of the neutrality, -or rather of the neutralization, of Belgium (_Belg. All._, p. 3), would -equally observe their obligations towards us. - -However, in 1911, during the "Agadir crisis," our calm was a little -shaken by a series of articles in _Le Soir_. According to this journal, -all the German military writers held the invasion of Belgium to be -inevitable in the event of a war between France and Germany. - - -_The Belgians' Distrust of Germany lulled._ - -But our faith in international conventions--just a trifle ingenuous, it -may be--very soon regained its comforting influence. Had not Wilhelm -II, "the Emperor of Peace," assured the Belgian mission, which was -sent to greet him at Aix-la-Chapelle, that Belgium had nothing to fear -on the part of Germany (see _L'Étoile Belge_, 19th October, 1911). In -September 1912 the Emperor made a fresh reassuring statement. Being -present at the Swiss manoeuvres, he congratulated M. Forster, President -of the Swiss Confederation, and told him how glad he was to find that -the Swiss Army would effectually defend the integrity of her frontier -against a French attack. "What a pity," he added, "that the Belgian -Army is not as well prepared, and is incapable of resisting French -aggression." This evidently meant that Belgium ran no risk from the -side of Prussia. - -It was not only the Emperor who assured us of his profound respect for -international statutes. The German Ministers made similar declarations -in the Reichstag (_Belg. All._, p. 7). - -In Belgium itself the Germans profited by every occasion to celebrate -their friendship for us and their respect for treaties. In 1905, at -the time of the seventy-fifth anniversary of Belgian independence, -Herr Graf von Wallwitz stated at an official reception: "And as for -us Germans, the maintenance of the treaty of warranty concluded at -the birth of modern Belgium is a sort of political axiom which, to -our thinking, no one could violate without committing the gravest of -faults" (_see_ p. 185 of the _Annales parlementaires belges, Senate, -1906_). - -In 1913, at the time of the joyous entry of the King and Queen into -Liége, General von Emmich, the same who was entrusted with the -bombardment of the city in August 1914, came to salute our sovereigns -in the name of the Emperor. He spoke incessantly of the German -sympathies for the Belgians and their country. - -In August 1913 Herr Erzberger gave his word of honour, as Catholic -deputy to the Reichstag, that there had never been any question of -invading Belgium, and that Belgium might always count on the party of -the Centre to cause international engagements to be respected. This is -the very party that is now heaping up manifest falsehoods in order to -justify the aggression of Germany. - - -_German Duplicity on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August, 1914._ - -Let us consider the days immediately preceding the war. The German -newspapers were announcing that the troops occupying, at normal times, -the camps near the Belgian frontiers had been directed upon Alsace and -Lorraine; and these articles, reproduced in Belgium, had succeeded in -finally lulling our suspicions. - -In the currents of thought which were then clashing in Belgium, it was -confidence that carried the day. Many of us who were present on the 1st -of August at a session of the Royal Academy of Belgium, were speaking, -before the session was opened, of the serious events which were -approaching, the war already declared between Austria and Serbia, and -the conflict which appeared imminent between Germany, France, Russia, -and England. Yet no one imagined that Belgium could be drawn into the -conflagration. That very morning, it was related, France had officially -renewed, through her Minister in Brussels, the assurance that she -would faithfully abstain from violating the neutrality of Belgium (1st -_Grey Book_, No. 15); and there was no reason to doubt his words. A -few days earlier the German Minister in Brussels had affirmed that his -country had too much respect for international conventions to permit -herself to transgress them; and we believed him too! Oh, simplicity! -We still believed him, on the following day, when he repeated the -same declaration (1st _Grey Book_, No. 19; _Belg. All._, p. 7). And -on the evening of that Sunday, the 2nd of August, he presented to our -Government the ultimatum of Germany (1st _Grey Book_, No. 20). - - -_The Ultimatum._ - -The telegram of the 2nd of August, by which Herr von Jagow sent the -ultimatum to the German Minister in Brussels, declared: "Please -forward this Note to the Belgian Government, in a strictly official -communication, at eight o'clock this evening, and demand therefrom -a definite reply in the course of twelve hours, that is, at eight -o'clock to-morrow morning" (_Lüttich_, p. 4). Never, since Belgium's -birth, had a problem so breathless been placed before her Government. -And Germany left her twelve hours to solve it: twelve hours of the -night! She was not willing that our Government should have time to -reflect at leisure; she hoped that in a crisis of distraction Belgium, -taken at a disadvantage and forgetful of her dignity, would accept the -inacceptable. - - * * * * * - -However, the German Minister in Brussels continued to offer us -explanations which were as perfidious as they were confused and -obscure, and to assure us up to the last of the friendly intentions -of his Government. The Germany fashioned by Bismarck has assuredly -nothing about it to remind us of the Germany of Goethe and Fichte. We -might have guessed as much, for that matter, when we saw the Germans -glorifying the man who _boasted_ of having falsified the famous Ems -telegram in order to make the war of 1870 inevitable, and who succeeded -in making his countrymen accept, as a guiding principle, that "might -comes before right." - - -_The Speech of the Chancellor in the Reichstag._ - -However, we may suppose that some slight scruples lingered in the -recesses of the German conscience, since on the very day when the -Chancellor of the Empire told the British Ambassador in Berlin that -an international convention is merely "a scrap of paper,"[6] and -that neutrality is only a word, he recognized, in his speech to the -Reichstag, that the invasion of Belgium constituted an injustice; -but he immediately excused this violation of the law of nations by -strategic necessities. - - -B.--Justification of the Entry into Belgium. - -"Strategic necessities!" said the German Chancellor. These necessities -are expounded in the ultimatum, and may be summed up thus: "Germany -knows that France is preparing to attack her through Belgium." - -The first question which occurs to us is: Was France really preparing -to cross our territory, and had she massed troops near our frontier? -There is assuredly no one outside Germany who would admit this. Indeed, -if important bodies of troops had been massed in the north of France -they could effectually have opposed the advance of the Germans through -Belgium. Now in all the battles which the French fought in our country -their numbers were much too small to resist the Germans. Let us also -remark that these attempts on the part of the French were made on -the 15th August at Dinant, the 19th August at Perwez, and the 23rd -August at Semois. How then can any one believe that the French were -massed close to our frontier as early as 3rd August? Moreover, the map -published in the _N.R.C._ of the 16th December, 1914, confirms the -untruthfulness of the German allegations. - -This "strategic reason" was again invoked by the Chancellor of the -Empire on the 4th August. But owing to the irrefutable manner in which -the tardiness of the French movements disproved this assertion the -latter is no longer uttered, save in an evasive manner. The German no -longer says: "France was ready to cross into Belgium," but "France -would not have failed to enter Belgium, and we simply outstripped her." -It is thus that Count Bernstoff, the German ambassador to Washington, -expressed himself in the interview published by _L'Indépendant_ in -September 1914, while the same assertion is found in the manifesto of -the ninety-three German "Intellectuals" and the letter addressed by -Herr Max Bewer to M. Maeterlinck (in the _D.G.A._ of October 1914 and -the _Soldatenpost_ of the 14th October, 1914). - -Let us now ask if Germany had such suspicions of France as amounted to -a semi-certitude? In other words, was she sincere in declaring that -she knew that France was on the point of invading Belgium? We do not -hesitate to assert that she was lying: for if she had really believed -that France was ready to violate our neutrality it would have been -enormously to her advantage to wait until the violation was committed. -For Belgium has always asserted that in case of war between France and -Germany she would resist by arms the first invader and immediately join -herself to the other Power. Now Germany, however profound her political -perversity may be, had no reason to suspect the sincerity of Belgium; -she knew then--and this time she _did_ know--that by allowing the -French to enter our country she would assure herself of the assistance -of our army against her enemy. And scanty as was her esteem for the -Belgian soldiers--perhaps she has since had occasion to change her -mind!--it was none the less obviously to her interest to avoid having -them as her adversaries. - -For the rest, we may boldly assert that the very terms of the German -ultimatum prove, without possible doubt, that she did not believe -in the danger of a French irruption into Belgium. For if she had -entertained this conviction she would have said to Belgium: "I warn you -that if you do not take the necessary measures to resist the entrance -of the French I shall be fully authorized to invade your territory in -my turn, in order to defend myself." In acting thus she would have had -the right on her side ... and the German diplomatists of the day are -certainly capable of distinguishing justice from injustice in cases -where the distinction is so easy. - -We say, therefore, that the imminence of a French attack upon Belgium -was only a pretext and a bugbear; a pretext to justify the violation -of Belgium in the eyes of other nations; a bugbear to catch votes of -credit in the Reichstag without previous discussion. "We were not able -to wait for this session before commencing hostilities and invading -Luxemburg, perhaps even Belgium," declared the Chancellor. Observe -how clumsy is this "perhaps"; the German troops entered Belgium on -the night of the 3rd of August (1st _Grey Book_, No. 35), and on the -afternoon of the 4th, at the session of the Reichstag, the Chancellor -had no knowledge of it! We thought the official telegraph service -worked better than that in Germany! - - * * * * * - -What, then, were the real reasons for invading our country? They were -strategic reasons, it is true, but not those which the Chancellor -indicated in his speech! They had been known for a long time; the -German staff had always regarded a sudden attack upon France as an -unavoidable necessity, and for that it was necessary at all costs -to cross Belgium. Moreover, on the very day when the Chancellor was -still invoking the French preparations in the Reichstag, the Secretary -of State, von Jagow, openly avowed the true motive for violating -Belgium. The pamphlet of propaganda, _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_, -after invoking, without insisting on, the danger of a French attack, -described at length the German plan of campaign; a sudden attack upon -France, delivered by passing through Belgium; then, immediately after -victory, a change of front, and the crushing of the Russian Army. The -same idea is expounded in an infinity of articles and pamphlets. - -There can, therefore, be no remaining doubt as to the determining -motives of Germany: she wished to pass through Belgium in order -to fall upon France before the latter was ready. Germany had been -preparing for war for several days, for she knew that she had made the -war inevitable, while France, deceived by her adversary's peaceful -professions of faith, and, moreover, anxious to preserve the peace, -which she still believed to be possible, had hardly commenced her -mobilization. Let us recall the comparison drawn by Mr. Lloyd George in -his speech at the City Temple on the 11th November, 1914. "Imagine," he -said, "that your right-hand neighbour came and made you the following -proposal: 'See, my friend, I've got to cut the throat of your left-hand -neighbour. Only as his door is barred I can't catch him unawares, and -so I shall lose my advantage over him. So you will do me a little -service; nothing that isn't entirely reasonable, as you will see. You -will just let me come through your garden; if I trample down your -borders a little I'll have them raked and put in good order again; and -if by ill-luck I damage or kill one of your children I promise you a -nice little indemnity.'" - -And it is because we would not help Germany in this task that she has -spattered us with insults. The Germans cannot understand how we could -have rejected her "well-intentioned" proposal, as the Emperor calls it -in his declaration of war. Evidently they have ideas of honour which -differ from ours. We can regard this proposal only as an insult to the -Belgian people. - - -C.--German Accusations against Belgium. - -There is one circumstance which aggravates the evil deed which has -soiled the German name. It is the insistence with which the Press and -the politicians of Germany seek to cast the blame on Belgium herself. -For if we are to believe them it was Belgium who began. - - -_Necessity of influencing Neutrals._ - -When the German rulers discovered, to their utter stupefaction, real or -feigned, that America and the other neutral States did not benevolently -accept the strategical excuse for the violation of Belgian neutrality, -their attitude underwent a sudden modification. Since the whole world, -in a spontaneous impulse of indignation, branded the conduct of -Germany, the traitor and perjurer, in assailing a nation which she was -actually under an obligation to protect, the German Government adopted -the classic procedure of evildoers, which consists in reversing the -rôles, and posing as an innocent victim, driven into a corner by an -adversary who does not abide by legitimate methods of defence. What was -to be done in such a case? The German Government must seem to believe, -and then claim to have proved, that Belgium had already violated her -own neutrality before the German invasion; for then Germany could no -longer be blamed for her attitude. - - -_Absurdity of the first Accusations._ - -Immediately the German newspapers invented stories of French troops -disentraining in Belgium from the 30th July, 1914, and of French -officers teaching us how to handle Krupp guns!--of French airmen -flying over Belgium, of French and Belgian soldiers attacking the -Landwehr at Aix-la-Chapelle on the 2nd August, 1914. These pitiful -accusations were demolished by M. Waxweiler in _La Belge Neutre et -Loyale_. We will content ourselves with remarking that all these -infractions of neutrality are anterior to the 4th of August. If they -had really been committed the innumerable spies scattered about Belgium -would have warned the German Minister in Brussels, who would have -telegraphed to the Chancellor, and the latter would have taken good -care to make them the basis of a serious complaint against Belgium in -his speech to the Reichstag. What weight would not these revelations -have lent to his arguments? If he did not do thus it was because he was -not informed, and if he was not informed it was because the facts were -non-existent. They were invented--very clumsily, moreover--after the -event. - -If now we cast a glance at the tales which the Germans have imagined -to extenuate their crime against justice, we shall say, with a certain -professor of Utrecht (_K.Z._, 4th November, first morning edition), -that one might with difficulty have pardoned the German rulers for -violating Belgian neutrality if it had been proved that imperious -strategic necessities compelled them to it, but that they should have -stuck to their original declarations, "for," he adds, "we have been -painfully impressed by all the offences which have been alleged after -the event to demonstrate that Germany had the right to act as she did." - -To insult and calumniate an innocent person in order to excuse oneself -is an attitude little worthy of a self-respecting nation. - - -_A Change of Tactics. The Revelations of the_ N.A.Z. - -Week by week the German journals add an item to the indictment of -Belgium. One would say that their method of reasoning must be as -follows: "Since we cannot bring forward a single convincing proof, let -us accumulate as many as possible of any degree of value; we shall -end by crushing Belgium with the weight of evidence." In order that -we might judge of the efficacy of this procedure, Germany ought, of -course, to tell us how many bad arguments are to her thinking worth one -good one. - -Yet it was extremely important that Germany should be able to bring -forward proof of the crime of Belgium; for directly the neutrals, and -in particular America, began to doubt our political honesty they would -withdraw their sympathies and leave our executioners full liberty of -action. At the same time Germany would be able to pretend that she knew -of Belgium's intrigues, and that by invading our territory in spite of -treaties she was not, properly speaking, committing a treacherous act. - -There are reasons for supposing that Germany herself was conscious of -the insufficiency of these accusations. Hence the change of tactics -which we observe after the month of October 1914. - -The Government itself entered into the lists. In its official organ, -the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_, it commented upon the documents -discovered in the Ministries of Brussels. - -To judge of the relevance of this collection of documents we must keep -in mind the two following points: (1) That England played the part -of protector of Belgian neutrality; (2) the probability of a German -invasion in case of war between France and Germany. Let us rapidly -examine these. - -1. _England as the Guarantor of Belgian Neutrality._--Every one knows -that for centuries England has been interested, more than any other -nation, in ensuring that Belgium should not be annexed either to France -or to Prussia. - -As far back as 1677, says Sorel (_L'Europe et la Révolution française_, -vol. i. p. 338), a French agent in London wrote to Louvois: "It has -been voted unanimously by the Lower Chamber that the English will -sell their very shirts (this is the phrase they use) to make war on -France for the preservation of the Low Countries." During the French -Revolution, and later, under the Empire, the struggle between England -and France was largely provoked by the desire to turn France out of -Belgium. - -The Treaty of London (1839) makes no distinction between the five -guarantors of our neutrality: Austria, France, Great Britain, -Prussia, and Russia; but it is none the less unanimously admitted -that England has the most immediate interest in the preservation of -our independence, as it matters greatly to England that Antwerp--that -loaded pistol aimed at the heart of England, as Napoleon used to -say--should become neither French nor German. - -Therefore, as soon as Belgium was threatened by an armed invasion, the -traditional policy of England was at once invoked. - -It was in virtue of this policy that Great Britain, in 1870, demanded -of France and Germany whether they engaged themselves to maintain -the neutrality of Belgium. The two belligerents gave and kept their -promise. France, driven up against the Belgium frontier at Sedan, did -not even then consider that she had the right to break her word; she -preferred to allow herself to be crushed. If ever there were "strategic -reasons" which would excuse the breaking of a promise, it was then! - -All this being so, no one was surprised when in August 1914 the -newspapers announced that England had put the usual question to France -and Germany. This time again France made the reply inspired by her -sense of honour; Germany refused to commit herself. - -The historical facts which we have recalled suffice to show that the -protective rôle of England was not invented for the needs of the -moment, as Germany would have the world believe. The Chancellor cannot -be ignorant of these facts; they are known to all. Why then does he -persist in asserting that England would not have intervened had France -been the country to violate our neutrality? - -2. _The danger of a German Invasion._--For several years German -generals have been agreed in admitting the necessity of marching the -German army across Belgium in case of war with France.[7] In military -circles this was a _secret de polichinelle_, as the _N.R.C._ remarked -on the 22nd December, 1914 (evening edition). - -Moreover, the Germans themselves held that the Belgians could not -have been ignorant of the threat of a German invasion; this idea is -expounded, notably, in a booklet of official aspect, entitled _La_ -_part de la culpabilité de l'Angleterre dans la guerre mondiale_. - -Belgium therefore had serious reasons for expecting a German attack. -There was evidently only one thing for her to do: to demand assistance -of the country which had constituted itself the protector of her -neutrality, and on which she had always been accustomed to rely with -unshakable confidence. - - -1. THE REPORT OF M. LE BARON GREINDL, SOMETIME BELGIAN MINISTER IN -BERLIN. - -_Falsification of the Greindl Report._ - -On the 14th October, 1914, the German Government posted on the walls of -Brussels a placard entitled: _England and Belgium_ (_Documents found at -the headquarters of the Belgian Staff_). A reproduction of this placard -was distributed gratuitously, thousands of copies being issued the same -day. This document contains, first, a rapid summary of a report on the -relations which existed in 1906 between the Belgian Chief of Staff -and the British military attaché. Then the placard reproduces, "word -for word," a portion of a report made by M. Greindl, dated the 23rd -December, 1911. In this report M. Greindl warns the Belgian Government -of the possibility of a French attack. - -Whosoever will attentively read the exhibited portion of this report -will at once remark that its phrases lack connection and logical -sequence. Thus, there is certainly a hiatus between the opening phrases -and those that begin with: "When it became evident that we should not -allow ourselves to be alarmed by the pretended danger of closing the -Scheldt, the plan was not abandoned, but modified, in the sense that -the English army of assistance would not be disembarked on the Belgian -coast, but in the nearer French ports." Now what is meant by this -"pretended danger"? Pretended by whom? And then "we should not allow -ourselves to be alarmed." Who is "we?" Remark that a few lines farther -on the report speaks of the eventuality of a battle between the Belgian -army and the British army; Belgium, which was just now the ally of the -British, is now their adversary, although nothing indicates how she -passed from the first attitude to the second. In the same sentence -the closing of the Scheldt is spoken of with an English landing on -the _Belgian coast_; yet we cannot imagine M. Greindl placing Antwerp -on the Belgian coast. Can we doubt after this that phrases have been -suppressed in this portion of the document? Evidently not; for it is -radically impossible to realize the bearing and the meaning of the -report by reading the portion published. What, then, is the conclusion -forced upon us? It is that the German Government has "cooked" the -text; omitting to copy certain passages which would not tally with the -deductions which it wished to draw from it, and that it has perhaps -even twisted the meaning of certain phrases. - -The publication of the complete report was demanded by the Belgian -Government (see _K.Z._, 24th October, first morning edition). But -Germany refused; the report was too long, it replied, by the medium of -the _N.A.Z._ (25th November, 1914). All that could be obtained was the -publication in facsimile, in the same issue of the _N.A.Z._, of the -heading and the two first lines. Since the German Government did not -publish the rest, we have the right to conclude that this was because -it had subjected the document to falsifications such as were introduced -in that we are now about to consider. In any case, the report as it -was published means nothing. One feels that it was intentionally made -confusing. By whom? - - -2. THE REPORTS OF GENERALS DUCARNE AND JUNGBLUTH. - -The falsifications inserted in these documents by the German -diplomatists have already been lucidly exposed (for example, by E. -Brunets, _Calomnies Allemandes_); so there would be no need to return -to the subject, had not the German Government thought fit to attempt to -use these documents in order to demoralize the Belgians. - -At the end of December 1914, and in January 1915, Germany distributed -hundreds of thousands of copies of a pamphlet containing several -documents, among which were translations (into Flemish and French) and -facsimiles of the Ducarne and Jungbluth reports. The famous words of -the "reference" are replaced in their natural position in the middle -of the fourth paragraph,[8] but--and this was a wholly unexpected -discovery--they were also found in the commentary. According to the -copy in the text, one reads: "The document bears on the margin: 'The -entrance of the English into Belgium would take place only after the -violation of our neutrality by Germany.'" - -Disconcerting fecundity of Kultur! The Germans have reason to be proud -of their chemical industry. Thanks to a special fertilizer prepared in -the offices of Wilhelmstrasse, the famous phrase, which occurs only -once in the original document, is promptly multiplied and is able to -appear twice over. - - -_The Attitude of the Belgians toward the German Falsifications._ - -Note that to give more weight to their explanations the Germans were -careful to have them printed in Flemish and in French, on the paper -and with the type habitually employed by the _Moniteur belge_. It is -then, in the last resort, the Belgian public which has paid the cost of -printing this falsification of a public document. Well, well! they have -mistaken our psychology, for despite these "revelations" our conviction -is unshaken. Not a Belgian has criticized the actions of his Government -in respect of the defensive agreement with England. It would be like -blaming a man whose house was destroyed by fire for having insured it -with a reliable insurance company. - -Confronted by the failure of their endeavours to discourage the -Belgians and to embroil them with their legitimate Government, Germany -returned to the charge. A placard dated 10th March, 1915, posted in -Brussels, stated that the Belgian statesmen replied to the publication -of the Ducarne and Jungbluth reports only after the lapse of three -months. The placard evidently alludes to the Belgian Note of the 13th -January, 1915 (_see_ the 2nd _Grey Book_, No. 101). Now the first -sentence of this Note states that the Belgians had already replied on -the 4th December, 1914. Germany could not have been unaware of this -reply; let us add that we ourselves knew of it on the 10th December, -thanks to the issue for the 7th of _L'Indépendance Belge_ (appearing in -London), which was smuggled into Brussels. - -The third document contained in the pamphlet of the German Government -related to the _military geographical manuals_.[9] It shows that a -final collaboration (after the violation of her engagements by Germany) -was carefully devised by the British and Belgian staffs. Truly it ill -becomes the Germans, so proud of the introduction of their scientific -method into the art of war, which leaves nothing unthought of, to -reproach others for acting in the same way, and for making meticulous -preparations at an opportune time! In two places the article insists -on the fact that the preparations of these manuals was effected in -"time of peace." But come! should the Belgians and the British have -waited until the Germans were in Belgium before thinking of measures of -defence? - -Finally, the pamphlet contains _Fresh and Serious Proofs demonstrating -the complicity of Belgium and England_. Documents were found on the -escritoire of the British Legation in Brussels relating to the Belgian -mobilization, the defence of Antwerp, and the French mobilization. The -accusation is this: these documents were found in the British Legation, -a proof that the Belgian Government had no military secrets from the -British Government, and that they had a close military understanding. - -Once again: was Belgium, aware of the Germanic peril, to deliver -herself bound hand and foot to the invader, who, not content with -forgetting his international obligations, was about to run precisely -counter to them? It would evidently have been more agreeable to Germany -to have found in Belgium a lamb all ready to allow itself to be -sacrificed on the altar of _Kultur_. Unhappily for _Kultur_, Belgium -behaved like an enraged ram, determined to sell its life dearly. - - * * * * * - -Whatever aspect of the question of Belgian neutrality we may consider, -we always come back to this fact: Germany violated this neutrality on -the 4th August, although Belgium had given her no plausible excuse for -doing so. Since then the Germans have undertaken a campaign for the -purpose of justifying their "injustice," as their Chancellor termed -it. But none of the accusations invented after the event can in the -slightest degree extenuate this injustice; their only effect has been -to render still more execrable the treachery of the perjured protector. - - -_Neutral Opinion._ - -It is pleasant, in this connection, to cite here the opinion of four -writers belonging to countries which have not taken part in the war. - -A Dutch writer published in _De Amsterdammer_ an interesting article -which was translated into French, but of which the sale in Belgium was -immediately prohibited by the Germans. - -In a lecture which has achieved a very great celebrity, Herr Karl -Spitteler, a well-known literary man of German-speaking Switzerland, -also took the part of Belgium. We know of this lecture only by the -slashing which it received in the _K.Z._ on the 30th December, in the -first morning edition. - -Here is a passage which particularly infuriated the German paper:-- - -"I consider that to take the documents from the pockets of the gasping -victim (Belgium) is, as to the spirit which inspired the act, a gross -fault of taste. It would have been quite enough to throttle the -victim; to blacken him afterwards is too much. As for Switzerland, if -it associated itself with these calumnies against Belgium, it would -commit not merely an infamy, but a mistake; for on the day when another -Power grudges us our national existence, the same accusations might be -employed against us: do not let us forget that malice is now counted -among the munitions of war." - -Another Swiss writer, M. Philippe Godet, expresses his opinions with no -less energy in the _Journal de Genève_ (8th September, 1914). - - -_The Falsification of M. de l'Escaille's Letter._ - -In the preceding pages we have dealt only with matters relating to -Belgium. Do not let our attitude be misunderstood. We have not the -presumption to suppose that Belgium has ever occupied the foreground -in the negotiations described; on the contrary, we are perfectly -well aware of the diplomatic insignificance of our country in the -discordant "Concert of Europe" which has ended in the present war. -Our sole object is to show that Belgium has not played the unavowable -rôle which the Germans attributed to her. As to the origin of this -war, and the responsibility which the German rulers seek to foist -upon Great Britain, in order that their own country, and, above all, -their ally, Austria, may evade it, this is a discussion into which we -do not wish to enter, for it lies outside the programme which we have -set ourselves. We ought, however, to speak a word as to the placards -which the German authorities had posted up in Belgium during the month -of September 1914. The first is dated the 16th September; it gives -the résumé of a letter written by M. B. de l'Escaille to the Belgian -Minister of Foreign Affairs. - -Ten days later a new placard appeared: this time the complete text of -the letter was given, and it was explained how it came to fall into the -hands of the Germans. - -Let us leave this last point: it concerns the criminal law, not -diplomacy. Let us examine only the summary which was published and the -conclusions which the Germans drew from it. - -Was the summary honest? To discover this let us take the essential -sentence, printed in heavier type: "They possess even the definite -assurance that England will come to the assistance of France"; and let -us compare this with the corresponding passage of the text: "To-day -they are strongly convinced in St. Petersburg, they even have the -assurance, that England will support France." The term "assistance" -(_secouer_) in the summary can apply only to military assistance, while -the text speaks only of "support" (_soutien_), which means diplomatic -action. So the second conclusion also is false--"that England did -not intervene in the war on account of Belgium, but because she had -promised France to give her assistance." - -Let us now look at the first conclusion. It is "that Germany was -actuated by pacific intentions, and sought by all means to avoid war." -In reality the text, like the summary, states only that Germany sought -to avoid a general conflict, which means that she wished to localize -the war between Austria and Serbia; in other words, Germany wished -Europe to give Austria a free hand to crush Serbia. Nowhere does the -text say that Germany did anything to avoid "the war": the only war -which was declared on the 30th July, that of Austria against Serbia. In -short, this conclusion is falsified. - -There remains the phrase which introduces the two conclusions: "By -this report of the diplomatic representative of Belgium at the Court -of St. Petersburg it is proved".... Was M. de l'Escaille really the -diplomatic representative of Belgium in St. Petersburg? Open an -administrative almanack, and you will see that _the_ representative was -M. le Comte Conrad de Buisseret-Steenbecque de Blarenghien. As for M. -de l'Escaille, he was Secretary of Legation. - -The conclusions concluding here, there is no room for further -falsifications. - - * * * * * - -It is not our intention to make an exhaustive examination of the -diplomatic documents relating to the war; the more so as this -examination has been conducted in masterly fashion by MM. Dürckheim and -Denis, by M. Waxweiler, and by the author of _J'Accuse_. It is enough -for us to prove that Germany has intentionally falsified documents, -since this simple proof disposes of all her attempts to befoul Belgium; -for he who has a good argument at his disposal is not so foolish as to -spoil it and deprive it of all real value by means of falsifications. - - -D.--The Declaration of War and the first Hostilities. - -_The three Successive Proposals of Wilhelm II to Belgium._ - -Under its dry, cold, diplomatic phrasing the reply to the ultimatum -(1st _Grey Book_, No. 22) scarcely conceals the indignation which -thrilled the heart of Belgium when Wilhelm II offered her the chance -of associating herself with his crime against loyalty. But the -German Government did not understand this indignation, neither was -it conscious of its own infamy. Otherwise how could it have repeated -the same offer a few days later--an offer at once contemptible and -full of contempt, as was so well said by M. Jules Destrée before the -meeting of the Federation of Advocates, on the 3rd August, 1914. Two -remarks on the subject of this fresh proposal (1st _Grey Book_, No. -60). In the first place the United States Minister in Belgium, who was -entrusted with the German interests, refused to transmit it; as for the -Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, he accepted the mission "without -enthusiasm." In the second place, when the Emperor affirmed, on the -9th August, that the fortress of Liége had been taken by assault, he -must have known that the fortress was still resisting; for although the -_city_ of Liége was occupied by the Germans from the 7th, the _forts_ -were intact. Let us remember that the first fort which fell was that -of Barchon, on the 8th August, 1914; that of Évegnée fell on the 11th, -that of Fléron on the 14th, that of Loncin, commanded by General Leman, -fell only at 5 p.m. on the 15th: and several forts were at that time -still holding out. - -German diplomacy naturally received a fresh indignant refusal (1st -_Grey Book_, No. 23). - -Even then official Germany, dazzled by the brilliance of its _Kultur_, -had not yet grasped the full baseness of its crime, since on the 10th -September it posted up in Brussels its new proposal and Belgium's reply. - -Could candour in perfidy go any farther? Yes! for the German -Government, during the siege of Antwerp, made proposals of peace -for the third time. This offer was secret. The terms have not been -published; even the Germanic Press sought to deny that it had been -made; but the avowal appeared in a Viennese newspaper, the _Neue Freie -Presse_, and was reproduced by order of the German authorities in _La -Belgique_ (Brussels, 13th January, 1915). - - -_Hostilities preceding the Declaration of War._ - -So the Emperor Wilhelm II did not succeed in making us his accomplices. -Needless to say, we did not tremble before the two bogies which are -given so large a place in his harangues: his store of dry powder and -his newly-whetted sabre. - -And so the sovereign of the formidable German Empire declared war upon -tiny Belgium. "He would find himself, to his keenest regret, obliged -to execute, if need be by force of arms, the measures of security set -forth as indispensable," as the declaration of war expressed it (1st -_Grey Book_, No. 27). This declaration reached Brussels at 7 a.m. on -the 4th of August. But, apparently unknown to the Emperor, the German -troops, before the telegram had reached Belgium, had crossed the -frontier during the night of the 3rd. - -We have just seen that the declaration of war reached Brussels on the -4th August, at seven o'clock in the morning. This, at least, is what -we learn from the official documents published by Belgium. What does -official Germany say upon this point? Nothing. Nowhere is any mention -made of the declaration of war, and it is this intentional vagueness -which allows the Germans to declare, without blushing, that the German -troops entered Belgium on the night of the 3rd August. They let it be -supposed that the state of war existed from the moment when Belgium, on -the 3rd, refused the German ultimatum. Thus the _Chronik des Deutschen -Krieges_ (p. 33) gives the text of the ultimatum; then, in two lines, -a summary of the reply. The first document which follows relating to -Belgium is the proclamation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of -the Meuse (_6th Report_, I). - -This is very vague as to the political relations between the two -countries: are they at war, or are they not? No one could say. Of the -declaration of war, which should have found a place here, not a word; -there is no further question of Belgium before the telegrams of the 7th -August (p. 84). - -When we say that the declaration of war is not mentioned in any German -publication, we are going too far. _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_ -("die Wahrheit!") speaks of the declaration of war; but only to say -that Belgium declared war (p. 40): _Belgiën antwortete darauf mit der -Kriegserklärung_.[10] - -The same publication appends some documents; No. 41 (p. 160) is a -reproduction of the ultimatum. One would naturally expect that No. -42 would be either Belgium's reply or the declaration of war. By no -means; these two documents are not given. Any one who reads the text -and hopes thereby to learn "die Wahrheit" concerning the war will be -no better informed by the documents. Let us in passing remark that -the German Government, in the _White Book_ published for the session -of the Reichstag of the 4th August, had also, by its own admission, -made a selection among the documents which it submitted to the members -of Parliament. This procedure is no doubt a logical consequence of -_Kultur_. - - -_The Pacific Character of Belgium._ - -Nearly all the nations of Europe cherish national animosities, racial -hatreds handed down from century to century, the heritage of conflicts -never pacified, which a mere nothing suffices to renew; or the survival -of oppressions and spoliations suffered of old by men's forbears, whose -abhorred memory is transmitted like a sacred trust from generation -to generation. And in all these countries, moreover, there is a -chauvinist, a jingo party, which urges a "war of revenge against the -hereditary enemy." In Belgium, as Mr. Asquith stated in his speech in -Dublin, there was nothing of the kind. We had no spite against any one, -and our people, laborious and peaceful, only asked to be allowed to -live in friendship with its neighbours. Never had there been in Belgium -any manifestation against a foreign country; never had a political -party inscribed in its programme any sort of hostility towards another -people. Who, then, will be persuaded that "the Belgian Government had -for a long time been carefully preparing for this war,"[11] as the -Emperor Wilhelm II asserted in his telegram to the President of the -United States (in which he also stated that his heart was bleeding!)? -No, there is no possible doubt on this point: Belgium brought into the -conflict no racial enmity,[12] and if she has found herself thrown into -the furnace, despite her constant love of peace, it is solely because -her haughty neighbour confronted her with this dilemma: either peace -with dishonour, or honour with war. The choice was not in doubt. - - -_German Espionage in Belgium._ - -It is idle to insist on the accusation of premeditation, for it is -unhappily too certain that Belgium was is no way ready for war. But -it is also incontestable that Germany had "for a long time carefully -prepared for" the invasion of Belgium. We cannot as yet reveal in -detail the facts as to German espionage, with its often odious methods, -for in most cases these revelations would expose those who have -informed us to reprisals. We must for the present be intentionally -vague, reserving preciser details for a later date. - -When the occupation comes to an end we shall report in detail the case -of a German engineer, who, in returning to us with the rank of officer, -presided over the systematic destruction by fire of the workshop -which he had managed; and the case of another engineer, who commanded -the gang ordered to set fire to the quarter adjoining the factory in -which he had been employed. Thanks to his knowledge of the locality, -he was able in a few seconds to set fire to the richest streets of -the neighbourhood. We shall be able to mark on a map the foundations -of reinforced concrete for the great German guns, constructed long -in advance, in the localities most favourable to bombardment; we -shall also point to the store of timber intended to serve for the -construction of a bridge over the Scheldt, which was found in a factory -established by Germans on the banks of the river. As for the store of -Mauser rifles discovered at Liége, our newspapers spoke of that at the -time. - -Here is a fact which can be related without danger. A German officer -dropped from his pocket--we shall state later on in what locality--a -detailed plan of the town of Soignies, in which his troops had lodged a -few days earlier. This plan gives, besides the details of streets, and -even houses, information concerning the occupants of certain buildings: -pharmacies, breweries, tanneries, the Communal treasury, the bank, and -other establishments where the army might need to make requisitions. -The large buildings are coloured blue. It was there that the troops -were lodged. This plan, drawn in Chinese ink and coloured, dates from -fifteen years back according to the indications which it contains. -But it has quite recently been revised and completed, for the latest -alterations in the town have been added in pencil; improvement of the -Senne, creation of a public square, etc. - -The case related by the _N.R.C._ of 19th August (evening) is -particularly instructive. When the Germans occupied Liége and Seraing -the Cockerill workshops naturally refused to work for them, since the -Germans wished them to make munitions for them. The German Colonel -Keppel then assumed the direction of the works, promising the workers -an increased salary of 50 per cent. And this officer did not blush to -sign his proclamation: "Attaché of the German Government at the Liége -Exposition." He had consequently profited by his privileged situation -in Belgium in order to make himself familiar with the organization of -the Cockerill works. But it must be supposed that matters were too -difficult for him, for Herren Koester and Noske (_Kriegsfahrten_, p. -21) assert that he had to abandon the position. - - -_The Mentality of the German Soldiers at the beginning of the Campaign._ - -Until the very last moment our enemies deluded themselves as to the -loyalty of the Belgians: they still hoped that the latter would -only resist as a matter of form. This idea is openly expressed in -the Chancellor's speech of the 2nd December; it is also implicitly -contained in the proclamation of General von Emmich (see _6th Report_, -I). The officers and soldiers who crossed the frontier at the beginning -of the war were quite bewildered by the unforeseen resistance of the -Belgian Army; this is what the German prisoners interned at Bruges tell -their relatives; they even go so far as to deplore having to fight a -neutral country. - - -LETTERS FROM GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR. - -We hear from Belgium:-- - -The correspondence of the German prisoners of war (to the number of -about two thousand) who, at the beginning of the war, were interned in -the barracks of the Bruges Lancers, has passed almost entirely through -our hands. - -All say they are well treated. Some even hope that the Belgian -prisoners in Germany will be as well treated as they. One wounded -soldier in a Bruges hospital relates that the Belgians treat the German -wounded like brothers; another speaks only of his "Belgian comrades"! -The good food served to them seems to make a great impression. Most -of them say, "We have enough to eat"; or even, "We have food in -abundance." Only one complains of "beer without flavour and bad wine"; -but another says with much simplicity: "The people here are very -kind to us, for we have enough to eat and drink." The word _for_ is -amusing.... - -The letters of the officers are quite different. No more joy because -their lives are safe. The war absorbs them entirely. They are warriors -at heart and the struggle interests them passionately. They know -nothing of what is happening, or rather they are not told what is -happening, and they want to know ... to know, and it is painful to hear -in each letter the same question: what news? The forced inactivity -becomes a torture. Boredom presses on them: they are discouraged and -greatly disillusioned; they had hoped to pass very rapidly across -Belgium (it must be remembered that at this time the war was only -beginning, that Brussels was not yet occupied, and that the letters -date from this period). - -The attack upon Belgium does not seem to please a great many of them. -"We have attacked a neutral country," says a medical officer, "and we -shall now have to suffer the eventual consequences." - -"When we got out of the train," says another, "we received the order -to fight against Belgium, a thing which is to me and to all highly -antipathetic. But what is commanded has to be executed." - -"The attack on Belgium was from the first a shameful thing." - -"We violated Belgium before any declaration of war had been made"! - -All the letters show how little the resistance of Liége was expected. -Many say: "Of all our company, of our battalion, of our regiment, -there are left only so many or so many men." One relates how in a -few minutes his colonel, his major, the captains, and nearly all the -lieutenants were mown down by the balls. "We are all mightily deluded," -admits another; "we were too confident; we thought the Belgians were -disheartened"! "The Belgians fight like lions," says another. - - -_German Lies respecting the Occupation of Liége._ - -It is the truth, although the news is partly from a German source, that -the Germans entered Belgium on the night of the 3rd of August; they -crossed the frontier near Gemmenich at two o'clock in the morning, and -the following night (of the 4th of August) they were already attempting -an attack upon Liége. But the official telegrams from Berlin have never -mentioned this date. To make it believed that the capture of Liége -was extremely rapid and that the German army had met with no serious -resistance, the staff pruned the siege of Liége at both ends; it made -the operation commence on the 5th August instead of the 4th, and -declared that it was already completed by the 7th August. - -We could not give a more precise idea of the manner in which the -Government and its "reptile Press" deceives public opinion than by -reproducing two telegrams relating to the fall of Liége. On the 7th of -August, having reported the entrance of the troops into Belgium on the -previous day, the telegrams announced the capture of the fortress of -Liége.[13] Note this: the capture of the _fortress_ (Festung). Now the -Germans had merely occupied the town of Liége, a town absolutely open, -without ramparts or defences of any kind. They themselves were forced -to own, on the 10th, that the forts had not been captured; but they -added that the guns were no longer firing, which was false (p. 50). - - BERLIN, _7th August_.--Our advance guard entered Belgium the day - before yesterday, along the whole frontier. A small division - attempted, with great valour, a surprise attack upon Liége. A few - cavalrymen pushed on into the city, and attempted to seize the - commandant, who was only able to escape by flight. The surprise - attack against the fortress, constructed according to modern - principles, did not succeed. Our troops are before the fortress, - in contact with the enemy. Naturally the whole enemy Press will - describe this enterprise as a defeat; but it has no influence on - the great operations; for us it is only an isolated fact in the - history of the war, and a proof of the aggressive courage of our - troops. - - (_Kr. D. des K. Z._, p. 9.) - - BERLIN, _7th August_. Official. (_Wolff Agency._)--The fortress of - Liége is taken. After the divisions, which had attempted a surprise - attack upon Liége, had been reinforced, the attack was pushed to a - successful termination. This morning at 8 o'clock the fortress was - in the power of Germany. - - (_Kr. D. des K. Z._, p. 11.) - -However, it was necessary to prevent the bad effect which would be -produced on the population by foreign communiqués announcing that the -German army was continuing to besiege Liége after taking it. After the -complete success announced on the 7th the task was, in fact, rather -difficult. How was it to be effected? - -(_a_) Discredit might be thrown on news coming from abroad, for -example, by "demonstrating" its untruthfulness. _Der Lügenfeldzug_ -gives on p. 19 the announcement of the taking of Liége, and on the -_following_ page the Havas telegram stating that Liége is not taken. -What will the superficial reader conclude if he does not take the -trouble to dissect the telegrams? That the Allies are shameless liars, -going to the length of denying the obvious. But examine the dates: -Liége was taken, according to the Germans, on the 7th August, at 8 -a.m., while the Allies declare that Liége is not taken--on the 6th! -And to think that the book which perpetrates this trickery is entitled -_Der Lügenfeldzug unserer Feinde_ ("Our Enemies' Campaign of Lies")! -and that it undertakes the mission of calling attention to the lies and -calumnies of the enemy in order to correct them! - -(_b_) To establish confusion between the city and the fortress. As -early as the 7th August the false newsmongers were rejoicing over -the taking of the fortress, intentionally confusing the city and the -fortified place, so that the reader of these communiqués no longer -knows what to think, and naturally accepts the official news of his own -country. - - -_The sudden Attack upon France is checked._ - -To understand how completely it was in Germany's interest to create the -belief that Liége was taken in two days by a small body of troops, we -must remember that the object of the Germans was to traverse Belgium -as rapidly as possible, in order to crush the French and capture -Paris. The author of _J'accuse_ reports the remark of old Marshal -von Haeseler, who proposed to celebrate in Paris the anniversary of -Sedan--on the 2nd September, 1914. We ourselves copied a charcoal -inscription written on the front of a house burned down at Battice, -making an appointment in Paris for the 2nd September with a certain -regiment of artillery. - -Now this sudden march was completely spoiled and the German plan of -campaign undone by the unexpected resistance of the Belgians, first at -Liége, then at Hesbays. This loss of a few days was fatal to Germany, -and Germany bears us malice on that account. - - -_The Disinterested Behaviour of Belgium._ - -One last point as to the violation of our neutrality. - -The Germans now pretend to pity the poor Belgians, who allowed -themselves to be fooled by England as much as by their King and -Government, and who, by their credulity, brought the war upon -themselves. But what am I saying?--the German Government assures the -world that we ourselves desired the war. Official Germany has become -incapable of conceiving that a people should remain faithful to its -international obligations, and if need be sacrifice itself for them. - -"Why," our adversaries ask us, "did you not accept the proposals of -Germany? You would have profited by them." And indeed our eastern -neighbours offered us £200,000 as the price of our complicity (F. -Bettix, _Der Krieg_). - -It would be very interesting to know on what data Germany calculates -the value of a nation's honour; in any case, we may assure her that no -one in the world would be so simple as to offer so great a sum for hers. - - * * * * * - -For the rest, as far as we Belgians are concerned our interest has -never entered into our calculations. It was not in order to profit -by it that we resisted Germany; it was because we judged that such -was our obligation as an honest nation. And yet, as the Minister, M. -Carton de Wiart, remarked, at the Hotel de Ville in Paris, on the 20th -December, 1914, we had, even then, the vision of our country ravaged -by the Prussian hordes; but even to-day, after suffering such terrible -atrocities, there is not a Belgian "who would change his poverty for -the profits of a bandit." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[6] The Germans do not like one to quote these words of Herr -Bethmann-Hollweg. A series of pamphlets, _Histoire de la guerre de -1914_, which has appeared in Brussels during the occupation, reports -the last conversation of the Chancellor with the British Ambassador on -the 4th of August, 1914 (p. 206), but the "scrap of paper" does not -figure therein: the censorship suppressed this too compromising passage. - -[7] See, for example, Bernhardi's _How Germany makes War_, pp. 190, -191, 192. On the 4th of March, 1882, the _Nord. Allg. Zeit._ declared: -"Germany has no political motive for violating Belgian neutrality, but -the military advantage which might result forces her thereto." Emile -Bauning, _La Belgique au point de vue Militaire et International_, -Brussels, 1906, p. 58. - -[8] Apparently such unusual honesty cannot long survive in the mind of -a German diplomatist. The phrase is in its proper place in the French -text, but it is lacking in the Flemish text, which is printed facing it. - -[9] _K.Z._, 2nd December, 1st edition, morning, published the same -revelations. This article is more complete than that printed in -Brussels. We hasten to correct a numerical error which renders the -opening of the second paragraph incomprehensible: it states that five -years had elapsed between 1905 and 1914. According to the _K.Z._ one -should read 1909 instead of 1905. - -[10] The same lie figures in _Lüttich_, p. 5. - -[11] The French text here quoted is that which was posted up. The -German text, also posted, states that Belgium had long ago carefully -armed the civil population (see p. 208). - -[12] An article on "Flemings and Walloons" in _K.Z._ for 13th March -(noon edition), declares that Belgium knew nothing of chauvinism, nor -even, adds the writer, of nationalism. - -[13] These lies die hard. Herren Koester and Noske, in the introduction -of their book, _Kreigsfahrten durch Belgiën und Nordfrankreich_, -literally state: "The German troops entered Belgium on the 6th of -August; on the following day the fortress of Liége had been taken by -assault." - - - - -CHAPTER II - -VIOLATIONS OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION - - -A.--The "Reprisals against Francs-tireurs." - -Under the pretext that France was making ready to attack her, Germany -hastened to invade Belgium and Luxemburg. But France was not preparing -to invade the Rhine provinces of Prussia, and this pretended threat of -aggression was merely a trick, intended to frighten Parliament, and -to obtain a vote approving the actions of the Ministry and giving it -_carte blanche_. The manoeuvre completely succeeded; the Government -received a unanimous vote, in spite of the Chancellor's admission: "We -are committing an injustice, and we are violating the law of nations; -but when one is driven into a corner as we are, all means are good." - -We discovered immediately, alas! what these words meant. Hardly had -the German soldiers crossed the frontier, when they began to burn and -massacre. - - -_Murders committed by the Germans from the outset._ - -On the very day of the invasion--the 4th August--a motor-car carrying -four German officers arrived at Herve, and then pulled up. One of the -officers demanded information of a youth of sixteen, one Dechêne; the -latter did not understand, or perhaps refused to reply (which was his -right, and even his duty towards his country); we do not know, but in -any case the officer shot him with his revolver. - -On the 4th of August, too, the Germans shot peaceful citizens at Visé, -when the 2nd battalion of the 12th regiment of the line, under Major -Collyns, had the audacity to resist them. Of course they pretended that -the civilians took part in the fighting. A few days later they burned -the church and the greater part of the town. - -One sees plainly from these, and too many other examples, what -was the object of our enemies: (_a_) They wished to terrorize the -population, in order to make them more amenable to requisitions and -demands of all kinds; (_b_) they wished to make their own troops -believe that in fighting the Belgians--which they at first did with -great unwillingness--they were merely defending themselves against -treacherous attacks; (_c_) they wished to multiply opportunities of -pillage; (_d_) finally, perhaps, they reckoned that by displaying to -the Belgian Government the horrors to which its first refusal had -exposed the country, they would induce it to reconsider its position -and could obtain from it a free passage. - - -_Were there any "Francs-tireurs"?_ - -It would be impossible at this moment to state that the Belgians never, -at any point of the frontier, fired upon the invaders. Let us remark, -moreover, that if they did they would have been, from the purely human -point of view, perfectly excusable.[14] What! here is Germany, who, -pretending to be in a state of legitimate defence, falls unawares -upon an inoffensive third party! And this third party had no right to -oppose force to violence! In all logic, was it not Belgium that was in -a state of legitimate defence; was it not for Belgium that all means -were good? And notice, please, that it was not against an imagined and -imaginary menace that we were defending ourselves: the Germans had -most undeniably invaded Belgium. Would it have been astonishing if -the Belgians, exasperated by this unspeakable aggression, had seized -their rifles? In sane justice, one could not regard such action as -a grievance; on the contrary. Does this mean that we believe in the -story of civilians attacking the German army? Most certainly not; -because we know from reliable sources that in _every_ case where it -has been possible to hold an inquiry, this inquiry has shown that the -"francs-tireurs" were merely the pretext; the real motive for all the -devastation and massacre was the desire to terrorize the population. -It is, therefore, in a fashion entirely theoretical, and with the -most express reserves, that we admit, in default of opportunity to -investigate, in each case, the affirmations of our enemies, that in -some cases, certainly extremely rare, isolated civilians, or small -groups of civilians, may have been taken with arms in their hands. But -our enemies will please admit also that the attitude of these civilians -would have been amply excused by the more than brutal fashion in which -the Germans behaved from the very first moments of the war. Let us -add that when one erects terror into a system, as the Germans do, one -should understand the defensive reflexes of the victims. - -What were the rights of our enemies in these exceptional cases? They -could, as they themselves proclaim, have shot the individual offenders, -and, for once in a way, have burned their houses. But nothing in -the world could justify the executions _en masse_ and the wholesale -burnings to which the Germans surrendered themselves. - - -_The Obsession of the "Franc-tireur" in the German Army._ - -One point at first remained obscure to us in the German "reprisals": -how did the German officers induce their men to commit this horrible -carnage? Very simply: their minds were worked upon beforehand; they -were crammed with legends of francs-tireurs dating from the war of -1870-71, and were made to believe that the Belgian population was -revoltingly brutal. So as soon as they set foot on our territory they -expected to be attacked by civilians, and, very naturally, prepared to -sell their lives dearly. - -Nothing is more typical in this respect than the collection of -soldiers' letters published for the edification of the German nation -in _Der Deutsche Krieg in Feldpostbriefen_.--_I. Lüttich, Namur, -Antwerpen._ In more than half is there mention of "francs-tireurs"; but -scarcely ever does the writer speak of having himself seen them. Read, -for example, the first letter (that is No. 2 in the volume, for Letter -No. 1 is not a soldier's letter). The writer, an officer, asserts that -during the attack on the forts of Liége, on the night of the 6th of -August, the night was so dark that it was impossible to distinguish -friends from enemies, and that the Germans were firing on one another. -Nevertheless, as they were fired on, and as they saw three men running, -they immediately shot them as "francs-tireurs." During this same night -their baggage-column having been surprised (he does not say by whom), -a village was burned and the inhabitants were shot. - -The whole mentality of the German soldier in respect of civilians is -reflected in this letter; it is so dark that the Germans fire on one -another, but that does not prevent them from recognizing that those -attacking them are "francs-tireurs," even though their men are "falling -_en masse_," which excludes all idea of francs-tireurs. - -Francs-tireurs! From the very first days of the war it is a fixed idea, -an obsession, engendered by previous reading and conversation, and -carefully nourished by the leaders. - - -_The Obsession of the "Franc-tireur" in the Literature of the War._ - -Francs-tireurs! This idea invades the whole of their contemporary -literature. All the books on the campaign in Belgium and France swarm -with tales of this kind. Let us add that the authors do not assert that -they themselves have seen the attacks of the "francs-tireurs." But they -have been told of them, and they hasten to repeat the story without the -slightest means of verification. - -Thus, in _Kriegsfahrten_, by Herren Koester and Noske, there is mention -of "francs-tireurs" on pages 10, 12, 13, 20, and 22; and they return to -the subject in the last chapter (p. 113). - -Herr Fedor von Zobeltitz, in _Kriegsfahrten eines Johanniters_, also -constantly heard mention of attacks by Belgian civilians: at Tirlemont -(p. 39), at Louvain (pp. 39, 53, 54, 91), at Malines (p. 49), at -Eppeghem (p. 86), and in Antwerp (p. 154). - -The volume entitled _Die Eroberung Belgiëns_ is full of stories of the -same sort. Thus, of thirty-eight illustrations, which are neither maps -nor portraits, ten are devoted to the attacks of Belgian civilians. - -It is interesting to compare the tales of people who have not been -present in the battles fought in Belgium, and who speak only from -hearsay, with the narrative of Herr Otto von Gottberg, _Als Adjutant -durch Frankreich und Belgiën_. He took part in September in the -battles which accompanied the siege of Antwerp. Nowhere did he see -francs-tireurs. Yet he by no means loves the Belgian civilians, and -he certainly would have been tremendously pleased to shoot down a -few. Read, for example, what he says of the provocative attitude of -the people of Brussels, and above all of the women of Brussels (p. -55), and of passing through the streets of Lebbeke (near Termonde), -where his soldiers proposed to fall upon the inhabitants who scowled -at them (p. 65). However, he says, he did not burn a single house (p. -67). We may remark that Herr Gottberg's companions showed themselves -less amiable, or at least equitable, than he, for the "reprisals" -against Lebbeke were particularly atrocious (see _9th Report_). It is, -however, highly improbable that the inhabitants would have deprived -themselves of the pleasure of firing on the little patrol led by Herr -Gottberg, afterwards to take up arms against troops which were much -more numerous. However it may be, the legend of the "francs-tireurs" -of Lebbeke was willingly accepted by Herren Koester and Noske -(_Kriegsfahrten_). - - -_The Obsession of the "Franc-tireur" in Literature and Art._ - -The obsession of the "franc-tireur" is also found outside the limits of -military literature properly so-called. Herr Bredt has just published -a book on _Le caractère du peuple belge révélé par l'art belge_. The -illegal attacks of the Belgian population upon the regular German -troops, he says, were not in the least surprising to those who were -acquainted with the productions of Belgian art. - -It would be difficult to surpass, in this respect, an article which -appeared in the January number of _Kunst und Künstler_. It gives the -reproduction of an engraving by Callot: a camp in which musketeers -are putting to death condemned men bound to stakes. "Execution of -francs-tireurs," says the legend in German. That there should be a -question of "francs-tireurs" in the time of Callot, who died in 1635, -may in itself seem somewhat strange. But the engraver has taken care -to inscribe, under his work, some lines describing the scene which it -represents, which may be translated as follows:-- - - "Those who to give their evil nature sway, - Failing in duty, take the tyrant's way, - Infringing right, delighting but in ill, - Whose acts are full of treason and self-will, - Cause in the camp full many a bloody brawl, - So die this death, the end of traitors all." - -It is enough to read this legend to realize that they are traitors who -are being punished; but the German mind of to-day is so steeped in -the idea of "francs-tireurs" that the artists no longer understand -what their predecessors wrote, and, like the soldiers, they see -francs-tireurs everywhere. - - -_Responsibility of the Leaders._ - -But it is above all the great massacres of Andenne, Tamines, Dinant, -Termonde, Aerschot, Louvain, and Luxemburg, which are for ever -inexcusable, and will remain, an eternal disgrace, as a stain upon the -German flag. Their appetite whetted by the atrocities committed during -the first days of the invasion, the soldiers themselves invented or -simulated attacks of "francs-tireurs," in order to have the pleasure -of afterwards repressing them, killing, pillaging, and burning entire -cities. Let us say, to be just, that not the soldiers but their leaders -will bear, before the bar of history, the responsibility of this -revival of the monstrosities of barbarism. Is it not obvious that in an -army as highly disciplined as the German, an army in which the officers -drive their men into battle under the threat of their revolvers, and in -which the soldiers obey such injunctions, such deliberately prepared -tragedies as that of Louvain are possible only with the complicity -of the officers, or rather by their orders? How else can we conceive -that soldiers would post themselves in a garden and thence fire their -rifles into the streets? (_N.R.C._, 10th September, 1914, evening -edition). And it is not the subaltern officers that we have to call -to account for these butcheries, but the generals, such as Baron von -Bissing, since become Governor-General of Belgium, who counsels the -soldiery to show themselves pitiless, and not to allow themselves to be -swayed by any humanitarian consideration, for compassion would be an -act of treason (_compare_ p. 336). The soldiers are advised that it -is permissible for them "to make the innocent suffer with the guilty" -(p. 84); that they may hang, without further ceremony, those who have -committed the crime of being found present, for whatever reason, in a -house where munitions or arms have been found (p. 335); and also those -who have attempted to escape while they were being held as hostages (p. -151). The previous Governor-General of Belgium announced that soldiers -need not be sure whether suspects are accessories or not, but that "if -any hostility is displayed towards them they may raze a city to the -ground." Such is the fate that General von Bülow promised the city of -Brussels. The same general thought it incumbent upon him officially -to inform the people of Brussels, Liége, and Namur that it was with -his consent that the town of Andenne was burned, and about one hundred -persons shot (_6th Report_, IV). - -By these proclamations and others equally sanguinary the military -authorities wished to influence both the Germans and the Belgians. -The former were absolved beforehand of the horrors they committed, -and were assured of impunity for all the "reprisals" they might be -pleased to undertake. Moreover, they were kept in perpetual horror of -"francs-tireurs." Are they assailed unexpectedly by soldiers of the -enemy's army? They fall back without assuring themselves of what has -really happened, and return with the main body of the army to expend -their rage against the "francs-tireurs." This is what took place at -Tamines where more than four hundred citizens were shot down by rifle -or machine-gun fire, and also in a dozen villages of Bas-Luxembourg, -which were razed to the ground, and in which a thousand inhabitants -were shot. - - -_Animosity toward the Clergy._ - -The military chiefs bear an especial grudge against the clergy. In -the manifestoes against "francs-tireurs" the priests are specially -mentioned, which amounts to recommending them quite specially to the -savagery of the troops. The latter are convinced that the priests -incite their flocks from the pulpit, and that they place machine-guns -in the belfries. So, in the sack of a village, the worst treatment is -always reserved for the priests and the churches. - -The pastoral letter of His Excellency Cardinal Mercier gives a list of -forty-three priests shot or executed.[15] - -There is no ignominy the troops have not inflicted on the priests. A -few examples among hundreds will suffice. - -They forced members of the Louvain clergy to lie naked in the dung of -a pig-sty. - -The curé of Pont-Brûlé was beaten, by order of the German soldiery, by -his own parishioners. - -The January number of _Kunst und Künstler_ gives a drawing representing -a curé hanging from a tree. - -At Cortemarck it was the priests who were punished because an -inhabitant was in communication with the enemy (read, "the Belgians"). - -On the 30th August, 1914, the Germans arrested the dean and vicar of -a village in Brabant, under the pretext that they had made luminous -signals from the church tower. Now the priests had been prisoners -since 2.0 o'clock of the afternoon; how then could they have ascended -the tower at 5.30 p.m.? Despite their protestations they were taken -to Louvain, whence a so-called Council of War sent them to Germany. -Arriving in a prisoners' camp, they were accommodated in the latrines, -which consisted of a trench and a plank perforated with holes. Each -time a German soldier had to satisfy his need, he took the opportunity -of insulting the priests in the most filthy manner. A German major sent -for them and informed them that they were about to be shot. The vicar -asked that he might confess. "No," he was told, "hell is good enough -for you." They were led away to die ... but were sent to a seminary, -where they remained prisoners until January 1915. - - -_Animosity toward Churches._ - -Against the churches their rage was unloosed with even greater fury. -In the part of Brabant that lies north of Vilvorde there is hardly -a belfry left erect: Beyghem, Capelle-au-Bois, Haecht, Humbeek, -Pont-Brûlé, Sempst, Eppeghem, Houtem, Weerde, Hofstade, Elewijt, -Werchter, Boortmeerbeek, etc., are all burned. - -At Termonde all the churches have been either burned or profaned. But -in the midst of this city, where twelve hundred houses were burned out -of fourteen hundred, the Béguinage remained intact, an oasis of calm -isolated amid the calcined ruins. On the grassy plain that surrounds -the bright little houses of the béguines stood the chapel. This did -not find favour with the Germans, and its blackened walls attest that -Kultur has passed that way. Were the béguines perhaps "francs-tireurs"? - -We have already stated that the peculiar irritation of the Germans -against the clergy and their sanctuaries was due to the fact that they -regarded the curés as the leaders of the "francs-tireurs." The falsity -of this allegation was recognized by Dr. Julius Bachem, the editor -of the _Kölnische Volkszeitung_, one of the most prominent Catholic -newspapers in Germany. Dr. Bachem published, in the issue for April -1915 of the _Süddeutsche Monatshefte_, which was principally devoted -to Belgium, an article on the religious problem in Belgium. He based -his proofs on the authority of Baron von Bissing, Commandant of the -7th Army Corps, at present Governor-General in Belgium, and also on -the special inquiry undertaken by the Union of the Catholic Priests of -the Rhine, _Pax_. This inquiry, mostly conducted with the aid of the -present military authorities in Belgium, proved that the clergy was -absolutely innocent, and that all the accusations brought against it -were purely imaginary.[16] - -The Emperor did not wait for the confirmation of the crimes attributed -to the priests before making violent accusations against them in his -telegram to the President of the United States. He has not retracted -these. - - -_Intentional Insufficiency of Preliminary Inquiries._ - -Never was there the least justification for reprisals. Read the Reports -of the Commission of Inquiry, and the narratives of ocular witnesses, -and you will find that the most horrible things are continually done -without any pains being taken to verify the facts. Soldiers greedy for -pillage say, without justification, _Die Civilisten haben geschossen_; -and that is enough. The order is given to kill the men and reduce -the neighbourhood to ashes. Or shots have really been fired on the -Germans; the civilians are suddenly accused, and without listening to -the unhappy prisoners, who offer to prove that the shots were fired by -Belgian or Allied soldiers, the Germans proceed to execution. - -A very typical case is that of Charleroi. We knew that French troops -were still occupying the town when the Germans entered. But these last -immediately accused the civilians, since, they said, shots were fired -from the interior of the houses, as though their adversaries had not -the right, quite as much as they, to take cover in the buildings. -Moreover, when they later were confronted with the proof that the -French were there, they merely remarked that the latter's mission was -to organize and to discipline the civic guards and "francs-tireurs"[17] -(_see_ Heymel's article, p. 196). Could one imagine a finer example of -preconceived opinion? - -M. Waxwieler insists emphatically on the unspeakable frivolity with -which the Germans carry out "reprisals." He cites notably the case of -Linsmeau (p. 256) and that of Francorchamps (p. 270). As this is an -essential point, I may perhaps be permitted to relate a few more cases. - -On entering Wépion on the 23rd August the Germans pretended that the -citizens had fired on them, and they shot, then and there, six of them, -among whom were the two younger Bouchats. Now those who had fired -were Belgian soldiers armed with machine-guns, who were covering the -retreat of the Belgian troops. A moment's reflection would have enabled -the Germans to realize their error, since civilians obviously had no -machine-guns at their disposal. While they were being led to their -death, one of the Bouchats begged a glass of water of their mother. But -the Germans refused to allow it to be given him: "It's not worth the -trouble now," they said. - -In August 1914 a French patrol and a German patrol came into collision -at Sibret (Belgian Luxembourg) and exchanged shots; they then retired, -leaving a wounded German on the ground. Two inhabitants of Sibret -carried the wounded man toward an ambulance; the clerk to the _Justice -de Paix_ of Bouillon, M. Rozier, accompanied them. He was carrying the -rifle slung over his shoulder and the soldier's knapsack in his hand. A -German patrol came up and questioned M. Rozier, telling him, no doubt, -to raise his hands or throw down his rifle. As neither M. Rozier nor -any of his companions understood German, and were unable to comply with -the order, the Germans fired on M. Rozier, killing him. - -Every time it has been possible to obtain any kind of inquiry from the -Germans it has resulted in their confusion; at Huy the bullets found in -the bodies of Germans were German bullets; the General was forced to -stop the burning of the village; he even admitted that a mistake had -been made. - -An example of another kind, also taken from the _N.R.C._, is equally -characteristic. During the night a German soldier fired a rifle-shot, -no one knew why, in a village of Western Flanders. Great alarm -immediately. "The village is going to be burned!" But before they -had time to get to work an important piece of evidence, the empty -cartridge-case, proved that it was really a German soldier who fired. -However, if by chance this blessed cartridge-case had not come to hand -the village would have burned. Too often, alas! the German army does -not trouble to postpone the reprisals awhile ... and the houses are in -ashes before the falsity of the accusations has been proved. It is to -be remarked, indeed, that it is never the Germans who prove the truth -of their allegations, but the Belgians who have to prove the Germans in -error. It is justice reversed. - -It is easy to understand that a _non-lieu_ does not please the German -authorities. In fact, their object is not to render justice but to -terrorize the population; and if it were necessary to examine the -_bona-fides_ of their accusations they would not be able to exercise -"reprisals," which would not suit them at all! - -If the accusations had really been justified by the attacks of -"francs-tireurs" the Germans would have taken care to establish their -existence irrefutably. For we must not forget that according to Article -3 of the Hague Convention they ought to indemnify us for all the -burnings and massacres commanded by them. - - -_A "Show" Inquiry._ - -They know, however, how contrary these summary executions are to the -spirit of justice, and they sometimes attempt to lay a false trail. -Read, for example, the chapter devoted by Dr. Sven Hedin to the -"francs-tireurs." The great Swedish geographer, of whose wonderful -Asiatic journeys every one has heard, made a tour along the Western -front. He therefore visited the occupied portion of France and -Belgium, and wrote an enthusiastic book on the German Army, _Ein -Volk in Waffen_. In the course of this work, he describes the manner -in which an inquiry is held into the circumstances of an attack by -"francs-tireurs." Everything is done as regularly as possible, and -the affair ends in an acquittal. Was the tribunal authentic, or was -it merely a parody?[18] It matters little; the essential thing for us -is that it was desired to prove to Dr. Hedin that the Germans are not -barbarians, and that they observe the forms of justice even while on -campaign. - - -_Mentality of an Officer charged with the Repression of -"Francs-tireurs."_ - -Let us now compare with the account of Dr. Hedin that of a German -officer entrusted with the repression of "francs-tireurs." Captain Paul -Oskar Höcker gives a few curious details in his interesting book, _An -der Spitze meiner Kompagnie_. He had to clear of "francs-tireurs" a -portion of the territory comprised between the German frontier and the -Meuse. His mission consisted in this: to present himself at houses, -to ask if there were arms, and in case of a reply in the negative, to -search the house; if arms were discovered the householder was shot on -the spot; in case of resistance the house was burned (p. 83). The first -farm he visits is Jungbush, near Moresnet; the inhabitants assure him -they have no arms. They are told that if they are hiding one rifle -they will be punished with death; they repeat that they have none. And -now the soldiers bring up a boy of fifteen who was hiding under the -straw with a Belgian rifle and five cartridges. He is shot without -further inquiry (p. 26). It is permissible to ask whether it would -not have been juster and more humane to have looked into the matter a -little more closely. The remainder of the book instructs us as to the -psychology of Captain Höcker. At the house of the vicar of Thimister, -where he passed the first night in Belgium, his bedroom door did not -lock, and this was enough to make him shake with fear (p. 29). On the -following morning he had a pigeon shot, which he suspected of being a -carrier of despatches to "francs-tireurs"; "and in truth," he says, -"the pigeon bore a stamp on the left wing" (p. 30). This proof is -perhaps somewhat slender in a country where all pigeons which take part -in matches have a mark of this kind. He confiscates all the small-arms -and parts of arms in the establishments of the innumerable armourers of -the district, and smashes everything in their workshops. On one such -occasion he burns a house whose owner does not consent with good grace -to the destruction of his plant (p. 30). On the same day he finds that -all the houses from which shots were fired have been burned; in his -satisfaction he does not even ask himself whether those who fired were -soldiers or civilians (p. 31). Neither has he a word of reprobation -for the fury which the Germans display against Belgium: Belgium, -forced to take the side of the Allies when her territory was violated -by Germany. He reaches Visé at the moment of its burning; he accepts -immediately the legend according to which the bridge has been destroyed -by "francs-tireurs" (p. 34). According to him, the Belgians of good -society do not become soldiers; he is convinced that substitution -is still in force with us, and that for 1,600 francs (£64) one can -escape from one's military obligations (p. 39). To him, therefore, all -civilians appear cowards, and he is not surprised to see them become -"sneaking francs-tireurs." When he passes through the streets of -Louvain he listens to the story that Germans have that very day been -fired upon (p. 47). Further on he admits without hesitation that the -German soldiers taken prisoners before Liége must have expected to be -shot by the Belgians (p. 71). - -We do not question the sincerity of Captain Höcker. But why was so -credulous and so suggestible a person selected to search out and punish -"francs-tireurs"? Assuredly because it was desired that "reprisals" -should be carried out without previous discussion, and by some one -whose conscience should, nevertheless, be at rest. - - -_Drunkenness in the German Army._ - -We have just seen that massacres very frequently took place without any -pretext having been brought forward to excuse them. In nearly all cases -alcoholism was the cause of these, for the German soldiers, and above -all the officers, are scandalously addicted to drink. - -The first thing requisitioned by the officers is always wine, by -hundreds of bottles at a time. - -Turn over a collection of German illustrated papers: every time a -meeting of officers is photographed there are bottles and glasses on -the table. At the ambulance installed in the Palais de Justice of -Brussels the military surgeons have not been ashamed to steal the -wine of the wounded men, wine offered by the citizens of Brussels. The -general and his staff who installed themselves on the 21st August, -1914, in the Palais Royal of Laeken levied such vast contributions on -the cellars of the Palais that on the following morning an officer was -found, in the costume of Adam, dead-drunk in front of a bath which he -had not had the strength to enter. When they left the Palais they took -with them many hampers of wine, and a few days later they had a search -made for further hampers of the vintages which were their preference. -The cellars were soon empty. - -They were drunken soldiers who provoked the burning of Huy, the -assassinations at Canne (_N.R.C._, 23rd August, 1914, morning edition), -and in part at least the massacres of Louvain. When they occupied Gand -the police had to collect them, dead-drunk, on the very first morning; -they had already begun to fire revolver-shots. - -It was after a tavern brawl between drunken soldiers that the burning -of a portion of Tongres was decreed (_N.R.C._, 22nd August, 1914, -morning edition). In Brussels, on the 28th September, 1914, some -drunken soldiers in a German cabaret situated in the Rue de la Grande -Ile, were firing rifle-shots to amuse themselves; bullets lodged in the -house-fronts opposite. The officer whom some one went to fetch that -he might witness this misbehaviour believed that an attack was being -delivered by "francs-tireurs," and, trembling like a leaf, refused to -go thither. The _N.R.C._, 28th January, 1915 (morning edition) states -that a young girl of Eelen was arrested as a "franc-tireur" because -rifle-shots had been fired by drunken soldiers. - -Let us add that drunkenness might have had harmless consequences if -the authorities had not exerted themselves to make the troops believe -that every unexpected shot is necessarily fired by a "franc-tireur," -and that so black a crime can only be paid for by a general massacre -accompanied by the burning of the village concerned. - - * * * * * - -There is only one fashion of explaining the horrors committed by the -Germans: it is to admit that they are modelled beforehand according to -a carefully devised system of intimidation: the systematic inhumanity -of their treatment of the enemy population being intended to facilitate -other military operations. - - -_Cruelties necessary according to German Theories._ - -Compare, for example, the laws of war according to the German Great -General Staff[19] with the stipulations of the Hague Convention. As -the last is based on humanitarian considerations and seeks to lighten -the scourge of war for non-combatants, so the Germans systematically -refuse to make war less cruel; on the contrary, they start with the -principle that the more terrible the war the more swiftly and surely -will its object be attained. Read the chapter, "The Object of War," -and you will be edified. Even jurists like Baer, blinded by warlike -passions, dare to maintain that all must yield to military necessities, -including--what blasphemy!--the law of nations. The characteristic -theory that war should be "absolute" and barbarous is the idea -underlying the manifesto of von Bissing which has already been cited -(p. 70). In fewer words Hindenburg says the same thing[20] (p. 206). -So that Belgium might realize the fate that awaited her the German -authorities made haste to advertise their opinion. It is true that they -have since then posted up reassuring phrases as to the humanitarian -sentiments of the German Army for the moment. Had our butchers -renounced their attempts at terrorization? - - -_Terrorization: "Reprisals" as a "Preventive."_ - -According to this hypothesis, that the great "reprisals" undertaken at -the outset of the war would serve as examples, the Germans wished to -instil terror into the very marrow of our bones, so that they might -then be able to rule us with a small garrison of Landsturm. Reflect, -for example, that Brussels, an agglomeration of 700,000 souls, has -never had a garrison of more than 5,000 men, and has often had only -1,000. - -Such a calculation is so abominable, so fundamentally inhuman, that we -shrank from the harshness of this supposition, and accepted it with -all manner of reservations.[21] Well, our hesitation was futile. In an -article whose frankness is calculated to make one's hair stand on end, -Captain Walter Blöm, adjutant to the Governor-General, published in the -officially-inspired _Kölnische Zeitung_ of the 10th February, 1915, the -confirmation of that which we hardly dared to imagine. Here are his -exact words:-- - -"The principle according to which the whole community must be punished -for the fault of a single individual is justified by the _theory of -terrorization_. The innocent must suffer with the guilty; if the latter -are unknown the innocent must even be punished in their place; and -note that the punishment is applied not _because_ a misdeed has been -committed, but _in order that_ no more shall be committed. To burn a -neighbourhood, shoot hostages, decimate a population which has taken -up arms against the army--all this is far less a reprisal than the -sounding of a _note of warning_ for the territory not yet occupied. Do -not doubt it: it was as a note of warning that Battice, Herve, Louvain, -and Dinant were burned. The burnings and bloodshed of the opening of -the war showed the great cities of Belgium how perilous it was for them -to attack the small garrisons which we were able to leave there. No -one will believe that Brussels, where we are to-day as though in our -own home, would have allowed us to do as we liked if the inhabitants -had not trembled before our vengeance, and if they did not continue to -tremble. War is not a social diversion." - -Any commentary would weaken the force of these declarations. - - -_Incendiary Material._ - -We are not in the confidence of the German Staff, and we can only form -hypotheses as to its mentality. But here are two facts, easy to verify -and interpret, which show that the atrocities were committed with -premeditation. - -Firstly, the existence of various incendiary materials. When a town -is condemned to be burned the execution of the command is confided to -a special company of the engineers. (The _carnet_ of an officer of an -"incendiary company" was picked up in a commune of Hainaut.) Generally -a first squad breaks the windows and shutters; a second pours naphtha -into the houses by means of special pumps, "incendiary pumps"; then -comes the third squad, which throws the "incendiary bombs." These last -are of many different kinds. Those most commonly employed in Brabant -and Hainaut include discs of gelatinous nitro-cellulose, which jump -in all directions. Thanks to the inflammable vapours which fill the -houses, the latter catch fire on all their floors simultaneously. It -took only half an hour to set fire to the Boulevard Audent at Charleroi. - -No one can suppose that so perfect an organization was improvised -during the campaign. Moreover, where and how could the discs of -fulminating cotton have been procured? - -At Termonde the Germans probably employed cylinders of naphtha. At all -events one can still see, in houses which did not catch fire, holes -made in the ceilings and floors, into which holes long strips of linen -are introduced to serve as wicks. The Germans sprinkled them with -naphtha, and it was enough to put a match to such a wick in order to -set fire to the joists of the floor overhead. At Termonde 1,200 houses -were burned in a single day. - - -_The Two Great Periods of Massacre._ - -We discover, then, that the great destructive operations were conducted -according to a general plan. Let us place in chronological order the -most important of the massacres and the conflagrations, that is, those -which could not have been carried out except by order of the officers, -omitting, therefore, the killings in detail and the burning of farms -and isolated houses, attributable, no doubt, to soldiers acting on -their own initiative, or to small bands greedy for pillage. What do -we see? That apart from the atrocities which marked the outset of the -campaign, the majority of the great killings and burnings, in France -as well as in Belgium, were ordered during two periods: one from the -19th to the 27th August, and one from the 2nd to the 12th September, -1914. Now it is quite certain that in a country already occupied, -and deprived of means of communication, the "francs-tireurs" could -not possibly have agreed among themselves as to the moment of their -attacks. The only people who could transmit an order were the Germans; -and the legitimate conclusion which one forms from this lamentable list -is that the pretended attacks of francs-tireurs were elaborated in -Berlin, whence they were ordered by telegraph to break out on a given -date. - -Another interesting fact revealed by a chronological list is that -the so-called attacks of "francs-tireurs" very often do not coincide -with the entrance of the Germans into a given locality, but break -out a few days later. One might at a pinch understand that poachers, -or impulsive individuals, might fire a rifle at a patrol; but it is -wholly improbable that they would make their attempt at a moment when -they were already impressed by the formidable warlike equipment of our -enemies. This is so contrary to common sense that the Germans try to -get out of it by lying. Let us cite a case. They assert that on Tuesday -the 25th August, 1914, there was in Louvain only a weak garrison of -Landsturm, and that the civil population profited by this circumstance -to attempt an attack, which could only be repressed by incendiarism and -massacre. Now the people of Louvain had been warned that very morning -that 10,000 men were to arrive during the day, and that many houses -which had not yet billeted soldiers would do so the following night. -And, indeed, that afternoon several fresh regiments were seen to enter, -notably the 53rd, 72nd, and 7th Hussars. - -When, by exception, the Germans assert that the "francs-tireurs" have -attacked a column on the march, one almost always remarks the three -following points: (1) the attack takes place while a village is being -traversed; (2) it happens when a great part of the column has already -passed, so that the "francs-tireurs" are caught between two fires; (3) -the "francs-tireurs" are concealed in the houses. A moment's reflection -suffices to show that these are precisely the most unfavourable -circumstances which civilians could choose for their attack. - - -_Protective Inscriptions._ - -All this shows that we have not to deal with acts of indiscipline, -which are, God knows, the inevitable accompaniment of any war, yet -which are almost excusable. We have here a maturely considered system, -prepared at the Great General Headquarters, and then frigidly applied. -In other words, the "reprisals against francs-tireurs" form part of -the plan of campaign of the German army. If additional proof were -needed that they are disciplined cruelties, as the Minister of State, -M. Emile Vandervelde, remarks, it would be found in the inscriptions -and placards placed upon property which is to be respected. - -Besides the inscription which says simply that the house must not be -burned save with the authorization of the _Kommandantur_ (at Louvain, -after the great fires of the 25th and 27th August, nearly all the -houses which were spared received one of these placards), there are -others giving the reasons for the protection accorded to the building. -Here are some of these reasons: the inhabitants are respectable -(_gute_) people; they have German sympathies; they have already given -the troops all they possessed; they are protected by the Legation; an -officer knows them personally. The fact that with very few exceptions -these houses escaped disaster well demonstrates the strength of German -discipline. It is by no means astonishing, therefore, that in the -localities which are still intact the inhabitants should have taken -precautions; thus, there have been houses in Brussels which were -provided with a protective inscription. Other buildings have been -marked on a plan (_N.R.C._, 14th September, 1914, evening edition). -This reminds one of the tenth plague of Egypt and the sign which the -Jews had to place upon the lintel of their dwelling, that the Lord -might recognize it. When the Lord passed, He spared the marked houses -(Exodus xii. 7, 22). In the German plague which has settled upon our -poor country, the Destroying Angel has the aspect of an officer with a -single eye-glass. - - -_Accusations against the Belgian Government._ - -What makes the German accusations against the "francs-tireurs" -particularly serious is, firstly, the terrifying, infernal nature of -the punishments which follow these accusations; and secondly, the -fact that they involve our constituted authorities.[22] "The Belgian -Government has openly[23] encouraged the civil population to take part -in this war," says one whose word has weight in Germany, for he is -none other than the Emperor in person. And he did not content himself -with telegraphing this to America; he spread this impudent assertion -over the walls of our cities (p. 208). Had he at least the excuse of -believing what he said? Most certainly not; for years he had been -informed by his spies of the details of our military organization; he -knew, then, perfectly, what Belgium was or was not doing. - -At the time the first accusations of this kind were made the Belgian -authorities had informed Germany that, conformably with the laws of -war, they were fighting only with their regular troops (2nd _Grey -Book_, Nos. 68, 69, 71). And they posted everywhere proclamations -recommending the people to keep calm, forbidding civilians to take part -in the fighting, and counselling the citizens to deliver their arms to -the communal administrations (2nd _Grey Book_, No. 71). At the same -time the principal daily papers repeated, day by day, on the first page -and in large type, the text of these placards. - -These appeals were heard, and our compatriots, if they owned rifles, -immediately took their arms to the _maisons communales_. Would you -believe it, this measure of precaution was exploited against us! For -later, when the Germans occupied our _hôtels de ville_, and discovered -the presence of rifles, each ticketed with its owner's name, they -pretended to have brought to light a proof of premeditation (_N.R.C._, -4th September, 1914, evening edition): "Look!--say the officers--with -what care the Belgian authorities have prepared for the guerilla war! -Each citizen has his rifle ready to hand at the _hôtel de ville_!" -The soldiers must indeed have been ridden by the "fixed idea" of the -"franc-tireur," or they must have realized the poltroonery of such -suggestions! - -But the Germans made assertions much more extravagant than this. In -Belgium repairs to buildings are effected with the assistance of -scaffoldings suspended against the outer walls; and at the time of -building the house openings are left immediately under the cornice, -in which the cross-beams supporting the scaffolding are fixed when -required. These openings are closed outwardly by some sort of -decorative motive. Now, a German captain gives a detailed description -of these arrangements, and arrives at the conclusion that these are -_loopholes for francs-tireurs_! - -What a mentality for an officer! So fantastic an explanation evidently -will not bear a moment's reflection; but that matters nothing; it is -none the less reprinted by the work _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_, to -be served to the Germans remaining in the country. The authors of the -statement know that their compatriots have lost the critical sense and -that they are ready to accept, their eyes closed, and their minds also, -anything that is told them. - -This example shows that while inciting the soldiers in order to bring -them to the required pitch of irritation, the rulers of Germany are -equally concerned to create a violent current of hatred in their own -country. It was necessary, in fact, since there was nothing with which -the Belgian nation could be reproached, and since nevertheless they -were making war upon it, to invent a few serious motives of animosity. - -In a preceding chapter we examined the wretched diplomatic accusations -which the Germans have forged in an attempt to compromise our political -circles. We shall presently deal with the abominable accusations of -cruelty brought against the Belgians. Here we will content ourselves -with citing yet one more fact relating to the "francs-tireurs." - -When the civil population of a locality was accused--or convicted, as -the butchers said--of having borne arms against the German troops, -the procedure was generally as follows: The houses were fired, and -the inhabitants driven towards a public square, or into the church. -They were divided into two groups: one of men, the others of women, -children, and old folk. Then a certain number of men were shot; -often, too, a few of the women, children, and old people. After the -execution, which took place in the presence of the whole village, the -women, children, and old people were set free to wander amid the -smoking ruins. The officers used to make it their duty to be present -at these operations, as much to encourage and, at need, to assist the -executioners, as to enjoy the spectacle. At Tamines they sat at table -in the open, drinking champagne, while the victims were being buried. -The Germans themselves realized what disgust such behaviour excited; -they tried to deny the facts, but these were proved. - - -_Treatment of Civil Prisoners._ - -What was done with the men not killed? They were sent into Germany -in order to show the "francs-tireurs" to the people. One can easily -imagine what the journey was like: in cattle-trucks, where they -remained packed together for several days, without even having room -to sit down; tortured by hunger and thirst to the point of losing -their reason--which meant being shot there and then. The stoppages in -the railway stations, when the population came to insult them, making -gestures of cutting their throats ... one can picture it all. Then the -life in camp, where they are even less well treated than the soldiers, -for at least these latter are regarded as prisoners of war, and, in -that quality, as being protected, up to a certain point, by the Hague -Convention; while the "francs-tireurs" are criminals in common law, -who are given, for food, scarcely anything but soup made of beet, -fish-heads, and slaughter-house offal. - -It is extremely difficult to obtain information as to their sojourn -in Germany from those who have returned. Before leaving, it seems, -they were forced to make a promise to reveal nothing, under penalty -of being sent back to Germany. We know, however, that certain of -these prisoners, coming from an agricultural district, were forced -to go down the coal-pits of Essen (_N.R.C._, 10th October, 1914, -evening edition), while others were made to gather in the harvest in -Westphalia. When they refused to go to work they were beaten with -sticks; a young man on the outskirts of Brussels still bears the marks -of such treatment. - -This is a revival of the deeds of antiquity. The ancients also reduced -the able-bodied inhabitants to slavery, employing them in agriculture -or the mines. It only remains for the Germans to sell us at auction, -as Julius Cæsar did in the case of the 53,000 Belgians captured at -Atuatuca (_De Bello Gallico_, ii. 33). - -They sent not only "francs-tireurs" into Germany. They made prisoners -also in localities where nothing had happened. Thus they took all -the inhabitants of the non-active civic guard of Tervueren. The list -bore 135 names; as many of the men had left the commune, the Germans -completed the number by taking the first civilians who came to hand; -for they had to have 135 prisoners from Tervueren to exhibit in Germany. - -On several occasions it happened, during the period of the great -massacres, from the 20th to the 27th August, that bands of prisoners -taken into Germany were not accepted and were sent back to Belgium. -Such was the case with numerous prisoners from Louvain, who were taken -back to Brussels, then taken to near Malines, and there left in the -open country; the same was done with several hundreds of men, women, -children, and old folk from Rotselaer, Wesemael, and Gelrode. Here, in -a few words, is their Odyssey. To begin with, they were expelled from -their houses, that these might be burned, on the 25th and 26th August. -Then they were driven by the troops as far as Louvain, and there -crammed by force into cattle-trucks, which in two days conveyed them -to Germany. There they were witnesses of a violent dispute of which -they were the object, and finally, after they had been given a little -food in the railway station, they were put back into their trucks. -They reached Brussels on the 31st August, where they were restored to -liberty; that is, they were told: "Get out of here, and be off with -you." And there were these unhappy folk, turned out of the railway -station, dejected, bewildered, their glances vacant, almost dead with -drowsiness and fatigue, the men supporting the old people, the women -carrying the children. The people of Brussels who saw this lamentable -procession go by will never as long as they live forget the impression -of misery which they received. Assistance was organized immediately, -and our poor compatriots were given shelter in the various public -establishments of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. They remained there several -weeks before daring to return "home." - -How many civil prisoners were there in the various camps of Germany: -Celle, Gutersloh, Magdeburg, Münster, Salzwedel, Cassel, Senne, Soltau, -etc.? The lists which have been published in _Le Bruxellois_ are -very incomplete. On the other hand, persons who were believed to be -prisoners in Germany have in reality been shot. Thus, in the little -garden facing the railway station of Louvain a trench was opened on -the 14th and 15th January, 1915, in which were found a Belgian soldier -of the 6th line regiment and twenty-six civilians of Louvain, who were -believed for the most part to be in Germany; among them were two women -and the curé of Herent. - -Many of the people of Tintigny, Rossignol, and other localities, who -had been taken away as civil prisoners, were shot by the roadside. -Those of Musson escaped only because the order had come from Germany -not to kill any more prisoners: by July 1915 they were not as yet -repatriated. - - -_The Return of Civil Prisoners._ - -In November and December there returned to their "homes" (we mean to -their native towns, not to their houses, which were burned) about 450 -inhabitants of Dinant, more than 400 of Aerschot, and several hundred -people of Louvain, of the 1,200 which had been taken away. - -Many of them bore, painted in white oil paint on the back of their -waistcoats the words: _Kriegsgefangene-Münsterlager_. Until March 1915 -those living at Dinant had to present themselves regularly before the -military authorities. - -On the occasion of their return the communal administration of Dinant -was compelled publicly to thank the Germans. - - - CITY OF DINANT. - - On the occasion of the return of a portion of our civil prisoners, - I believe it my duty to invite the whole population to observe the - most absolute calm. Any demonstration might be severely repressed. - - The return of a portion of our fellow-citizens, held in captivity - for nearly three months, constitutes an act of benevolence, an act - of generous humanity on the part of the military authorities, to - whom we offer the thanks of the administration and those of the - people of Dinant. By its tranquillity the latter will endeavour to - manifest its gratitude. - - I also beg the returning prisoners immediately to resume their - labours. This measure is necessary, as much in the interest of - their families as in the interest of society. - - For the Burgomaster, absent, - E. TAZIAUX, - _Communal Councillor_. - DINANT, _the 18th November, 1914_. - -At the end of January 1915 about 2,500 inhabitants of Brabant were sent -back in a body. They had left the camps on Sunday, the 24th January, -and they reached Louvain on Friday the 29th, and Brussels and Vilvorde -on Saturday the 30th. During this five days' journey they had not been -allowed to leave the trucks into which they were crammed; for all -nourishment they received some black bread and water, and on occasion -a turnip or a beet. The Louvain prisoners had the greatest trouble -in the world to walk as far as the ruins of their houses. Those from -beyond Assche were set down at the Gare du Nord in Brussels; they -had to be carried as far as the tram for Berchem; their swollen feet -refused all service. These unhappy people were still wearing the light -clothes which they were wearing in August, when they were dragged from -their villages, and since then they had never had a fire. Those from -Tervueren were taken from the trucks at Schaerbeek; they were driven -home in carts. - - -_German Admission of the Innocence of the Civil Prisoners._ - -What crime had these unhappy folk committed to be treated in so -terrible a fashion? None. The Germans themselves admit it; none (2nd -_Grey Book_, No. 87). The German authorities communicated the following -note to the Belgian newspapers--we copy it from the _Écho de la presse -internationale_ of the 30th January, 1915:-- - - The Commander-in-Chief of the German Army has authorized the return - to Belgium of the Belgian civilian prisoners: (1) against whom no - inquiry of any military tribunal is in progress; (2) who have not - to undergo any penalty of any kind. Consequently all the women (17) - and 2,577 men will be able to re-enter the country. - -The Commander-in-Chief of the German Army is the Emperor. It was he, -then, who recognized the innocence of the civil prisoners. - -No charge, therefore, could be brought against them; these prisoners -were recognized as being completely innocent; the authorities admitted -that it was without any motive that they were kept five months in -Germany, without care, without fire, almost without food, herded -together like beasts, in perpetual fear of being shot, knowing nothing -of their families--for they were unable for many weeks either to write -or receive news. Some of them succumbed under their privations; others -were shot; many have become insane; all were so aged and enfeebled by -ill-treatment, methodically applied, that their neighbours hesitated to -recognize them. Will they ever recover from such an experience? - -No doubt the German authorities knew long ago that the deportation -of these civilians was a judicial error; or rather that they were -sent into Germany to give the people there the occasion to torment -and insult the "francs-tireurs captured alive." And yet they were not -repatriated until the moment when the fear of famine forced Germany to -organize the seizure of foodstuffs and to ration her population. It -was not at all because of a spirit of justice that the civil prisoners -from Belgium were sent home (and also part of those from France); -it was only a measure of economy; the authorities merely wished to -prevent their eating German bread, which had become too precious; they -preferred to place them in the care of the American charities. - -And when they were at last sent home, how were they treated? Did the -Germans at least show the consideration which the slave-dealers used to -show for their black cargo? No; for the slave-dealers had a pecuniary -interest in preserving the market value of their flock, while for -German militarism the Belgian civilians do not count: _Es ist Krieg_. - - -B.--The "Belgian Atrocities." - - -_The Pretended Cruelty of Belgian Civilians toward the German Army._ - -In order to organize the massacres by means of which it expected to -terrorize our country, the Great General Staff had to have at its -disposal troops on which it could count without reserve, which would -not shrink before the bloodiest task, and to which no repressive -measures would seem excessive. The Staff had to be certain it would be -obeyed without hesitation when it ordered, as at Dinant, the death of -seven hundred men, women, and children. To obtain soldiers who would -undertake such barbarous operations, and operations so contrary to the -military spirit, the obsession of the "franc-tireur" would perhaps be -insufficient; for there are soldiers even among such troops who are -brave and who do not tremble at bogy-stories; there might be honest -men among them to whom theft would be repugnant by whatever name one -adorned it, and who would not be tempted by the bait of pillage; all -were not so imbued with Kultur as that officer who proposed not to kill -the "francs-tireurs" outright, but to wound them mortally, afterwards -to leave them to die slowly, in agony, untended (p. 342). - -But these soldiers, even the more gentle, would regard it as a sacred -duty to avenge crimes committed against innocent persons. Let them be -led to believe that the Belgians have tortured peaceable tradesmen, or -have mutilated wounded soldiers incapable of defending themselves, or -that they employ dum-dum bullets, producing frightful wounds from which -recovery is almost impossible ... and immediately these soldiers will -have only one thought: to make the first Belgian encountered expiate -the crime of which his fellow-countrymen have been guilty. Before their -thirst for vengeance all distinctions disappear: children, old people, -men and women, all equally deserve to be punished. From that moment -it will be needless to order reprisals, for the army will be only too -ready to show itself pitiless, and to call for an eye for an eye and a -tooth for a tooth, in order to make all the Belgians indifferently pay -for the offences committed upon inoffensive Germans. - - -_Some Accusations._ - -It is precisely this psychology which the rulers of Germany have -exploited. Immediately after the opening of the campaign their -newspapers began to publish articles describing the horrors committed -by the Belgians; articles which make one's flesh creep. Belgian women -pour petrol over the wounded and set fire to it; they throw out of -the windows the wounded confided to their care in the hospitals; they -pour boiling oil over the troops, and thereby put two thousand out of -action; they handle the rifle and revolver as well as the men; they cut -the throats of soldiers and stone them; they cut off their ears and -gouge out their eyes; they offer them cigarettes containing powder, -whose explosion blinds them. Even the little girls ten years of age -indulge in these horrors. The men are no better; to begin with, they -are all "francs-tireurs," even when they assume the appearance of -respectable schoolmasters; besides which they crawl under motor-cars to -kill the chauffeurs; they kill peaceable drinkers with a stab in the -belly; they foully shoot an officer who is reading them a proclamation; -they saw off the legs of soldiers; they finish off the wounded on the -field of battle; they cut off their fingers to steal their rings; they -fill letters with narcotics in order to poison those who open them; -they set traps for soldiers in order to torture them at leisure; even -the humanitarian symbol of the Red Cross does not stay their homicidal -hands; they fire on doctors, on ambulance men, on motor-cars removing -the wounded. - -That the soldiers leaving for Belgium were made to believe that their -adversaries were horrible barbarians, and that the troops were inspired -with an ardent desire to avenge the innocent victims of the Belgians, -is amply proved by all the tales dating from the beginning of the war. -See, for instance, in the story of _La journée de Charleroi_ (p. 195) -the impatience with which the author awaits the moment of entering -Belgium to take part in the reprisals, and his delight when he at last -sees houses burned to ashes and a curé hung from a tree. - -Let us note in passing that the Austrians also, desirous of declaring -war upon us, resorted to the invention of "Belgian atrocities." In -its reply to the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war, our Government -protested against this defamation (1st _Grey Book_, Nos. 77, 78). - - * * * * * - -All these stories appeared, in the first place, in the newspapers. -We must not be surprised if in time of war, when men's minds are -over-excited, the journalists willingly publish articles containing -statements of the kind we have cited, without troubling to verify -their authenticity. But it is unpardonable that they should have been -reprinted in cold blood, when their falsity had become so obvious that -it must have struck even the most prejudiced. We know of two pamphlets -devoted entirely to atrocities committed by the Belgians: _Die -Belgischen Greueltaten_ and _Belgische Kriegsgreuel_. The work already -cited, _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_, also deals at length with these -atrocities. Finally, there is no lack of information concerning them in -the pamphlets _Lüttich_ and _Die Eroberung Belgiëns_. - -One remark occurs to us immediately. The narratives are based on -details given by witnesses "worthy of credence." Now all verification -is impossible, for we are never given a hint as to the date; moreover, -the locality is very rarely mentioned; in _Die Wahrheit_ there are only -three place-names: Gemmenich, Tavigny, and Demenis. - -Demenis does not exist, and we have in vain sought to discover what -locality is meant. And what did really happen in the other two -communes mentioned? At Tavigny the Germans never had occasion to -commit any reprisals; not a man was killed, not a house burned; the -troops merely proceeded systematically to loot the place. Nor did -anything more happen in any neighbouring commune which the narrator -might have confused with Tavigny. Nor was there any confusion of names -with Tintigny; in the latter village the Germans behaved in the most -atrocious fashion, but the mode of operation was quite different. As -for Gemmenich, we have no information as to what passed there, But we -can assert that not a single house was burned there. Now it is very -certain that if the Belgians had committed the atrocities of which the -Germans tell, the latter would have set fire to the village; it is -therefore highly probable that nothing happened there. In short, of the -only three place-names given all three are incorrect. - -We cannot be expected to refute all these allegations. Many are -utterly ridiculous: for example, the story of the narcotics at the -Liége Post Office; that of the fingers cut off the dead and wounded -and then carefully preserved in a bag (one may well ask why); that of -the boiling oil is no better: try to imagine the incredible store of -oil that must have been possessed by the women who killed and wounded -therewith 2,000 Germans; moreover, either the German army does not -march down the middle of the street, or else the women had special -apparatus to throw jets of boiling liquid to a distance without danger -to themselves. - -Let us confine ourselves to examining the legend of the gouged-out -eyes. It is that which crops up most frequently under the pens of -the German publicists, so well calculated is it to arouse horror and -indignation in the readers. Well! its falsity appears from an inquiry -made by the Germans themselves. Not only have their newspapers--notably -the _Kölnische Volkszeitung_ and _Vorwärts_--on several occasions done -justice upon this lie, but an official commission, instituted by the -German Government, has also admitted that there is not _a single case_ -in which a wounded German soldier has been intentionally blinded (see -_Belgian Grey Books_, Nos. 107, 108). - -The Germans themselves admit that the accusation is unfounded. Has -their Press for that reason ceased to make use of it? We little know -the Germans if we imagine that it has. The entire Press continues -imperturbably to spread these abominable calumnies. The _Kölnische -Zeitung_ of the 15th February (four o'clock edition), referring to an -article by Étienne Girau, pastor of the Walloon community of Amsterdam, -once more declares that the Belgians have ill-treated the German -wounded. It is enough to make one ask whether the Belgians have not -_morally_ blinded all the "intellectuals" of Germany. - -Another example. In February 1915--that is, when no honest German could -any longer believe in the legend of the gouged-out eyes--_Vorwärts_ -protested against a little work by a Pastor Conrad, of which -150,000 examples were printed and sold at 8 pfennigs per copy to -school-children, in which the Belgians were still accused of having -blinded their prisoners (_N.R.C._, 12th February, morning edition). - -The Berlin Government also acts as though it was ignorant of the -conclusions of its own commissions of inquiry. Wishing to refuse -General Leman, a prisoner in Germany, the privilege of receiving a -visit from his daughter, it based its refusal on the atrocities of -which German soldiers have been the victims in Belgium, and on the -inhuman fashion in which the Belgians have treated the wounded and -prisoners in their hands. The second accusation is as ill-founded as -the first. The German soldiers taken prisoner by the Belgians were -interned in Bruges; they made no complaints, far from it (pp. 56-8); as -for the wounded in our hospitals, here are precise facts. - -Let us quote, first of all, from the correspondence published in the -_Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_, giving a few details from letters -written by the German wounded under treatment in Antwerp. - - -_How the Belgians treat their German Prisoners._ - - A private correspondent writes to us from Antwerp:-- - - The fact of knowing that the prisoners of war of the belligerent - States are treated as well as possible should also touch the hearts - of the Dutch.... I give you here some extracts from the letters of - wounded Germans under treatment in the hospitals of Antwerp. - - I am in a very good Belgian hospital and they treat me very well. - - KARL HINTZMAN, Military Hospital, Antwerp. - - I am very well looked after and have very good food. - - GEORG STORCK. - - They treat us very well in Belgium. What the German papers said in - the summer about the Belgians is utterly untrue. The Germans could - not look after us better. Moreover, the nation is highly developed. - - FRANZ CRAUWERSKI. - - A number of comrades are here. We are extraordinarily well looked - after. Everybody is very kind to us. - - RICHARD KUSTERMANN. - - Several comrades of my company are here. I am very well looked - after. One could not look after us better in Germany. - - PETERS. - - We could not hope for better care. - - WALTER SCHUMANN. - - The medical treatment is very good. We are sounded every day, and - our wounds are dressed daily. The doctors are very capable here. We - have food in abundance; all is excellent. - - HOSSBACH, - SÖLLIGER (Braunschweig). - - It must not be forgotten that the majority of these prisoners fell - into the hands of the Belgians at Aerschot, where the Germans had - imprisoned several hundreds of civilians in the church, at the - time of the investment of the town. I can speak from experience. - The German prisoners are treated with fully as much kindness in - other parts of the country. At the house of the commandant of the - _service de garde_ in Bruges I saw an assortment of German books - and card games which had been sent by Mme. E. Vandervelde, who had - visited the prisoners a few days earlier in the company of her - husband, Minister of State and the Socialist leader of Belgium. The - latter wished to make sure that the prisoners lacked for nothing. - - We can say that Belgium does not seek to avenge her unheard-of - sufferings by maltreating the German victims of the war. Suffering - evokes pity in a sane mind. I can only express the hope that these - proofs may fall into the hands of German readers. - - (_N.R.C._, 8th October, 1914, morning edition.) - -But we have something better than these documents of a private nature. -The German authorities exhibited, at Spa, a statement that the German -wounded there were perfectly well cared for. At the moment when the -Germans dispensed with the collaboration of the clinical staff of the -Red Cross in Brussels, they did homage to its devotion and competence. - - SPA, _18th August, 1914_. - - _To the Burgomaster of Spa._ - - The Commander-General of the 10th Army Corps thanks the Burgomaster - of Spa for the good reception accorded to his troops by the city - of Spa on the 11th and 12th August, 1914. Thanks to his care and - efforts, he recognizes that the wounded in the hospitals of Spa are - particularly well cared for. - - HOFFMANN, - _Lieutenant-General_. - - FREDERIC-AUGUST, - _Grand Duke of Oldenburg_. - - (_Les Nouvelles_, published under control of the German military - authority, 22nd September, 1914.) - - GERMAN GOVERNMENT, - _Headquarters, Medical Service_. - - BRUSSELS, _31st August, 1914_. - - _To MM. the President and Members of the Red Cross of Belgium, Rue - de l'Association, 24._ - - GENTLEMEN, - - The German Government assures you of the expression of its grateful - sentiments for the devoted care which you have given to all the - wounded collected in the capital. - - Ambulances have been organized in great numbers, and the necessity - of a concentration henceforth indispensable compels us immediately - to take the following measures.... - - In bringing these measures to your knowledge and in begging you to - assist us to realize them promptly, we again express to you the - thanks which we address to all the members of your association and - especially to the ladies of the Red Cross, whose complete devotion - we have appreciated. - - I beg you to accept, Gentlemen, the assurance of my high - consideration. - - Prof. Dr. STUERTZ, - _Oberstabarzt_. - -It is useful to observe that these declarations have been made -spontaneously, since it is obvious that we were powerless to exert any -pressure on the Germans. They have, therefore, nothing in common with -those which the Germans have forced the Belgian wounded or prisoners to -sign. - - -_The Pretended Massacres of German Civilians._ - -There remain the famous massacres of Germans in Brussels, Antwerp, -Liége, etc. According to witnesses "worthy of credence," inoffensive -Germans, even women and children, were killed and martyred in various -Belgian cities. At Liége alone more than 150 persons, of whom -three-fourths were women and children, were said to have lost their -lives. - -As to Liége, we have inquired of inhabitants of the city, several of -whom are closely connected with the administration of justice; no -one had any knowledge of any such occurrences. They have therefore -been invented, lock, stock, and barrel, by the "witnesses worthy of -credence," and we defy the Germans to mention the name of a single one -of these 150 "victims." - -At Antwerp we can oppose, to the testimony of those who were "present" -on the occasion of murders and serious assaults upon German women, -the official report, which admits that shops were broken into by -the populace, but which at the same time attests that no German was -wounded. Let us add that the German Weber was _not_ assassinated, but -is quietly living in Antwerp. - -Let us proceed to the doings in Brussels; and let us quote, from -_Greueltaten_, the most serious occurrences there mentioned. We have a -story, based on hearsay, which tells, of course, of gouged-out eyes, -as well as three reports of ocular witnesses. The first is that of a -witness "worthy of credence" who saw a child thrown from a window and a -woman dragged by the hair until she was insensible; he also witnessed -the murder of a German druggist, one Frankenberg, who was betrayed by -his own wife, a Belgian. The second witness is the correspondent of -the Wolff Agency. He saw only what the people of Brussels themselves -witnessed: that is, that the populace pillaged the German shops and -cafés on the 4th and 5th August. But he had not been able to discover -any acts of violence against the person; those he mentions, in a couple -of words, without insisting on them, had been related to him; but he -does not even add that the witnesses were "worthy of credence." - -Finally we have a priest, who complains that he was arrested as a spy -and beaten by the gendarmes. Perhaps he was a spy; in any case, not a -few German spies disguised as priests have been discovered in Belgium. - -If we confine ourselves to the really serious occurrences, to the -cases in which Germans have been killed by the populace, we find that -as against some 155 anonymous cases, which cannot be verified, there -are only two in which names are mentioned. These names are Weber and -Frankenberg. Now these two cases are apocryphal. Herr Weber has quietly -reopened his hotel in Antwerp; Herr Frankenberg continues to breathe -the air at Anderlecht, a suburb of Brussels. Compare with these two -cases the three names of places mentioned in _Die Wahrheit_ (p. 101). - - * * * * * - - -_Preventive and Repressive Measures taken by the Belgian Authorities._ - -The truth is that in the various cities of Belgium there was, quite -at the beginning of hostilities, an intense popular effervescence, -by which evildoers profited to pillage the German shops. These -disturbances were so unexpected and assumed, with such rapidity, such -large proportions, that the police were at first powerless to restrain -them. - -Moreover, it must be remembered that the police had just been reduced, -a large proportion of the police agents and gendarmes having left for -the front. - -But measures were promptly taken, and by the 7th August there was -no longer anywhere the least disorder of this kind. As for the "spy -mania," it raged in Belgium as in all countries affected by the -war.[24] But the newspapers, and the official measures taken, got the -better of this fresh cause of disturbance. - -The newspapers of the neutral countries, for example the _Nieuwe -Rotterdamsche Courant_, also reported material damage, but they do not -relate more serious occurrences in any part of Belgium. - -We can consequently assert, in the most categorical fashion, basing our -statement on the official data furnished by the courts, that no serious -offence against the person has been proved either in Brussels or -elsewhere. Does this mean that we excuse the fishers in troubled waters -who sacked the German shops? Obviously not; but it must be owned that -there are bad elements in all agglomerations, and that the populace of -Berlin behaved no better than that of Brussels: witness the remarks -of the British Ambassador in Berlin, and the excuses put forward by -the German authorities when his windows were broken as the result of -an article in the _Berliner Tageblatt_. Here we immediately perceive -a contrast of mentalities: the German newspapers incite their readers -against foreigners, while ours, on the contrary, do their utmost to -calm popular manifestations. - -A detail which we regard as symptomatic, and particularly revolting, -in the German publications, is the fact that in these cases, as in -the matter of the "francs-tireurs," our enemies seek to involve the -legal administration of our country. Now, not only did our authorities -immediately intervene to repress the disturbances and to provide a -military guard for the _Deutsche Bank_ and the _Deutscher Verein_ in -Brussels, but they did more than their strict duty in protecting German -families, and enabling them to return to their own country. Nothing -is more characteristic in this respect than that which happened in -Brussels on the nights of the 8th, 9th and 10th of August, at the time -of the Germans' departure from the city. The latter assembled at night -in a building belonging to the city; in the trams which took them -thither every one hastened to render them every imaginable service; at -the place of assembly the Civic Guards prepared hot drinks for them; -then, during the short journey to the Gare du Nord, the same Civic -Guards helped them to carry their children and their luggage. Mr. Brand -Whitlock, United States Minister in Brussels, who was looking after the -interests of Germany, was present in that quality at the departure of -the German families, and he expressed his gratitude to the Belgians in -a letter made public at the time. - - - THE UNITED STATES MINISTER DOES HONOUR TO THE HEROISM AND THE - KINDNESS OF THE BELGIANS. - - The German Minister, before leaving Brussels, requested the United - States Minister, Mr. Brand Whitlock, kindly to take over the - interests of Germany in Belgium. - - The United States Minister consented to protect the archives of the - German Legation. - - It was in this capacity that Mr. Brand Whitlock was the witness, - two days ago, of the goodness of the people of Brussels, who, with - Mme. Carton de Wiart, the wife of the Minister of Justice, and our - brave Chasseurs of the mounted Civic Guard at their head, provided - hot drinks and refreshments for the four thousand Germans leaving - Belgium who were assembled at the Royal Circus. - - The spectacle profoundly affected the eminent diplomatist. - Thanking the Belgian Government, His Excellency, Mr. Brand - Whitlock, writes to the Minister of Justice:-- - - "The Belgians display a heroism in dying on the field of battle - which is equalled by their humanity to non-combatants." - - (_Le Soir_, 11th August, 1914.) - -In Germany the United States Ambassador, Mr. Gerard, had also occasion -to intervene; but there it was to protect the British Ambassador from -the fury of the populace. - -These examples will suffice, we think, to show that the Belgians -were as thoughtful in their behaviour towards their non-combatant -adversaries as the Germans were violent and brutal. And what was the -result of our courtesy? Our enemies picked a groundless quarrel with us -in order to inflame the minds of their soldiers against us. - - -C.--Violations of the Hague Convention. - -Nothing would be easier than to show that our enemies have not -respected a single one of the articles of the Hague Convention. But it -is not our intention to draw up this inventory. We prefer to confine -ourselves to a few facts which no one can dream of contesting, so -patent are they and so well known to every one in Belgium. And we -shall refer only to those which will enable us to compare the two -mentalities: that of the German, crafty and tyrannical, and that of the -Belgian population, refusing to bow the head to military despotism. We -exclude from our list those data which have already been recorded in -other publications: Belgian _Grey Books_, _Reports of the Commission -of Inquiry_, _La Belgique et L'Allemagne_, etc. Lastly, we shall deal -only with what has happened in Belgium itself, so that we shall speak -neither of prisoners of war nor of the wounded. - -These eliminations lead us to omit the whole of Section I: _The -Belligerents_. The three first articles apply to "francs-tireurs," -Articles 4 to 21 relate to prisoners, the wounded, etc. - - - ARTICLE 22. - - _Belligerents have not an unlimited choice of means of injuring the - enemy._ - - - ARTICLE 23. - - _Besides the prohibitions established by special conventions, it is - notably forbidden_:-- - - (_a_) _To employ poison or poisoned weapons;_ - - (_b_) _To kill or wound by treachery individuals belonging to the - hostile nation or army;_ - - (_c_) _To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, or - no longer having means of defence, has surrendered at discretion;_ - - (_d_) _To declare that no quarter will be given;_ - - (_e_) _To employ arms, projectiles, or material calculated to cause - unnecessary suffering;_ - - (_f_) _To make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national - flag, or of the military insignia or uniform of the enemy, as well - as of the distinctive signs of the Geneva Convention;_ - - (_g_) _To destroy or seize enemy property, unless such destruction - or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war;_ - - (_h_) _To declare abolished, suspended, or inadmissible the - right of the subjects of the hostile party to institute legal - proceedings._ - - _A belligerent is likewise forbidden to compel the subjects of - the hostile party to take part in the operations of war directed - against their own country, even if they were in the service of the - belligerent before the commencement of the war._ - -The violations of this Article are numerous. The Germans themselves -cannot deny that the employment of toxic gases, such as those which -were used in the attack upon Ypres on the 22nd April, falls under the -condemnation of paragraph (_a_). We shall recur to this matter further -on. Let us remark for the moment that we are not speaking of gas -released by the bursting of shells, but of clouds of gas intentionally -produced. - -As to paragraph (_e_), the _7th Report_ speaks in a precise manner of -the employment of dum-dum bullets. After the German occupation we shall -be able to mention other irrefutable cases, of which it would now be -too dangerous to speak. - -The prescriptions of paragraph (_f_) have often been violated. At the -fort of Boncelles, on the 7th August, and at Landelies, near Charleroi, -on the 22nd, our enemies abused the white flag. At Ougrée and at -Grez-Doiceau they wore Belgian uniforms to deceive their enemies. This -action was repeated during the siege of Antwerp; but this time the -Belgians were warned of the German mimicry, so that the "asses clad in -lions' skins" were nearly all left on the battle-field. - -We shall deal later on, when speaking of pillage, with the infractions -of paragraph (_g_). - - -_Military Employment of Belgians by the Germans._ - -The last paragraph of Article 23 forbids belligerents to compel their -adversaries to take part in operations of war directed against their -own country. Let us see how the Germans respect this principle where -civilians are concerned. At Liége (_N.R.C._, 23rd August, evening), at -Vilvorde (_N.R.C._, 27th August, morning), at Anderlecht (_N.R.C._, -28th August, evening), at Dilbeek (N.R.C., 31st August, evening), at -Eppeghem (_see_ photograph in _1914 Illustré_, No. 5), at Soignies, and -at Neder-Over-Heembeek, the inhabitants were compelled to dig trenches -for the Germans. A Dutchman (an extreme Germanophile, however), saw -peasants from the outskirts of Spa compelled to perform the same task. - - SPA, _15th August, 1914_. - - ... The man, who had to return home (it was about noon), - accompanied us, and, while conversing, he pointed to the road to - Creppe, parallel to that which we were following, and at some - ten minutes' distance from the latter. They were working hard at - entrenchments there, about a quarter of an hour from the city. - There were some 150 Belgian workmen there, excavating the soil - under the threat of the rifles of German soldiers placed behind - them. - - (_N.R.C._, 22nd August, 1914, evening edition.) - -At Bagimont, on the 24th August, 1914, the inhabitants were forced -to prepare the ground for the landing of German aeroplanes. The same -villagers were forced to build huts for their enemies. - -We have the names (at the disposal of a commission of inquiry) of -twenty-nine inhabitants of a village of Brabant, who were forced, -with horses and carts, to follow the German troops for several weeks, -transporting munitions and baggage. The Germans had the right to -requisition horses and vehicles, but not to compel our countrymen to -accompany their teams. - -Let us remark, while dealing with these violations of Article 23 of the -Hague Convention, that Germany signed this Convention. But on her part -this was merely a comedy, for it is a rule with her rulers that they -cease to follow its prescriptions as soon as they are in opposition to -the _Usages of War_, according to the Great General Staff. Now among -the duties which the occupier may impose on the inhabitants--according -to Germany--is the supply of transport and the digging of trenches. -In other words, Germany, though she readily approved of the Hague -Conference, makes war according to her own principles, which are far -less humane; but she none the less demands that her adversaries should -observe the rules of the Convention. - - * * * * * - - -_Measures of Coercion taken by the Germans._ - -On several occasions our enemies have sought to force the Belgian -population to manufacture explosives and munitions for them. But the -Belgians have always refused, even when their resistance inevitably -condemned them to starvation. The workers of the explosives factory of -Caulille, in the north of Limburg, resumed their tasks only under the -most terrible threats (_K.Z._, 21st December, morning edition). - -The case of Caulille, announced to its readers by a German newspaper, -shows the cynicism with which our enemies violate the Hague Convention, -which is in part their own work. - -The same effrontery appears in the placard of the 19th November, 1914; -this threatens severe penalties against Belgians who dissuade their -compatriots from working for Germany. One could understand that the -Germans might punish those who used force or threats to prevent any -one from working for them; but to punish those who "attempt" to act by -simple persuasion! - -This was a mere timid beginning. On the 19th June, 1915, our enemies -posted about Gand a placard stating that severe measures were about to -be applied to factories which, "relying on the Hague Convention, had -refused to work for the German Army." - -The Communal Administration of Gand has supplied us with the following -notice:-- - - NOTICE. - - By order of His Excellency the Inspector de l'Étape,[25] I call the - attention of the commune to the following:-- - - "The attitude of certain factories which, under pretext of - patriotism and relying on the Hague Convention, have refused to - work for the German Army, proves that there are, in the midst of - the population, tendencies whose object is to place difficulties in - the way of the administration of the German Army. - - "In this connection I make it known that I shall repress, by all - the means at my disposal, such behaviour, which can only disturb - the good understanding hitherto existing between the administration - of the German Army and the population. - - "In the first place I hold the Communal authorities responsible for - the spread of such tendencies, and I call attention to the fact - that the population will itself be responsible if the liberties - hitherto accorded in the most ample measure are withdrawn and - replaced by the restrictive measures necessitated by its own fault." - - LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRAF VON WESTARP, - _Commandant de l'Étape_. - - GAND, _10th June, 1913_. - -Here, then, they declare that they are on the point of intentionally -violating the Hague Convention. - -Certain articles which appeared in _Het Volk_, a Christian-Democratic -journal of Gand, on the 15th, 17th, 19th, and 22nd June, 1915, tell us -what these measures are. - -The workers of the Bekaert factory at Sweveghem having refused to -make barbed wire for the Germans, the latter began by arresting three -notables, of whom two were promptly released. Then, to force the men -to resume work, they decided that the commune should be placed under a -ban; it was forbidden to ride a bicycle or to use a wheeled vehicle, -and the introduction of foodstuffs was prohibited. The men still -persisted in refusing to make the barbed wire on which their sons and -brothers were to be caught in the battles of the Yser. Sixty-one men -were sent to prison. The rest hastened to leave the village. What did -the Germans do then? They seized the wives of the fugitives, shut them -up in two great waggons, and took them to Courtrai; at the same time -they posted up the names of those who had fled, and enjoined them to -return. Before the threat of seeing their wives remain in prison until -their children perished in their empty homes, the workers, with death -in their hearts, had to resume their fratricidal task. Truly _Kultur_ -is a fine thing! - -In Brabant they went a different way to work. They had requested M. -Cousin to make barbed wire for them in his factory at Ruysbroeck (in -the south of Brussels). He refused. They offered to buy his factory. He -refused. They requisitioned his works. He was forced to submit. They -installed themselves in the factory and tried to begin making barbed -wire. But the machinery was worked by electricity, and the electricity -was provided by a central station situated in Oisquercq. Naturally -the Oisquercq works refused to supply current. The Germans arrested -M. Lucien Beckers, the managing director of the company, and kept him -several weeks in prison. - - * * * * * - - -_Living Shields._ - -It remains to examine a final violation of Article 23; a violation so -revolting that neither those present at the Hague Conference nor the -Germans themselves in their _Kriegsbrauch_ had been willing to consider -it. We are referring to the use of "living shields" (_7th Report_). - - * * * * * - - -_A German Admission._ - -_Belgians placed before the Troops at Charleroi._ - -Our enemies are aware of the abomination of which they are guilty in -placing, in front of their troops, Belgians intended to serve as a -shield. They are eager to deny such acts. Unfortunately for them one of -their own officers has described a case of the kind (p. 196). His first -care on reaching the suburbs of Charleroi was to capture civilians -in order to force them to walk in front of and among the cavalry. He -waxes indignant over the lamentations uttered by the wives of these -unfortunates. "If nothing happens to us," he told them, "nothing will -happen to the civilians either." Could one more cynically express the -idea that the Germans made use of these hostages in order to prevent -their adversaries from firing on their troops? At the first volley -fired by the French, who were posted behind a barricade, some of the -hostages were killed. The Germans promptly replaced them by others, -notably by priests. - -At Nimy and Mons, the same method was employed. The burgomaster of -Mons, M. Lescart, was himself placed before the German troops. - -At Tirlemont, on the 18th August, 1914, during their march on Louvain, -they seized upon certain "notables," including the burgomaster, M. -Donny, and pushed them before them in order to obtain shelter from the -Belgian bullets. They did not release them until the following day, at -Cumptich. - - * * * * * - - -_Belgians placed before the Troops at Lebbeke, Tirlemont, Mons._ - -More significant still was their conduct at Lebbeke, near Termonde, on -the 4th September, 1914. Scarcely had they entered the village, in the -early morning, when they seized as many civilians as possible--about -300--and forced them to march before them. On passing through St. -Gilles-lez-Termonde they requisitioned more men to serve as "living -shields." When the Belgians attacked the German troops ten civilians -were killed; many were wounded (_9th_ and _10th Reports_). - -The same evening the survivors were sent into Germany as -"francs-tireurs." - - -_Belgian Women placed before the Troops at Anseremme._ - -At Anseremme it was behind women that the Germans took refuge. They -had committed the blunder of sending all the men to Germany, as civil -prisoners, on the 23rd and 24th August, so that only the women were -left. They placed these in a line along the river-wall on the bank of -the Meuse, and prudently hidden behind their skirts they rested their -rifles on the women's shoulders in order to fire at the French on the -opposite bank. - -The French ceased fire as soon as they saw that they were firing on -women. At night the Germans herded the unhappy women, with their -children, in a field; but on the following morning they brought them -out again to serve as a protective screen along the river. - -Such is German heroism! As we at present understand the real sense of -the words _Den Heldentod Gestorben_ (died a hero's death), which the -Germans inscribe on the tombs of their soldiers, they mean that these -soldiers were unable to avoid the bullets, although they heroically hid -themselves behind Belgian women. - -As far as we know one must go back to Cambyses, in the sixth century -B.C., to find another example of the "living shield." At the time of -his expedition into Egypt this prince, who was, the historians tell -us, famed for his cruelty, conceived the idea of placing cats, which -animals were worshipped by the Egyptians, in front of his troops. -Thanks to his stratagem he prevented the Egyptians from attacking his -soldiers. Neither Attila, nor Ghenghis Khan, nor Tamerlane made use of -this method; it was left for the Germans of the twentieth century once -more to put it into practice, with the increased ferocity suggested by -_Kultur_. - - -_Belgians forcibly detained at Ostend and Middelkerke._ - -There are other circumstances also under which the Germans have made a -rampart of the Belgians. From the middle of October 1914 they occupied -that portion of the Belgian coast comprised between Lombartzyde and the -Zeeland frontier. From time to time the British ships and aeroplanes -bombarded the coast; they would undoubtedly have continued to do so -if the Germans had not taken pains forcibly to retain numbers of -Belgians in these localities. According to the _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche -Courant_ of the 1st November they forbade the people of Middelkerke -and Ostend to leave those towns. Obviously the British were as far as -possible sparing Ostend and Middelkerke, and directing their fire by -preference on the road joining these two places, and on that running -from Middelkerke to Westende. The Germans were perfectly aware of -this, and had precisely for this reason forbidden any Belgian to leave -Ostend or Middelkerke. An officer at the _Kommandantur_, from whom our -informant tried to obtain some favour for a couple of Belgians, replied -as follows: "If we allowed the population to leave these places the -English would hasten to bombard the two towns, and we should be the -sufferers" (_N.R.C._, 1st November, 1914). - -However, at the end of December they expelled all the men from -Middelkerke, with the exception of four. But the means of transport -placed at the disposal of the expelled inhabitants were insufficient -to enable them to take their families with them, so that they had to -leave many of their wives and children behind. Every time the British -drop shells on the coast the Germans hasten to post up the news in -Brussels, adding that the bombardment has resulted in fatalities among -the Belgians. - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GENERAL GERMAN GOVERNMENT. - - BOMBARDMENT OF COAST. - - BERLIN, 24th _November_ (official, noon to-day).--British vessels - arrived yesterday off the French coast and bombarded Lombartzyde - and Zeebrugge. Among our troops they caused only very slight - damage. A certain number of Belgian citizens, on the other hand, - were killed and wounded. - - THE GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, 28th _December_ (official telegram, noon to-day).--Near - Nieuport the enemy renewed his attempted attacks without success. - In these he was supported by firing from the sea, which however did - us no harm, but killed or wounded some inhabitants. - - THE GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, 26th _January_ (official telegram, noon to-day).--The - enemy yesterday fired as usual on Middelkerke and Westende. A - considerable number of inhabitants were killed or wounded by - this fire, among them the burgomaster of Middelkerke. Our losses - yesterday were very insignificant. - - THE GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, 13th _February_ (official telegram).--Along the coast enemy - aviators yesterday again dropped bombs, which did very considerable - damage among the civil population, while we suffered no appreciable - damage from a military point of view. - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - - BERLIN, 8th _March_ (official telegram, noon to-day).--Enemy - aviators dropped bombs on Ostend, which killed three Belgians. - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - -They therefore fully appreciate the advantage to be derived from -retaining on the coast a population which serves as a living buckler. - - -_Belgians imprisoned in the Lofts of the Ministries._ - -At Brussels they behaved in a similar fashion in order to prevent the -Allied aviators from bombarding the premises which they occupy in the -Ministries. Inhabitants of Brussels are sent to the _Kommandantur_ on -the most impossible pretexts. They first remain for several days shut -up in the lofts of the Ministries. Then, after trial--and, obviously, -sentence--they are again confined in the lofts until there is room for -them in the ordinary prisons. Every one in Brussels knows this, and of -course the Allied aviators are aware of it. - - ARTICLE 25. - - _The attack or bombardment, by any means whatever, of undefended - towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings is forbidden._ - - -_Bombardment of Open Towns._ - -Many violations of this Article have been discovered by the Commission -of Inquiry (_7th Report_). Here again clearly appears the contradiction -between the fashion in which the Germans make war and that which they -require of their enemies. When their dirigibles drop bombs on open, -undefended districts--as they did on the night of the 26th September, -at Deynze, when they wounded an old man in the hospital of the Sisters -of St. Vincent de Paule--their newspapers related this prowess -exultingly (_Düsseldorfer Tageblatt_, 29th September; _Düsseldorfer -Zeitung_, 29th September, 1914). They may do such things, but no one -else. When the Allied aviators bombarded Freibourg in Brisgau on -the 10th December, 1914, the Germans denounced them amid universal -indignation. One can only agree with the writer in the _Times_ who -said: "If we want to know what conduct we should observe in this war it -is useless to consult the laws; we must simply ask the Germans if our -conduct is agreeable to them or not." - - ARTICLE 26. - - _The officer in command of an attacking force must do all in his - power to warn the authorities before commencing a bombardment, - except in case of assault._ - -General von Beseler followed the prescription of this Article -during the siege of Antwerp; he announced on the 8th October that -the bombardment of the city would commence at midnight (_K.Z._, 9th -October, first morning edition). Everywhere else the Germans have -thrown their shells without previous warning. This was notably so in -the attack upon Antwerp by a dirigible on the night of 24th August; -the bombs found twenty victims. It is true that Herr Bernstorff has -declared that previous advice is not necessary. In this he is in -agreement with the laws of warfare according to the Germans. - - ARTICLE 27. - - _In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken - to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to public - worship, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, - hospitals, and places where the sick and wounded are collected, - provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes._ - -Not content with setting fire to our monuments, as they did at Louvain, -Dinant, Termonde, and a host of villages, the Germans never hesitate to -bombard those they cannot otherwise reach. - -The most characteristic example is that of the Cathedral of Reims.[26] -On Tuesday, the 22nd September, we learned of the bombardment from -a placard. The telegram, dated Monday, the 21st, asserted that the -monument would as far as possible be spared. That was enough; we knew -then that it was destroyed. And sure enough, the French newspapers -smuggled through to us on the following day--Wednesday--stated that the -cathedral had been burning since Saturday, the 19th. - -Little by little the information received grew more precise. The French -certified that they had not placed any military post of observation on -the towers; neither were there batteries near the cathedral. Moreover, -they declared that the cathedral should have been doubly respected, -since an ambulance had found asylum there--which, be it said in -passing, is denounced as an infamy by the German newspapers (_K.Z._, -4th January, morning edition; _Niederrheinische Volkszeitung_, 4th -January). - -The Wolff Agency reported the bombardment of Reims Cathedral as quite -a natural thing, a commonplace operation. But before the indignation -of the entire civilized world (_N.R.C._, 22nd September, 1914, evening -edition) the Germans were forced to display a hypocritical regret and -to justify their aggression. - -Then official telegrams were posted up the same day; two reflected -German opinion, the third professed to express the opinion of a -Frenchman who had favoured the _Times_ with his confidences (placard -dated 23rd September, 1914).[27] The conclusion, naturally, was that -the Germans had nothing to reproach themselves with: their conscience -was clear as on the first day; they bombarded the Cathedral of Reims -because they were forced to do so, despite their admiration for this -marvel of Gothic architecture ... but the presence of a military -observation-post on the towers had left them no alternative. - -Three weeks later, a fresh bombardment (placard dated 15th October). -Then, after two weeks' quiet, they once more began to throw shells -on what still remained standing (placard of 30th October). On the -following day they announced that they had protested to the Roman -Curia. A few days later they applied themselves to the destruction of -the Cathedral of Soissons, but once again because the French forced -them to do so. - -What respect for the Hague Convention! How touching the solicitude -displayed toward monuments of art and religion! Only in the very -last extremity do the Germans resolve to smash them to bits; still -protesting, of course, against the violence done to their æsthetic -feelings! Still more touching is their sincerity. On the 10th -November they announce that the Vicar-General of Reims has admitted -that the towers have been used for military operations, and that -the Chancellor has communicated this avowal to the Vatican (_Le -Réveil_, 11th November, 1914); on the 17th they are forced to note the -Vicar-General's denial, but they maintain their accusations. - -To estimate at their true value the German declarations concerning -Reims Cathedral, it is enough to compare one of the three placards of -the 23rd September with the "official communiqué" which they forced -upon _L'Ami de l'Ordre_. Here are these two documents: - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, _23rd September_ (official telegram, yesterday - evening).--In spite of these facts we have been able to verify the - presence on the tower of a post of observation, which explains the - excellent effect of the fire of the enemy's infantry opposing our - infantry.... - - THE GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT. - - - MILITARY OPERATIONS IN FRANCE. - - (_Official Communiqué._) - - ANTWERP, _27th September_ (communicated by the French - Legation).--The French Minister has received from M. Delcassé the - following telegrams.... - - II. The German Government having officially declared to various - Governments that the bombardment of the Cathedral of Reims - was undertaken only because of the establishment of a post - of observation on the basilica, General Joffre asserts, in a - telegram communicated by the Ministry of War, that no French - observation-post was placed on this building. - - P.S.--The German Government did not invoke the presence of an - observation-post on the cathedral, but the presence of pieces of - artillery behind this church, so that it was impossible to reach - these guns without firing in the direction of the cathedral and - hitting the latter. - - This was necessary to dislodge the French artillery. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 29th September, 1914.) - - -On the 23rd September they pretended that there was an observation-post -on the tower. On the 27th they declared that they had never made any -such statement. German sincerity! - -On the 7th July they placarded Brussels with a document in which they -made a display of their artistic feeling. We asked ourselves what fresh -crime they were about to commit. Next day our curiosity was satisfied; -the newspapers informed us that the German army had set fire to the -cathedral at Arras. - - * * * * * - - -_Bombardment of the Cathedral at Malines._ - -Let us now consider how they behaved in Belgium. The commander of -the army besieging Antwerp three times bombarded Malines without any -strategical excuse, for the town was absolutely empty of Belgian -troops. He had informed the Belgian authorities that his troops would -not fire upon monuments so long as these latter were not serving any -military purpose (_N.R.C._ 13th September, 1914, evening edition). -Better still, he published, in the German newspapers, a statement that -he could not bombard Malines for fear of touching the Cathedral of -Saint-Rombaut, but that the Belgians had not the same scruples. What -truth was there in the last assertion? None, of course; if the Belgians -dropped shells on the outskirts of the town it was while the German -troops were there, a fact which our enemies themselves recognized. -For the rest, it is easy to discover whether the damage done to the -cathedral was the work of Germans or Belgians. The Belgians were to -the north and west of the town; the Germans to the south and east. Now -all the damage done to the cathedral is without exception on the south -and east faces. The reader may draw his own conclusion. Here we have -a reappearance of the usual German system, which consists in blaming -others for their own misdeeds. At Dinant, too, they pretended that the -collegiate church was destroyed not by them but by the French. - - -_The Pretended Observation-post on Notre-Dame of Antwerp._ - -Of course they accused the Belgians of using their belfries as -observation-posts. The accusation is false. We may cite Malines as an -example (_N.R.C._, 25th November, evening edition), and Courcelles -(_Die Wochenschau_, No. 46, 1914); but the most typical case is that -of Antwerp. They reproduced in their illustrated journals (_Die -Wochenschau_, No. 48, 1914; _Kriegs-Kurier_, No. 7) a photograph--or -properly speaking, a drawing--published by an American newspaper -(New York _Tribune_, 22nd October, 1914) representing a military -observation-post on the tower of Notre-Dame. - -Even if we grant the picture a documentary value which it does not -possess, it proves nothing, for according to the American journalist -(_N.R.C._, 15th November, evening edition), the military post existed -on the tower at a period when Antwerp was not besieged, nor even in -danger of being so; the city had then to defend itself only against -dirigibles, which on two occasions paid it nocturnal visits, with the -accompaniment of bombs. It will be understood that the _Wochenschau_ -does not inform us of this; it pretends that the soldiers were on the -tower to observe the German troops and their heavy artillery during the -siege. - - -_German Observation-posts admitted by the Germans._ - -Let us now see whether our enemies have abstained from employing -monuments for military operations. The _Algemeen Handelsblad_ -(Amsterdam) of the 3rd January states that machine-guns are placed -on the belfry of Bruges and on other towers of the city. This fact -is confirmed by M. Domela Nieuwenhuys Nyegaard, a pastor of Gand, a -convinced Germanophile, who witnessed an attack by British aviators, -upon whom the machine-guns installed on the tower of the Halles opened -a violent but ineffectual fire (_Uit mijn Oorlogsdagboek_, p. 319, in -_De Tijdspiegel_, 1st April, 1915). - -Perhaps the Germans will contest this statement. Here is another. Those -who require of their adversaries so scrupulous a respect for Article 27 -of the Hague Convention placed an observation-post on the tower of St. -Rombaut, during the siege of Antwerp, in order to control their fire -upon the Waelhem fort. And this at least is indisputable, for in their -cynicism or lack of conscience (let them choose whichever they please) -they published a photograph of this infraction of the Hague Convention -in the _Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung_ (No. 44, 1914, p. 752). - -This is not the only case admitted by them. _Zeit im Bild_ (No. 43, -1914) reproduces on its cover a photograph of a "military post on the -tower of an Hôtel de Ville." In this we see German soldiers armed with -rifles, watching an imaginary enemy. This photograph was taken at -the Palais de Justice in Brussels, as is proved, without possibility -of error, by the church of La Chapelle, whose very characteristic -tower rises in the distance. The Germans were so delighted with this -violation of the Hague Convention that they reproduced the photograph -in the illustrated supplement of the _Hamburger Fremdensblatt_. And -what is most curious in this affair is that they boasted of an offence -which they knew they had not committed. For, firstly, the soldiers were -not posted "on an Hôtel de Ville"; secondly, they were not even posted -_on_ the Palais de Justice, but to one side of it, as may easily be -determined on the spot; thirdly, German soldiers have never been placed -there to overlook an enemy! - -Since mid-October of 1914 it is in Western Flanders that the fighting -has taken place. Did the Germans eventually, before the universal -reprobation which greeted their exploits at Louvain, Reims, and so -forth, determine to respect the international agreement to which they -are parties? By no means. They are far too contemptuous of conventions, -as is proved by the photographs of monuments bombarded in the region of -the Yser, which are published in the illustrated newspapers, notably -in _Panorama_, a Dutch illustrated paper which surreptitiously enters -Belgium. - - Ypres: _Panorama_, 23_b_, 25_a_. - - Dixmude: _Panorama_, 23_a_, 23_b_; _Berl. Ill. Zeit._, Nos. 2 and - 3, 1915; _Kriegs-Echo_, Nos. 22, 24; _Zeit. im Bild_, No. 3, 1915. - - Pervyse: _Panorama_, 21_a_, 21_b_, 23_a_. - - Nieuport: _Panorama_, 22_a_. - - Ramscapelle: _Panorama_, 23_b_. - -Among the monuments destroyed artists especially deplore the marvellous -Halles of Ypres, and the churches of Nieuport, Ypres, and Dixmude. This -last contained a very remarkable Gothic rood-screen, of which Herr -Stübben, one of the most eminent architects of modern Germany, stated -that its loss would be irreparable. It escaped the shells, but not the -German soldiery, who destroyed it with the butts of their rifles, after -the capture of the town. Always _Kultur_! - - -_Pillage._ - - ARTICLE 28. - - _The giving over to pillage of a town or place, even when taken by - assault, is forbidden._ - - ARTICLE 46. - - _Family honour and rights, individual life, and private property as - well as religious convictions and worship, must be respected._ - - ARTICLE 47 - - _Pillage is expressly forbidden._ - -"Family honour and rights!" The cases of rape prove the respect of the -German army for these prescriptions! - -"Individual life!" By the end of September 1914 the Germans had killed -more civilians than soldiers. This simple statement says more than -could a long exposition. - -"Private property!" Theft and pillage are phenomena so commonplace -that the inhabitants no longer insist upon them; if they mention the -subject it is to say: "The Germans behaved well here; they only took -all we had." We shall therefore confine ourselves to citing a few cases -particularly typical of the German mentality. - -It is indisputable that the conflagrations started under the pretext -of chastising "francs-tireurs" were in reality designed to conceal the -pillage committed by the German army. This was certainly the case at -Aerschot (_4th Report_) and at Louvain. The officers who gave orders -to start these fires were therefore accomplices of the pillaging -soldiery. For that matter, how could they have disavowed the thefts -of their men, seeing that they themselves largely took part in the -scramble? Whole trains left Brussels, Louvain, Malines, and Verviers -for Germany, loaded with "war booty for officers." During their -journey to Belgium, Herren Koester and Noske, on the 23rd September, -at Hubesthal, saw numerous trains passing which were laden with war -booty (_Kriegsfahrten_, p. 8); there were at that time no serious -battles either in France or in Belgium, so that there was no capture -of war booty in the Western sense of the term.[28] The trains observed -by the Socialist authors could only have been carrying the fruits of -pillage; they came probably from Malines, which the Germans at this -time were scrupulously emptying, as well as the numerous châteaux of -the neighbourhood. - -Not a district has been visited by the Germans that has not been -totally despoiled. Of course, the silver was taken first. One -officer, after plundering the entire store of silver of a villa at -Francorchamps, confided to a neighbour that he was going to have it -melted down in Germany, with the exception of one spoon, which he would -keep as a "souvenir." Is it not typical and delightful, this German -cult of the "souvenir" as a veneer of sentimentality on a basis of -rapacity? According to the definition given by the Kaiser, this officer -displayed his civilization but not his _Kultur_. - -Another "requisition" of plate. In the railway station of Mons, towards -the middle of February 1915, a merchant unloading a truck-load of -merchandise had his attention attracted by a coffin which was being -removed from a neighbouring van; suddenly he heard a metallic clink: -the bottom of the coffin had given way, and an avalanche of spoons, -forks, napkin-rings, and other articles of silver tumbled out! - -Nothing is sacred to the Huns. They smash the tabernacles, treasuries, -and poor-boxes of the churches as readily as the coffers of the -People's Banks (_Maisons du Peuple_). At Auvelois they seized upon -43,000 frs. in the Maison du Peuple, this being the entire capital of -the Socialist Young Guard, the Freethinkers, the newspaper _En Avant_, -the Miners' Union (_syndicat_), and other mutual aid societies. - -At Beyghem, near Grimberghen, before setting fire to the church, they -broke open the safe in the sacristy. Being unable to perforate it, they -demolished the wall dividing the church from the sacristy, in which it -was imbedded, so that they were able to attack it from behind. - -In most of the churches which were burned in the north of Brabant (p. -73) the strong-box and the tabernacle were broken open. It was the same -in the province of Namur. - -As soon as the approach of the Germans was signalled, many people -hastened to pack up their furniture and valuables, in order more -readily to transport them in case of evacuation. This foresight almost -always failed in its object, owing to the impossibility of finding a -horse and cart at the moment of departure. These packing-cases and -hampers, all ready corded, presented an insurmountable temptation; the -officers were never able to resist it, and the goods were sent straight -to the railway station. - -We are informed that at the beginning of the German occupation officers -were frequently mistaken as to the actual value of the articles which -they removed; so that they sent their families worthless rubbish "made -in Germany." To avoid these unpleasant misconceptions, they made their -inspections in the company of experts who directed their choice. - -Need we add that the wine-cellars were always methodically exploited? -The bottles which could not be drunk on the spot were packed for later -consumption, or to be sent to Germany. In a château near Charleroi the -officers had the doors--which were beautiful examples of joinery--taken -off their hinges, and used to make packing-cases for the bottles. - -We must not forget that drunkenness has played an important part in the -atrocities committed by the German army. - -The Germans were not content with making a clean sweep of the private -houses and châteaux; they also stripped the Governmental offices which -they occupied in Brussels of their furniture. In the Ministry of Public -Works a portion of the maps of bridges, buildings, etc., was burned, -and a portion sent to Germany. - - -_Thefts of Stamps._ - -As to those who despoiled the Ministries, we will give them the credit -of supposing that they acted by order and in the interest of their -Government; but we cannot thus excuse the conduct of one officer who, -having possessed himself, goodness knows how, of a number of Belgian -stamps, attempted, in a stationer's shop, to pay for 80 frs.' worth -of goods by means of these stamps. Meeting with a refusal from the -shopkeeper, he had to content himself with paying for only a portion -of his purchases in this manner. In a neighbouring watchmaker's he -did better, for he was able to get rid of 100 frs. in stamps; at a -discount, of course.[29] He informed the watchmaker that he possessed -4,000 frs.' worth of Belgian stamps. The latter was not so indiscreet -as to ask how he obtained them. - -Better still: the Germans do not conceal the fact that they are -thieves. The _Matin_ (Paris, 9th June, 1915) reproduced the photograph -of an announcement published by a Swiss newspaper. - -"It informs us that a thief of the German army, desiring to realize -the 'war booty' which he collected in Antwerp, offers for sale unused -stamps of values between 10 centimes and 10 frs. In his 'stock' of -booty are 19 different stamps of a total value of 29 frs. 70 (oh, -that 70 centimes of pillage!) which he offers for 3 frs. 50.--All -Germany--philosophical, political, military, and commercial--is -contained in this little advertisement." - -At Tamines, having burned about 250 houses, on the 21st and 22nd -August, 1914, and having forced the living to bury the 416 unhappy -people shot on the evening of the 22nd, they sent all the survivors -to Velaines-sur-Sambre. There they were given their liberty, and told -that they might go to Namur or to Düsseldorf, but not to Tamines. Why -not to Tamines? They understood a few days later, when they were bold -enough to return despite the prohibition. The Germans had completely -emptied all the shops and all the private houses in the place. It is -evident that this operation can be effected in a more methodical and -comfortable manner when there are no children running between your -legs, or women begging you to leave them some souvenir for which they -have a particular affection. - -At Louvain they acted in the same manner; they proceeded to wholesale -pillage only after the 27th, when they had sent all the inhabitants -away. - -Sometimes the love of pillage got the better of discipline. At Jumet, -on the road from Brussels to Charleroi, on the 22nd August, 1914, the -troops were ordered to burn all the houses, because the French of the -110th Infantry had dared to attack them with machine-guns. But some -soldiers who had entered a tobacconist's amused themselves by stealing -cigars and cigarettes, and were so absorbed that they forgot to set -fire to the shop, so that it has remained intact in the midst of a long -row of burned-out buildings. - -What disgusts us most in all this pillage is not that the German -troops should have marked our unhappy country for pillage; it is the -indisputable complicity of the leaders of the army. Nothing more -clearly proves the benevolent intervention of the military and civil -authorities in the operations of brigandage than the regular transport -of "war booty" into Germany. The officers make no secret of sending -to their homes such things as pianos, pictures, jewels, furniture, -glass, etc. They do it openly, with the obvious complicity of the -railway officials. The latter are entrusted with the organization of -the rapid transportation to the Fatherland of mountains of cases, -containing the results of the methodical exploration of our houses -and châteaux and shops and warehouses. It is a vast organization of -brigandage, hierarchically regulated, in which every one steals without -hiding the fact from his fellows. Who knows whether the coffin full of -silver-plate which burst in the Mons railway station did not belong -to some officer who had swindled his accomplices? We in Belgium have -witnessed the regular working of a system of "co-operative brigandage -under the august protection of the authorities." - -Let us note, finally, that theft and pillage are expressly forbidden by -the German _Usages of War_. Articles 57, 58, 60, 61, and 62 prohibit -all destruction of private property. But we must suppose that their -_Usages of War_ are applicable only in times of peace, since from the -very first days of the war the German army began to pillage the regions -which it occupied. This spoliation has been pursued with the systematic -spirit which characterizes _Kultur_. - - -_Illegal Taxation._ - - ARTICLE 43. - - _The authority of the power of the State having passed de facto - into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall do all in his - power to restore, and shall ensure, as far as possible, public - order and safety, respecting at the same time, unless absolutely - prevented, the laws in force in the country._ - - ARTICLE 48. - - _If, in the territory occupied, the occupant collects the taxes, - dues, and tolls payable to the State, he shall do so, as far as - is possible, in accordance with the legal basis and assessment in - force at the time and shall in consequence be bound to defray the - expenses of the administration of the occupied territory to the - same extent as the national Government had been so bound._ - - ARTICLE 49. - - _If, in addition to the taxes mentioned in the above Article, - the occupant levies other money contributions in the occupied - territory, they shall only be applied to the needs of the army or - of the administration of the territory in question._ - -Two placards exhibited in Brussels on the evening of the 12th December -(Saturday) attracted general attention. - -They first convoked the Provincial Councils for the 19th December, -and imposed upon them, not simply a general "order of the day," but -an imperative mandate to vote a war-tax. The second gave details of -this tax: 480,000,000 frs. was to be paid in monthly instalments of -40,000,000 (£19,200,000 in twelve payments of £1,600,000) (see _Belg. -Allem._, p. 120). - -Baron von Bissing thus advertised, seven days in advance, the decisions -to be taken by the Provincial Councils. Doubtless he was made to -understand that the proceeding was a little extreme, and contrary -both to the law and to common sense; for on the following morning the -second placard was covered with a blank sheet of paper. Better still, -the "Official Bulletin of Laws and Decrees for the occupied Belgian -Territory" gave in its issue of the 19th the text of the two decrees; -but this number was suppressed, and in its place another placard, -numbered 19, was distributed, which included only the first decree. - -On the 19th December our nine Provincial Councils assembled. They -could not do otherwise than vote the crushing tax of 480 millions; but -several of them protested eloquently against the illegality of this -proceeding. - - - _Speech delivered by M. François André at the meeting of the - Provincial Council of Hainaut, on the 19th December, 1914, in the - presence of the German Governor and Dr. Daniest, President._ - - ... We have met by order of the German authorities to vote a - war-tax; to make one word of many, we have met to furnish arms - to the formidable invader of our country, to be used against our - heroic little Belgian army.... - - We are thus assembled to vote, _by order_, a war-tax. - - I wish to protest--against both the form and the substance of this - tax. - - As to the form, I regard this extraordinary session as absolutely - illegal; the Provincial Councillors are not qualified to vote - war-taxes affecting the whole country; moreover, the councillors of - the various provinces, in concerting as to the measures to be taken - in common, so to speak, which are matters beyond the scope of their - jurisdiction, are committing an offence in Belgian law, which law - no German decree has abrogated. As to the substance: Admitting that - the German authorities have the right to levy taxes on the whole - country, while our 120,000 soldiers are still in occupation of our - territory, it is very certain that according to the terms of the - Hague Convention no tax may be levied except for the needs of the - army of occupation. - - What is an army of occupation? - - It is that which, finding itself in a conquered territory, - undertakes the policing and safeguards the security of that - territory. - - This is why it may appear legitimate for the army to force the - occupied territory to support it. - - But our country--as Field-Marshal von der Goltz has declared, - and as is perfectly obvious--our country has become the basis - of military operations against the Allies. According to the - spirit of the Hague Convention, there is no army of occupation, - properly speaking, in our country, and in any case the 35,000 - men concentrated in Namur and the artillery assembled at Liége - cannot in any respects be regarded as making part of an army of - occupation. - - It is, therefore, contrary to law and contrary to reason that these - 480,000,000 frs. are demanded from the country. - - Are we then going to vote this formidable war-tax? - - Assuredly if we listened only to our hearts we should reply: No, - no; 480,000,000 times no. - - For our hearts would tell us: - - We were a small nation, happy to live by its labour; we were an - honest little nation, having faith in treaties and believing in - honour; we were a confident little nation, and unarmed, when - suddenly, violently, Germany hurled two million men upon our - frontier, the greatest army that the world has ever seen, and she - told us: "Betray your given word; let our armies pass that I may - crush France, and I will give you gold." But Belgium replied: "Keep - your gold; I would rather die than live without honour." - - History will one day reveal the greatness of the action which - forever magnifies us in the eyes of the future. For nothing in the - annals of the past equals the sacrifice of this people, which, - having nothing to gain and all to lose, preferred to lose all in - order that honour should be saved, and deliberately cast herself - into an abyss of distress, but also of glory. - - The German army thus invaded the country in violation of solemn - treaties. - - "It is an injustice," said the Chancellor of the Empire; "the - destinies of the Empire forced us to commit it; but we shall repair - the wrong done to Belgium by the passage of our armies...." - - This, then, is how they mean to repair that wrong: - - Germany will pay---- - - But no! Belgium will pay Germany 480,000,000 frs.! Vote this money! - -As a matter of penal legislation, the Germans have systematically -ignored Article 48, as is proved by the eloquent protest of the -President of the Bar of Brussels. - -Yet another typical instance of the manner in which Germany disregards -our laws. At Aerschot the Germans provisionally invested a German, Herr -Ronnewinkel, who had inhabited the district for several years, with the -functions of Burgomaster. On the 6th November, 1914, they proclaimed -him permanently burgomaster. - -Here was a German appointed burgomaster by the will of the district -commander, although by the terms of the law only a Belgian appointed -by the Government could be burgomaster. Moreover, they did the same at -Andenne. The communal autonomy of which Belgium was so proud was thus -trampled underfoot. - -We see, then, that in despite of Articles 43 and 48 of the Hague -Convention and Article 67 of their own _Usages of War_ the Germans have -shown no respect whatever for the legislation in force. We cite here -only the most flagrant of these illegalities, those which any person of -common sense can understand and judge. - - ARTICLE 44. - - _A belligerent is forbidden to compel the inhabitants of territory - occupied by it to furnish information about the army of the other - belligerent, or about its means of defence._ - -This article was not accepted by Germany; she remains faithful to her -_Usages of War_: Article 53, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraphs, and applies -their principles with extreme severity. - -Nothing better illustrates the severity with which the Germans -act than the little manual of conversation which terminates the -_Tornisterwörterbuch_, published by the Mentor publishing house in -Schöneberg, Berlin. It is a small dictionary, costing 60 pfennigs, -and intended, as the title indicates, to be carried in the soldier's -knapsack. The French dictionary and the English are conceived according -to the same method; after information concerning the country in -question they give a summary of the rules of grammar; then comes the -dictionary properly so-called, with phonetic pronunciation; finally, -a few common phrases, which to us are the most interesting part of -the book, since their choice naturally reflects the requirements of -those expected to employ them. Here are a few passages from paragraph -4: _Service of Outposts and Patrols_. In each passage we copy all the -phrases without exception, so as to avoid misrepresenting the spirit of -the work; and this spirit, as will be seen, is ferocious. The volume is -not dated; but the 42nd edition, from which we quote, describes (p. 44) -the French campaigning uniform of 1912. These phrases were therefore -printed at least five years after the second Hague Conference (18th -October, 1907). They show clearly that the acts of cruelty committed -by the patrols against those who refused to betray their country were -not improvised by the cavalry taking part in these reconnaissances, but -were systematically premeditated. - - P. 175-- - - Silence! Speak only when I question you! - You seem to me a suspicious person. - Where is your pocket-book? - I must search it. - Remain here for the moment. - At the first attempt at flight you will be shot. - Sir, where does this road lead? - - P. 176-- - - Is this village occupied by the French? - When did the troops arrive there? - What is roughly their composition? - Roughly? Two or three companies? - How many officers, roughly speaking? - Have they any artillery? - How many guns? - Have you seen cavalry too? - Tell us the truth. The least lie might cost you your life! - - P. 177-- - - Has the village been placed in a state of defence? - Are there no cross-roads leading to the windmill? - Remain by my horse. - On the first attempt at flight, or if you try to mislead - me, I shall send a bullet after you. - Stop here! I will call the miller myself. - Hey! Miller! - Have any French troops passed this way? - You lie! Here are visible traces, and quite fresh ones. - -A little manual of conversation costing 20 -pfennigs--_Deutsch-Französischer-Soldaten-Sprachführer_, by Captain S. -Th. Hoasmann, is conceived on the same lines. Here are a few examples. -The soldier, making a reconnaissance, declares: "Speak the truth or you -will be killed!" In the chapter on "Posts and Telegraphs" we find the -phrase: "It is forbidden (on pain of death) to send telegrams." And the -sentinel should be able to say: "If you lie you will be shot," etc. - - ARTICLE 50. - - _No collective penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted - upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which - it cannot be regarded as collectively responsible._ - -This article proclaims the principle that in no case must the innocent -suffer with the guilty, nor in their place. We have already seen that -our enemies oppose this idea; they maintain that the innocent should -suffer with the guilty, and even that if one cannot lay hands on the -guilty one may punish the innocent in their place (p. 84). It was by -the application of this German principle of collective punishment that -Louvain, Dinant, Termonde, and other towns were burned. - -The placard of 1st October, 1914, clearly displays the German -mentality; it states that villages will be punished without mercy, -whether guilty or not. - - NOTICE. - - On the evening of the 25th September the railway and telegraph - lines were destroyed between Lovenjoul and Vestryck. In consequence - of which the two localities mentioned were, on the morning of the - 30th September, called to account and forced to supply hostages. - - In future the localities nearest the spot at which such acts have - been committed--no matter whether they are guilty of complicity - or not--will be punished without pity. To this end hostages have - been taken from all localities adjacent to railway lines threatened - by such attacks, and at the first attempt to destroy the railway - lines, or telegraph or telephone wires, they will immediately be - shot. - - Moreover, all troops charged with the protection of railways have - received orders to shoot any person approaching railway lines or - telephone or telegraph wires in a suspicious manner. - - THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL IN BELGIUM, - BARON VON DER GOLTZ, - _General Field-Marshal_. - - BRUSSELS, _1st October, 1914_. - -Fully to appreciate the horrible nature of this placard we must recall -the fact that during the siege of Antwerp (which terminated only on -the 9th) Belgium patrols were penetrating into the midst of the German -troops, venturing thirty-five miles and more from Antwerp, their -mission being to harass the enemy's communications and to destroy the -railways and the telegraph and telephone line. It was one of these -bodies of Belgian cyclists which cut the railway and telegraph line -between Louvain and Tirlemont on 25th September, 1914. Von der Goltz -was evidently aware that this destruction was a perfectly legitimate -military operation, so that his placard was intended simply to -embarrass our military authorities by showing them that in defiance -of all justice Germany intended to hold the Belgian civilians -responsible for the activity of our army. In short, instead of saying -"no matter whether these localities are guilty of complicity or not," -von der Goltz would have given a greater proof of sincerity had he -said, "although I know that these localities are in no way guilty of -complicity." - -Here are two other placards, printed in Germany, which show plainly -that it is according to a system that our oppressors hold the entire -community responsible for the act committed by a single person; or -rather, as we shall see, for the acts of the Belgian army. - - PLACARD PRINTED IN GERMAN, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, AND POLISH, SURROUNDED - BY A BORDER OF THE GERMAN COLOURS. - - NOTICE. - - Any person who shall have damaged a military telephone or telegraph - will be shot. - - Any person removing this notice will also receive the severest - punishment. If the guilty person is not found, the severest - measures will be taken against the commune in which the damage has - been caused or the present notice removed. - - THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE ARMY CORPS. - - (_Posted at Bieghem, copy made 22nd October, 1914._) - - NOTICE. - - All damage done to the Telegraph, Telephone, or Railway lines will - be punished by the Military Court. According to the circumstances, - the guilty person will be condemned to death. - - If the guilty person is not seized the severest measures will be - taken against the commune in which the damage has been done, - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - Printed by H. A. Heymann, Berlin, S.W. - - (_Posted at Tervueren, copy made 15th April, 1915._) - -Very frequently the penalties with which the community is threatened -are not specified in these placards. One may suppose that it would -consist of a fine; this is indeed the punishment most frequently -applied, doubtless because it is the most productive. Here are some -examples, for cutting the telegraph wires, various localities in -Flanders were forced to pay fines in December 1914. - -The military chest does not lack for money; for in a garrison command a -fine may be inflicted more readily than elsewhere. Here is an example. -An officer was choosing some music in a shop; and found, amidst a heap -of pieces of music, a copy of the _Marseillaise_. Now it has never -been stated that one must not possess the _Marseillaise_. Result: the -shopkeeper was condemned to pay a fine of 500 marks or to twenty days' -imprisonment. "I prefer the imprisonment," said the unfortunate man. -"But, my good fellow, you can avoid going to prison! Pay the fine!" "I -know, but I have not got 500 marks. I could only scrape together 150 -frs. at most." "All right, give them to me!" - - * * * * * - - -_Fines for Telegraphic Interruptions._ - -The military chest is also replenished by the fines paid because the -telegraph and telephone do not work properly. Now it has often happened -during the last six weeks that communication has been obstructed in -Flanders. The smallest communes have been forced to pay fines. - -Here is a brief list of such fines: - - Gand 100,000 marks - Ledebourg 5,000 " - Destelbergen 30,000 " - Schellebelle 50,000 " - Sweveghem 4,900 " - Winckel Sainte-Croix 3,000 " - Wachtebeke 3,000 " - - _(N.R.C._, 30th January, 1915, evening edition.) - - -_Fines for "Attacks by Francs-tireurs."_ - -We may observe, in passing, that in September 1914 the accusation--the -accusation, we say, not the offence--of having allowed a telegraph -wire to deteriorate was punished, in Brussels, by a stoppage of the -telephone service; but in December the Germans preferred to fill -their treasury. The same observation is true of Mons and Bilsen; the -accusation of "francs-tireurs," which in September 1914 would have -ended in a massacre of the inhabitants and the burning of the town, -was in October the motive for a tax of 100,000 frs. At that time it no -longer seemed essential to terrorize; the Germans no longer required -blood, but money. - - ON BEHALF OF THE GERMAN MILITARY AUTHORITIES. - - WARNING. - - The City of Mons has been forced to pay a tax of 100,000 frs. - because a private person fired upon a German soldier. - - (_Posted at Louvain._) - -And indeed it is money that is demanded everywhere--5,000 frs. from the -commune of Grenbergen, near Termonde, because an inhabitant allowed -his pigeons to fly. 5,000,000 frs. was required of Brussels because -a police agent maltreated a German spy (p. 157). It was with a money -fine that Mons was threatened should an Englishman be discovered on its -soil (placard posted at Mons, 6th November, 1914), and the city of Mons -and the province of Hainaut if any inhabitant retained for his own use -any benzine or a motor-bicycle (placard posted at Mons, 6th October, -1914). At Seraing, in February 1915, it was again money that was -demanded, because a bomb had burst within the limits of the commune. -The more surely to obtain the sum, a few hostages were imprisoned, with -the promise that they would be sent to a fortress in Germany if the -communal treasury did not pay their ransom; but the hostages themselves -advised the commune to refuse. The Germans, fearing to be left in the -lurch, reduced their demands by half; finally, having obtained nothing, -they released the hostages. Singular justice, to regulate its penalties -not by the gravity of the offence, but according to the temper of the -victims! We are waiting for the German newspapers to publish a schedule -of penalties as affected by the docility of the victims and the season. - -Here is an amusing instance of a penalty which was inflicted upon -Antwerp. When the Germans posted up a statement that they had captured -52,000 Russians and 400 guns in Eastern Prussia, a playful citizen -replaced the first letter of _Russians_ in the Flemish text by an M -and concealed the two first letters of _canonen_. The new version -announced that the Germans had captured 52,000 sparrows and 400 nuns. -The Germans were annoyed and imposed a fine of 25,000 frs. on the city. -At Tirlemont, where the same pleasantry was perpetrated, the Germans -contented themselves with making vague threats. - -The adventure of Eppeghem also deserves to be told in a few words. - -In November 1914 a German soldier walking in the country fired at a -hare or a pigeon. An officer turned up and questioned the soldier. As -all sport is reserved for officers, the soldier, to avoid punishment, -threw the blame on to the peasants. The matter was referred to -Brussels, and on the following day officers arrived with forty Uhlans. -A fine of 10,000 frs. was inflicted on the commune. - -Some women living in a house which had by chance remained standing, -near the field in which the soldier had fired, asserted that no -inhabitant had fired a shot, but that they had seen the soldier fire. -No one listened to them. "We must have 10,000 frs., and at once." But -in this village, ruined from end to end, where scarcely a house was -habitable, from which all the men had been deported into Germany, -there was no means of collecting such a sum of money. "Since that is -so, hostages will be taken," said the officers. The Uhlans organized a -hunt, and seized the curé and three laymen, the only ones they could -find; and even of these one was an inhabitant of Vilverde, who had -obligingly been acting as a citizen policeman at Eppeghem. They were -taken to Brussels, but on passing through Vilverde the inhabitant of -that place was released, owing to the protests of his fellow-citizens. -After ten days' imprisonment Baron von der Goltz, finding that there -was nothing to be extracted from the communal treasury of Eppeghem, -and that the curé and his two parishioners were being kept and fed at -a loss, set them at liberty. - - -_Hostages_ - -The taking of hostages is also in flagrant opposition to the provisions -of Article 50, but in conformity with the German _Usages of War_. The -hostage guarantees with his own life that his fellow-citizens, with -whom he has no influence, shall faithfully execute the orders of the -German authorities. - -The first care of enemy troops arriving in any locality is always to -demand the provision of hostages; these are usually the curé, the -burgomaster, the notary, the schoolmaster, and a few other notables. -We may recall Liége, where the bishop, Mgr. Rutten, was taken hostage; -Spa, Louvain, Charleroi, Gand, and Mons. In Brussels they demanded the -delivery of 100 hostages, but afterwards withdrew the demand. - -As to the fate which awaits the hostages if the German army is -attacked, it is plainly stipulated in the proclamations: they will be -shot, "without previous judicial formalities." Thus, it would have been -enough for a Belgian patrol to renew its usual activities near Forest, -and two hostages would have immediately been shot "without previous -judicial formalities." - - GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - - TO THE PEOPLE OF FOREST. - - Despite my repeated warnings attacks have again been made during - the last few days by the civil population of the neighbourhood - against German troops, and also upon the railway between Brussels - and Mons. - - By the order of the Military Governor-General of Brussels each - locality must consequently provide hostages. - - Thus at Forest the following are arrested: - - (1) M. Vanderkindere, Communal Councillor. - (2) M. le curé François. - - I proclaim that these hostages will immediately be shot without - previous judicial formalities if any attack occurs on the part of - the population upon our troops or the railway lines occupied by us, - and that moreover the most severe reprisals will be carried out - against the commune of Forest. - - I request the population to keep calm and to refrain from all - violence; in this case it will not suffer the slightest harm. - - THE COMMANDANT OF THE LANDSTURM, - HALBERSTADT BATTALION, - VON LESSEL. - - FOREST, _26th September, 1914_. - -If hostages try to escape they will be hanged and their village burned. - - WARNING. - - As fresh attempts at assassination have been made upon persons - forming part of the German army I have had persons from many - localities arrested as hostages. These will guarantee with their - lives that no inhabitant will again dare to commit a malevolent - action against German soldiers or attempt to damage the railway, - telegraph or telephone line, or other objects useful to the - operations of our army. - - Persons not belonging to the army surprised in committing such - actions will be shot or hanged. The hostages of the surrounding - localities will suffer the same fate. I shall then have the - neighbourhood burned to the last house, even if important towns - are in question. If the hostages attempt to escape the locality to - which they belong will be burned, and if captured the hostages will - be hanged. - - All inhabitants who give proof of their goodwill toward our troops - are assured of the safety of their lives and property. - - THE COMMANDANT ENTRUSTED WITH THE - PROTECTION OF THE RAILWAYS, - FREIHERR VON MALZAHN. - - (_Posted at Spa, Aywaille, Châtelineau.... 17th August, 1914._) - -We do not know if hostages were shot or hanged in Belgium. But in the -north of France, according to a military correspondent of the _K.Z._, -at least one hostage was killed; this assassination was the more -criminal in that it punished not a hostile act of the inhabitants, but -a perfectly normal and regular operation of war: a bombardment. - - A WAR PICTURE. - - ... A château stands beside the highway, at the back of a courtyard - protected by a French spear-headed railing. It is intact, and - shelters the staff of an infantry regiment. Facing it is the ruined - façade of an incredibly pretentious building on whose pediment - sprawls in letters of gold the one word, "Bank." Beside it is a - wholesale corn-chandler's and a wholesale wine-merchant's. All - this belonged to a single man. It was necessary to shoot him as - hostage, because the French were persisting, despite all warnings, - in throwing shells into the neighbourhood. In the wine-cellars - stores of unexpected importance were found; according to the - estimates there are more than half a million litres of red and - white wine of very good quality. A great part of the wine was - pumped out of the tanks and received, like an old acquaintance, by - the comrades far and near. - - The rich man of this quarter of the town had a companion who was - more lucky, who in due time sought safety in flight. - - (_K.Z._, 21st February, 1915.) - -A very curious case of the punishment of innocent people in the case -of "guilty" ones is the following: On the 7th October, 1914, the -Germans posted statements that the militia-men of the occupied regions -could not rejoin the Belgian army, and that in case of disobedience -the young men would expose themselves to the risk of being sent into -Germany as prisoners of war. So far, nothing illegal. But the placard -then declared that in case of the departure of any militia-man his -family would be held responsible. Now, how are the parents guilty, -if their son intends at all costs to fulfil his obligations to his -native country? On the 30th December, 1914, there was an aggravation of -this measure: the burgomasters also were to be punished. On the 28th -January, 1915, a new notice appeared: all Belgians between the ages -of sixteen and forty years were to be regarded as capable of military -service. So when a man of forty goes to join the Belgian army the -members of his family will be punished! Truly the notice might have -stated whether children would be punished for not preventing their -father's departure! - -Have there been cases of repression? The _N.R.C._ states that at -Hasselt the Germans actually arrested the fathers and mothers of the -young men who escaped. - -The _Tijd_ learns from Ruremonde: - - At Hasselt and in the neighbourhood the Germans have hunted down - the fathers of those young men who, liable to be called to the - colours, have been able, in spite of strict prohibition and active - supervision, to enter Holland, there to pass through England and - France with the intention of eventually joining the army. - - But as soon as they heard that the fathers were being arrested, - these latter also crossed the frontier, and the Germans found that - a great many birds had flown. - - They did not stop then: the mothers were arrested in their place. - - At the same time the Germans made it known that all these people - would be transferred to the well-known camp at Münster, and - warned the women to provide themselves with as much body-linen as - possible. The whole of the little town was in consternation. Later - arrived a telegram from General von Bissing, announcing that the - departure for Münster was postponed for a week, and the prisoners - were taken to Tongres. - - (_N.R.C._, 3rd February, 1915.) - -A last example of punishment inflicted upon the innocent, when the -"guilty" person had already suffered punishment. A Belgian, having made -signals to the enemy (that is, to the Belgian army), was killed while -being arrested. Immediately the curé and the vicar were sent to Germany -as being responsible for the members of their parish. - - IMPORTANT NOTICE. - - Alidor Vandamme, inhabitant of Cortemarck, committed espionage by - making signals to the enemy. Resisting arrest, he was killed by a - rifle-bullet. - - The German authority has taken the following measures of coercion - in consequence of the crime committed by Vandamme: - - 1. The curé Blancke and the vicar Barra, responsible for the - members of their parish, will be deported as prisoners of war to - Germany. - - 2. The commune of Cortemarck must pay a fine of five thousand marks - (5,000 M.). - - (_Posted at Thielt_, _Termonde_, _etc._) - -This iniquity was not enough for the German authorities: they -advertised it all through Flanders (we copied it at Thielt and -Termonde), and forced _Le Bien Public_ to give it publicity. Through -lack of conscience or insolence? - - -_Contributions and Requisitions._ - - ARTICLE 51. - - _No contribution shall be collected except under a written order, - and on the responsibility of a General in command._ - - _The collection of the said contribution shall only be effected - in accordance, as far as is possible, with the legal basis and - assessment of taxes in force at the time._ - - _For every contribution a receipt shall be given to the - contributories._ - - ARTICLE 52. - - _Requisitions in kind and services shall not be demanded from local - authorities or inhabitants except for the needs of the army of - occupation. They shall be in proportion to the resources of the - country, and of such a nature as not to involve the inhabitants in - the obligation of taking part in military operations against their - own country. Such requisitions and services shall only be demanded - on the authority of the commander in the locality occupied._ - - _Contributions in kind shall as far as possible be paid for in - ready money: if not, a receipt shall be given and the payment of - the amount due shall be made as soon as possible._ - -The last paragraph of Article 23, already cited, in reality presupposes -that passage in Article 52 which forbids the occupant to force the -inhabitants to do work which would assist operations directed against -their country (p. 112). - -Among the forms of contribution included in Article 49 we must -give first place to that which fixes the value of the mark. The -_Düsseldorfer Zeitung_ of the 4th September announces that the military -commander of the occupied portion of Belgium and France fixed the value -of 100 marks at 130 frs. And indeed placards posted at Charleroi, -Saint-Trond, Namur, and Liége required the Belgians to accept German -marks at this exaggerated tariff, which has caused certain of our -merchants to lose considerable sums. - - PROCLAMATION. - - The circulation of German money having given rise to perplexities, - _the value of the German mark has been fixed at 130 centimes_. - - The attention of the public is called to the fact that all German - paper money must be accepted in financial transactions at the same - rate as German coin. - - THE GOVERNOR. - _The 25th August, 1914._ - - (_Posted at Liége._) - -The fraudulent intention in this measure was only too evident. A month -later Baron von der Goltz made it known that until further notice the -mark was to be valued at the lowest at 1 fr. 25 (placard of the 3rd -October, 1914). In reality the mark was worth only 1 fr. 08 to 1 fr. -15, so that the Belgians naturally endeavoured to refuse German notes; -whereupon fresh placards were exhibited, compelling their acceptance -(placards of the 4th and 15th November, 1914). We must mention an -unhappy phrase in a placard posted at Mons; it states that the mark -must be accepted _at the actual value of the coin_, and further on -fixes this value at 1 fr. 25, which is obviously incorrect. - - -_Contributions demanded from the Cities._ - -Let us now consider the pecuniary contributions demanded from the -cities. The most important were: Liége, 20 million frs.; Namur, 32 -millions; Antwerp, 40 millions; Brussels, 45 millions. The discussions -excited by this last contribution are extremely instructive; they -have been reported by the _N.R.C._ We learn how the Germans violated, -successively, all the different agreements which they concluded with -the city; finally they imposed a fine of 5 millions, which enabled -them, in spite of everything, to complete the sum of 50 millions which -they had promised themselves they would extort from the capital. - - CONTRIBUTION IMPOSED UPON BRUSSELS. - - FROM ONE OF OUR WAR CORRESPONDENTS - - ... In the course of this journey I once more heard people speaking - of the reasons which resulted in the city of Brussels being fined - the sum of fifty millions of francs, as every one knows. What I - relate here I had from one of the most eminent members of the - magistracy:-- - - At the time of their entry here, the Germans demanded fifty - millions from the city, and--don't cry out at this--450 millions - from the province of Brabant. The communal council of Brussels - tried to demonstrate that the city could not pay this tax, and that - the tax imposed on the province was utterly exorbitant, seeing - that Brabant, which draws on the budget for an annual sum of five - to six millions, employed this money before it was paid, and could - not, therefore, pay a fine, since the province had first to provide - for its expenditure.... Having discussed the matter at great - length, the Germans finally released Brabant from this war-tax, - and at the same time gave the communal council a week to find the - fifty millions, during which period they would suspend all other - requisitions. - - Burgomaster Max then had posted the well-known placard announcing - that for the coming week no requisitions whatever would be made by - the German authorities. - - But on the following day the burgomaster was called upon to justify - his action, and although he produced the written convention before - the new Governor of the city, the latter gave him to understand - that his predecessor might possibly have granted such a delay, - but that he, being of superior rank, did not recognize the clause - at issue. Fresh negotiations were commenced, and it was at last - arranged that twenty millions should be paid in five instalments of - four millions each. Four of these instalments were punctually paid, - and the fifth was about to be paid, when Max was summoned by the - Governor, who asked him what his arrangements were concerning the - remaining thirty millions. - - Max did not conceal his extreme surprise, stating that he fully - understood that the remainder of the tax had been remitted, and - that the twenty millions constituted the whole amount. - - The German Governor was by no means of this opinion, and demanded - the remaining thirty millions. Thereupon Max immediately sent an - order to the bank to suspend payment of the last four millions, - which were ready for payment, until he was certain that the Germans - would accept them as the final instalment. There was then on either - side an equal degree of obstinacy. The Governor maintained that Max - was breaking his engagements; Max, on the other hand, maintained - that the Germans had failed to keep their word. The result was - that the burgomaster was arrested, and he is at the present moment - imprisoned in a fortress at Glatz in Silesia. - - The communal council was then warned that it would be deprived - of its functions, and that the Germans would take over the - administration of the city if the war-tax was not paid. - - There were again interminable negotiations, and it was arranged - that in all forty-five millions should be paid. - - The sum was paid. Still the Germans wanted to get hold of the five - remaining millions, so a police agent who had shown lack of respect - for an officer was condemned to five years' imprisonment, while - Brussels was fined five million francs. - - One might ask whether, if the Germans continue to act in this - fashion, the city of Brussels will be forced to pay a fine each - time one of its functionaries is guilty of offence: for it is - impossible that the city can control all its employés. - - In this case the German officer who was insulted was in civilian - clothes. Now to a complaint of the communal council the Governor - had replied, some time previously, that there were no secret agents - at work in civilian clothing; so that the police agent could not - have known that he was dealing with an officer, since the latter - was not in uniform. - - It may be imagined that lively protests were made, but once more - the Germans threatened to assume the direction of the commune - if the sum was not paid by the 10th November at latest; so, - although the council presented a memorandum on the affair, it was - nevertheless forced to pay in order to pursue its mission in peace. - - (_N.R.C._, 9th November, 1914.) - - -_Exactions of a Non-commissioned Officer._ - -Fines without rhyme and reason, and exorbitant war contributions have -become so normal and so customary that the Germans have finally learned -to exploit the situation. The _N.R.C._ for the 21st May, 1915, reported -that the Council of War in Coblenz had condemned to eighteen months' -imprisonment the non-commissioned officer Garternich, who had demanded -from several occupied Belgian communes a war contribution of 3 frs. -per head, and had thus acquired, for his own personal profit, a sum of -27,393 frs. Does not this simple fact reveal the habitual squeezing to -which our poor country is subjected? Eighteen months' imprisonment for -having emptied the communal treasuries already officially despoiled by -the authorities--that truly is not much; especially when we compare -this sentence with those pronounced upon the communes when a telegraph -wire breaks down: the threat of burning a whole neighbourhood or a -formidable fine. - - -_Requisitions of Raw Materials and Machinery._ - -_Requisitions may only be demanded_, says Article 52, _for the needs -of the army of occupation_. Now our enemies have removed from Belgium -enormous quantities of raw material, and machinery which evidently -cannot be of use to the army of occupation (see _Belg. Allem._, pp. -113, 116, 117). What can the army do with raw cotton, wools, spun -cotton, nickel, jute, etc.? It can be of use only to the industries of -Germany, paralysed by the suppression of the mercantile marine. Among -these requisitions are included machine-tools for the manufacture of -shells (notably those removed from the national arsenal at Herstal and -the royal cannon foundry at Liége), and metals, such as copper, which -are indispensable to the manufacture of munitions; so that the articles -which have been taken from us, contrary to Article 52 of the Hague -Convention, subscribed to by Germany, are thus directly employed in -fighting against us. - -The Germans cannot pretend that these requisitions of machinery -were made by over-zealous officers ignorant of the laws, for Baron -von Bissing himself, in his quality of Governor-General, signed -the proclamation of the 17th February ordering the despatch of our -machine-tools to Germany. Moreover, in Berlin even people are perfectly -aware of these requisitions, and of their destination (_N.R.C._, 22nd -February, 1915, morning edition). - -We must insist on the fact that all these raw materials of industry, -all this machinery, etc., is not bought, but requisitioned. There is -here no case of a commercial transaction, nor even an expropriation; -for we have no redress against the decision arrived at in Berlin as to -the prices which will be paid after the war. It is a theft, to express -the matter in a word. - -_Requisitions in kind and in services ... shall be in proportion to the -resources of the country_, says Article 52; which evidently means that -requisitions must not exhaust the country to the point of jeopardizing -the lives of the inhabitants. If this stipulation had been respected -we should not have to deplore the famine which is ravaging our country, -and to which we shall return later on. - -We shall confine ourselves--in order to give some idea of the excessive -and inhuman manner in which requisitions have been made--to referring -the reader to certain articles written by eye-witnesses, particularly -those who have seen what has happened near the frontier, and at Gand. -It will at once be recognized that the requisitions made exceed that -which the inhabitants can reasonably provide (see _N.R.C._, 10th -January, 1915, morning; 23rd January, 1915, morning; 16th January, -1915, evening; 30th January, 1915, evening; 12th January, 1915, -morning; 22nd December, 1914, evening). - -The Germans have always taken good care to demand wine. They demanded -enormous quantities in the little villages of the Campine of Limburg -(_N.R.C._, 15th January, 1915). Elsewhere they took for their own use -all the cellars of the wine-merchants and the inhabitants, without -allowing the latter to make use of them (see _Belg. Allem._, p. 118). - -A last point as to requisitions. They shall _as far as possible be paid -for in ready money; if not, a receipt shall be given_. - -Very often no receipt has been given to the owners of property taken. -Elsewhere the receipts are fantastical and valueless. - -It is the truth that those who do receive vouchers are requested -to satisfy themselves of their accuracy, but this prescription is -obviously a dead letter. Imagine, on the one hand, a peasant, Fleming -or Walloon, terrorized into a condition of helplessness, and incapable -of reading a voucher scrawled in German; and on the other, soldiers -whose customary arguments are shooting and burning. - - ARTICLE 53. - - _An army of occupation shall only take possession of cash, funds, - and realizable securities which are strictly the property of the - State, depôts of arms, means of transport, stores and supplies, - and, generally, all movable property belonging to the State which - may be used for military operations...._ - -From the very first days of the occupation the Germans, in defiance -of law and justice, seized upon the communal treasuries and the funds -deposited in the branch establishments of the National Bank, the -post offices, etc. They were obliged to recognize the justice of the -protests made by the Belgian Government; but their love of pillage is -incorrigible; on entering Gand, on Monday, the 12th October, their -first care was to lay hands on the 1,800,000 (£72,000) contained in the -communal treasury. - -According to Article 55 the Germans had no right to remove the -furniture of the Ministries of Brussels (p. 134), since this property -was not of a kind to be useful in military operations. - - ARTICLE 55. - - _The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and - usufructuary of public buildings, landed property, forests, and - agricultural undertakings belonging to the hostile State, and - situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of - such properties and administer them in accordance with the rules of - usufruct._ - -The German respect for legality did not restrain them from violating -this Article. From the very first days of the war they employed the -churches which they consented to leave standing as stables; on reaching -Liége they took possession of the Palais de Justice and made a -barracks of it. Why did they expel Justice? Herren Koester and Noske -tell us (p. 30), it was simply because the position is central and easy -to defend (see a photograph facing p. 32). They did not take account -of the fact that such employment of the building is doubly contrary -to the Hague Convention, since they did not respect the nature of the -monument, and exposed it to bombardment by Allied aviators on the -look-out for the German garrison. - -It was the same with the Palais de Justice of Brussels, which also -serves as a German barracks. To adapt it to its novel use, the soldiers -have destroyed a great part of the magnificent furnishings which -adorned the halls; the immediate surroundings have been fortified, -and the cupola serves by night as a station for signalling to -dirigibles. In short, all preparations have been made with a view to -the bombardment of Poelaert's masterpiece by the Allies. - -It is obviously with the idea of preventing their adversaries from -attacking them that they take up their quarters in our monuments; these -are to serve them as artistic bucklers, just as our compatriots are -employed as living bucklers. - -The violations of Article 55 are past counting. We will confine -ourselves to mentioning a few in Brussels; they will give us some idea -of the diversity of the transformations which our property has suffered -at German hands. The offices of the Ministries are transformed into -bedrooms for officers. The Palais des Académies has become a military -hospital; God knows in what condition we shall find its libraries. -In the Parc Royal of Brussels, in the centre of the city, they have -installed an automobile depôt, a riding-track, and a rifle range; on -the 28th October a shot fired from this range wounded a lady through -the windows of the Schlobach _magasin_ in the Rue Royale. - - ARTICLE 56. - - _The property of local authorities, as well as that of institutions - dedicated to public worship, charity, education, and to science - and art, even when State property, shall be treated as private - property._ - - _Any seizure or destruction of, or wilful damage to, institutions - of this character, historic monuments and works of science and art, - is forbidden, and should be made the subject of legal proceedings._ - -The first paragraph of this Article has been scrupulously observed; -the property of the communes, etc., has indeed been treated as private -property has been treated: the latter has everywhere been sacked and -looted, and the Germans have done the same to collective property. - -As to the intentional character of these acts of vandalism, it is -indubitable. How otherwise explain the fact that in numerous villages -the church has been the prey of the flames, in many cases even when -the surrounding houses have remained intact? A few examples will -suffice. The village of Haecht was occupied on the 19th and 20th -August. On the 24th the Belgians in Antwerp made a sortie which was -repulsed. The Germans, infuriated, shot 17 civilians and pillaged all -the houses, particularly remembering the wine in the cellars. Then the -inhabitants were expelled. A fresh sortie of the Belgians took place -from the 9th to the 13th September; at noon on the last day our troops -fell back; in the afternoon the Germans set fire to the church and 41 -houses. The strong-box of the church was broken open after the fire. -The destruction of the monument did not strike them as sufficient, -and they dynamited the whole on the 16th (or 17th) September. In -the neighbouring village of Werchter, after the battle of the 25th -and 26th August, they shot 6 civilians and burned 267 houses out of -the 513 which formed the village. After the second fight, on the -15th September, they burned the church. In both villages most of the -houses round the churches were spared; it will therefore be difficult -for the Germans to pretend, as at Louvain, that the burning of these -churches was an accident (_Brandunglück_) due to burning fragments -carried by the wind (p. 220). We have already (p. 73) noted another -more significant case, that of the chapel of the Béguinage of Termonde, -which was alone burned, in the centre of the Béguinage, not a dwelling -of which was touched. - - -_Conclusions--The Famine in Belgium._ - -Germany had need, in the conflict with France, of all the men who -passed through Belgium; also she could leave in Belgium only weak -garrisons of the Landsturm. To safeguard them against possible attack -on the part of the Belgian population, it was necessary to terrorize -the latter to such a point that it no longer dared to stir. Such was -the object of the carnage and incendiarism which marked the beginning -of the campaign, as was frankly admitted by Herr Walter Blöm, adjutant -to the Governor-General in Belgium (p. 84). No doubt the massacres of -Louvain, Andenne, Tamines, and Dinant, committed to order between the -19th and the 26th August, appeared insufficient, for a new series was -organized between the 4th and 13th September. - -At the news of this butchery a resounding cry of horror and indignation -went up from all the nations of the earth. That the Belgian Army, -on the field of battle, should have paid large tribute to the war -unloosed upon us by Germany--that was to be expected, but no one -would have dared to suppose that Germany, after participating in the -second Hague Conference, would display towards our civil population -such an implacable cruelty, such exterminating fury, as history has -never recorded since the Thirty Years' War. But facts are facts; one -must needs submit to the evidence; the German Army has destroyed our -treasures of art and science, has shot down in cold blood, often by -machine-gun fire, hosts of men, women, even old people and children; -it has ordered the burning of thousands of houses; it has turned whole -districts into deserts. - -Still, some semblance of motive was necessary; with a mathematical -regularity the pretext of "francs-tireurs" was alleged. "_Man hat -geschossen_"--that was enough; immediately the neighbourhood was given -over to massacre, pillage, and fire. Never was any inquiry made, no -matter how summary. Yet when it was desired to show a foreigner of -note--for example, Dr. Sven Hedin--how they proceeded in the matter of -punishing "francs-tireurs," a regular Council of War was constituted -... which brought in a verdict of _non-lieu_ (p. 78). We defy the -Germans to cite a single case in which a tribunal of this kind has sat -_before_ reprisals. In the few rare cases when witnesses, etc., have -been questioned the examination has taken place _after_ the firing of -houses and the shooting of inhabitants. This is why we declare without -the slightest reservation that _not one single attack by civilians_ has -been established by any kind of proof. - - -_The Flight of the Belgians._ - -The inhabitants of our towns and our countryside soon realized to -what they were exposing themselves if they awaited the arrival of -the Germans in their own homes. So, as the Germans advanced, a void -appeared before them. After the taking of Antwerp, the majority of -the peasants of the "Campine" of Antwerp fled in all haste toward -Holland. If to them we add the people of Antwerp, who had been driven -out by the bombardment, and above all the innumerable villages of -Brabant, Limburg, and the provinces of Liége and Antwerp, whose homes -had been pillaged and reduced to ashes, we shall not be astonished to -find that in October there were more than a million Belgian refugees -in Holland.[30] To our northern neighbours we owe our profoundest -gratitude for the fraternal manner in which they welcomed our -unfortunate compatriots. - - -_The Causes of the Famine._ - -The horror provoked by the butchery at Dinant, Aerschot, etc., -relegated to the background the purely material crimes. But these--the -pillage, methodically conducted, of our towns, villages, farms, -and châteaux--the outrageous requisitions of provisions and of the -raw material of industries--the formidable taxes which drain us -of coin--the fines which rain upon the communal administrations -and on private persons--and many other infractions of the Hague -Convention--have exercised on our economical life an extremely -depressing effect, but have produced no echo abroad: doubtless because -only those can understand the whole extent of our misery who daily rub -shoulders with the thousands of starving and unemployed people who drag -themselves from one end of the town to the other in quest of work that -is not to be found, or who mingle with the interminable files of women -who go in search of rations of bread and soup for their families. - -Let us briefly consider the principal causes of famine which prevails -in Belgium. - -1. Exaggerated requisitions, out of all proportion to the resources of -the country. They are of two kinds:-- - -Firstly, those which have emptied the country of grain, cattle, forage, -and other foodstuffs. - -Then the requisitions of the raw materials intended for the factories, -which have completely paralysed industry, especially in the Flanders. -One example will suffice. All the workshops of Termonde were burned -save one--the Escaut-Dendre establishment, which makes boots and shoes. -But the Germans sent into Germany both the leather and the shoes which -were in the warehouse. The factory is thus condemned to stand idle for -lack of raw material, and also for lack of funds. Those industries of -which the machinery has been removed are also, of course, doomed to -paralysis. The German authorities threaten to despoil our factories of -all the copper forming part of the machinery, which would reduce them -one and all to impotence. It is an ironical fact that this measure was -announced by a propagandist leaflet addressed to the Belgians. - -2. Having made a clean sweep of the greater portion of all that was -indispensable to us, the Germans have been careful to take our money -from us. Under every imaginable pretext, and often without any pretext -at all, they have imposed crushing taxes upon us. The regular payment -of these taxes showing that the public coffers were not yet quite -empty, the Germans hastened to impose fines upon us, which vary from 5 -frs. to 5 millions. The private banks, too, are threatened every moment -with the removal of a portion of their funds. - -3. It is needless to insist on a third cause, which reduces our -working-class families to idleness and poverty: the destruction of an -enormous number of factories--some bombarded, but most of them burned -of set purpose. - -4. We have already seen that many factories which remained intact are -condemned to inactivity by the lack of raw material, or because they -have been deprived of their machinery. The others are equally paralysed. - -The stoppage of traffic on the railway lines, the impediments of all -kinds placed in the way of inland navigation, the absence of maritime -navigation, are causes more than sufficient to prevent the importation -of raw materials and the exportation of manufactured products. Of all -these obstacles the most important is assuredly the suppression of -goods traffic on the railways. "Why," say the Germans, "do not Belgian -employés return to their work, since our military trains would in any -case be run by our own men?" Hypocrites! The slowness and irregularity -of the trains is highly inconvenient to the German army, and it would -much like to see them resume their normal speed; but for this it -requires the assistance of the Belgian staff. Is it not obvious that -if our railway-men resumed their labours they would at the same time -facilitate the transport of German troops and munitions? - -Let us again cite the prohibition of "circulation" between 8 or 9 -o'clock and 6 o'clock, which is an obstacle to night work, which is -quite indispensable to the large industries; and the suppression of the -special trains by which the workers travelled. - -5. Commerce has suffered no less than industry. There is no telegraph, -no telephone, no posting of closed letters; that is, no means of -sending or receiving orders. No railway, no horses, no motor-cars to -deliver goods or to supply customers. And, to cap all, the slightest -journey necessitates all sorts of exaggerated expenses: there is the -acquisition of a passport, the train journey at the rate of 10 cm. -per kilometre, hotel expenses, etc. The expenditure might be a minor -matter, but what of the waste of time? Before 1st July, 1915, any one -going from Liége to Brussels for business purposes had first of all to -waste one or two days in procuring his passport; the journey occupied -at least half a day; and after interviewing his client he would find -that there was no train back to Liége on the same day. In short, he -would have to allow four days for a journey which in normal times took -half a day. - - * * * * * - -Other causes of famine are: - -The scarcity and high cost of provisions. - -The financial difficulties in which the public powers are involved. - -The paralysis of industry and commerce, resulting in unemployment--that -is, in suppression of wages. - -In short, a diminution of resources, accompanied by an increase of -expenditure; so that the public coffers are almost powerless to come to -the aid of private distress. - -That is how we stand in Belgium. - -It is not our intention to depict the poignant distress which has -overwhelmed our country. We shall merely explain briefly how we try to -cope with it; this will suffice to give some idea of it. - - -_Creation of Temporary Shelters._ - -Let us first of all consider the country districts. Even when a few -houses only of a village have escaped incendiarism the inhabitants have -returned thither and have resumed their customary labours. Must they -not plough and sow, under penalty of preparing for themselves another -year of wretchedness? Where houses exist no longer they live in a -cellar, or an outhouse to which some kind of roof has been improvised; -families passed the winter of 1914-15 in a potato-silo,[31] under -the shelter of a few mats of straw. In the ruined villages the first -anxiety of the public powers and the relief committees was therefore to -provide provisional shelter. - -In the towns and industrial districts the most urgent necessities are -of another kind. What is lacking most particularly is employment. The -administrations have therefore set themselves to provide the unemployed -with paid occupations which do not demand apprenticeship--the clearing -of ruins, the levelling of soil, the digging of reservoirs, etc. -The communal coffers being empty, communal vouchers are issued. -_L'Événement Illustré_, in its fourth issue, gives reproductions of -some of these vouchers, of which, it states, there are more than -500. In the communes near Louvain, where the poverty is particularly -poignant, it has been necessary to create vouchers for 2 centimes (at -Wilsele) and 5 centimes (at Herent). - -From the outset stringent measures were taken to make up for the -insufficiency of provisions and to prevent speculators from obtaining -possession of existing stocks. The most important of these regulations -are the following:-- - - (_a_) Fixing of maximum prices. - - (_b_) Prohibition of the exportation of provisions from the commune. - - (_c_) It is forbidden to give animals provisions intended for human - beings. - - (_d_) Collective exploitation. Many communes have set up in - business as bakers, butchers, restaurant-keepers, coal merchants, - dealers in colonial produce, etc. They prepare bread and soup - daily, and these are provided gratuitously to the poorest, or - sold at a low price to those who still have a few savings. In the - Brussels district there had been distributed by the 31st January, - 1915, to adults, 30,060,608 rations, comprising soup and bread, - and to the children 932,838 rations, consisting chiefly of milk, - phosphatine, and powdered milk. - -Certain communes also sell meat; others have installed communal stores -for the sale of all kinds of provisions, especially preserved foods, -dried vegetables, salt, potatoes, etc.; almost everywhere coal is sold -retail; petroleum was sold as long as it could be obtained. Moreover, -the collectivities are distributing enormous quantities of clothes; in -the Brussels district alone by the end of January 660,865 frs. worth of -clothing and footwear had been given to the necessitous. Abuses have -as far as possible been guarded against, (1) by the "household card," -the _Carte de ménage_, which indicates the number of persons composing -each family; and (2) by the limitation of the quantity of each kind of -goods which the household can obtain during the week. - -The basis of alimentation is bread. Therefore particularly Draconian -rules have been elaborated for the bakeries. - - -_The National Relief Committee._ - -Many problems presented themselves simultaneously, and with an -extreme urgency. In all communes local committees have been set up, -entrusted with the equitable distribution of provisions among all the -inhabitants. We say "all the inhabitants," for the reader must not -form any illusions as to our condition: there is not a single Belgian -family which, if left to itself, could obtain its daily bread; the -general rationing to which the whole population is subjected makes rich -and poor equally dependent on the National Committee of Relief and -Alimentation. - -To organize the feeding of the public would have been a task above our -strength if Belgium, in her present distress, had been abandoned to -her own resources. But the misfortunes which have come upon us because -we could not consent to comply with the orders of a tyrannical and -perjured neighbour--the poverty which cripples us more completely day -by day, as requisitions, pillage, taxes, and fines deprive us of our -last resources--the massacres and the incendiarism which have turned -into deserts the most fertile and most densely peopled provinces -of Europe--the molestations and annoyances which have reduced to -unemployment a working population whose activity is proverbial--in -short, the unmerited misfortune which _Kultur_ has inflicted upon -us--all this has awakened, in all the civilized nations, a current of -sympathy and solidarity with poor Belgium. - -By Germany our country was condemned to perish of starvation. The -miracle which alone could save us has been effected by the charity -of Spain, Scandinavia, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand, -Australia, Canada, the Argentine Republic, Brazil, and, above all, -the United States. Since the month of November 1914 vessels laden -with provisions have been regularly leaving the American ports for -Rotterdam, whence the food is despatched, principally by means of -barges, into Belgium, and distributed, in the smallest villages even, -by the care of the National Committee of Relief and Alimentation. This -Committee is an extension throughout the whole country of a commission -which was formed early in September 1914 to succour the Brussels -district; it is under the patronage of their Excellencies the Marquis -of Villalobar, the Spanish Minister, and Mr. Brand Whitlock, the -United States Minister. In January and February 1915 the Committee was -induced to concern itself also with the country round Maubeuge, and the -Givet--Furnay--Sedan district. - -The mission of the National Committee is equitably to distribute relief -and provisions. But it does not itself collect these resources; as -they derive more particularly from the United States it is an American -Committee, the "Commission for Relief in Belgium," which undertakes -to collect and administer funds. It is the American Committee which -despatches to Rotterdam, from American ports, the steamers carrying -food and clothing. In each province the American Commission has a -delegate who supervises the distribution of provisions and relief; he -assures himself that nothing is diverted to the use of the German army. -The Commission for Relief in Belgium sits in London, its chairman being -Mr. Herbert Hoover. - - * * * * * - -A serious difficulty cropped up immediately. Foreign beneficence was -eager to aid the Belgians, but not, obviously, the butchers who occupy -our country. It was therefore necessary at all costs to prevent the -German army from seizing the provisions and subsidies despatched by -America. - -On the 16th October, 1914, the German authorities undertook to -exempt from all requisitions the provisions imported by the National -Committee. But this promise was promptly violated. The Germans, it is -true, did not requisition the wheat, but they did requisition the bread -made from that wheat. Moreover, they pretended that their engagement of -the 16th October, 1914, general as it was, did not affect Flanders, a -_territoire d'étape_ not subject to the Governor-General. This is the -effect of their letter of the 21st November, 1914. Up to the present -it has been impossible to get them to keep the engagements to which -they subscribed on the 16th October; for although they have extended to -cattle-foods the promise that nothing should be requisitioned by the -troops placed under the orders of the Governor-General--the _territoire -d'étape_ being thus excluded--they have, on the other hand, forced -the communes of Flanders to open grain markets, in which they make -purchases, thus continuing to impoverish the food-stores of the country. - -While they exclude Flanders from the region exempted from requisitions, -they take care not to breathe a word of this exemption in their own -newspapers. The _K.Z._, on the 4th January, and _Der Volksfreund_ -on the 5th declared that requisitions of foodstuffs were suspended -throughout Belgium. - -Despite the difficulties raised by the Germans, the National Committee -of Relief and Alimentation has rendered our country inestimable -services, which only those who have visited our towns and rural -districts and have seen the work of the local Committees can form any -conception. - -We borrow from the report of the Executive Committee for the month of -January 1915 (published in Brussels 15th February, 1915) a few figures -(_see_ table, p. 176) as to the distribution of relief during the month -of January. - -But the National Committee extends its beneficent action over many -departments which are not mentioned in this table. - -Here, according to the same report, is the list of these departments:-- - - I. Department of Alimentation (Foodstuffs). - II. Agricultural Section of the National Committee. - III. Relief Department: - 1. Subsidies to Provincial Committees. - 2. Construction of Refuges (100,000 frs. for Luxemburg) - 3. Organizations patronized: - A. Central Refugee Committee. - B. Assistance and support of families of officers and - under-officers deprived of their means of sustenance - by the war (first subvention 50,000 frs.). - C. Assistance and support of Belgian physicians and - druggists ruined by the war (first subsidy of - 10,000 frs.). - D. Assistance and support of artists (first subsidy - 10,000 frs.). - E. Assistance and support of infantile charities. - F. Assistance and support of destitute persons. - G. Assistance and support of the homeless (Accommodation - section). - H. Assistance and support of destitute churches (two - subsidies of 5,000 frs. each). - I. Assistance and protection of the unemployed. - J. Assistance and protection of lace-makers (subsidy - of 129,749 frs.). - K. Union of Belgian Towns and Communes. - L. Belgian Intelligence Agency for Prisoners of War - and Persons Interned (monthly subvention of - 3,000 frs.). - 4. Co-operative Society for Loans and Advances. - 5. Advances to Provinces and Communes. - 6. Clothing. - - -DISTRIBUTION OF FOODSTUFFS, CLOTHING, AND SUBSIDIES IN MONEY, IN THE -PROVINCES - -NATURE OF MERCHANDISE. - -_Quantities in Tons._ - -----------+------+------+----+-----+-----+----+---+-----+----+-------+--------- -Despatched|Wheat | Flour|Rice|Peas | Salt|Po- |Ba-|Maize|Sun-|Cloth- |Subsi- - or | | | |and | |ta- |con| |dry | ing | dies to -Remitted | | | |Beans| |toes| | | | (value|Provin - to-- | | | | | | | | | | in | cial - | | | | | | | | | |Francs)|Commit- - | | | | | | | | | | | tees (in - | | | | | | | | | | | France) -----------+------+------+----+-----+-----+----+---+-----+----+-------+--------- -Province | | | | | | | | | | | - of | | | | | | | | | | | - Antwerp | 3,525| 1,247| --| 126| --| 2| --| 713| --|100,880| 300,000 -Brussels | | | | | | | | | | | - and | | | | | | | | | | | - District | 3,371| 1,329| 13| 247| 6| --| --| 90| 82|379,058| 300,000 -Brabant | 2,962| 1,486| --| 31| 116| 4| 24| 548| 57|101,916| -- -Western | | | | | | | | | | | - Flanders | 542| 519| 59| 48| 20| --| --| --| 23| 41,059| 170,000 -Eastern | | | | | | | | | | | - Flanders | 4,419| 1,982| 37| 46| 4| --| 3|1,120| 14| --| 300,000 -Hainaut | 5,602| 3,739| 258| 350| --| 74| --| 181| 293| 81,493| 550,000 -Liége | 3,356| 1,242| --| 5| --| --| --| 200| 80| 4,860| 280,000 -Limburg | 1,539| 1,466| 11| --| --| 22| --| 200| 35| 41,477| 160,000 -Luxemburg | 209| 853| 1| 58| --| --| --| --| --| 16,656| 160,000 -Namur | 1,011| 346| --| 60| --| --| --| 150| 89| 95,307| 203,000 - General | | | | | | | | | | | - Stock, | | | | | | | | | | | - Brussels | 446| 119| --| 8|2,268| 38| --| --| 239| --| -- -Various | | | | | | | | | | | - Charities| --| --| --| --| --| --| --| --| --| 9,687| -- -----------+------+------+----+-----+-----+----+---+-----+----+-------+--------- -Totals |27,476|14,338| 359| 979|2,414| 140| 27|3,202| 912|822,379|2,423,000 -----------+------+------+----+-----+-----+----+---+-----+----+-------+--------- - -Since the month of January 1915 the National Committee has not ceased -to extend its activities. But it is impossible to give more precise -data. The German authorities no longer permit the Committee to publish -its reports. In their dry, official manner they show us only too -clearly what we are to think of the present "prosperity" of Belgium and -the "normal state of the situation." - - * * * * * - -It will be seen that the activities of the National Committee are -fruitful and extensive. But more and more money is required, as savings -are exhausted and as the public coffers are emptied by the Germans. - -In January 1915 the Sovereign Pontiff surrendered the Belgian -contribution to Peter's Pence. - -As 40 million frs. per month (£1,600,000) is being paid to the Germans, -poverty is rapidly increasing. The number of Belgians deprived of -all resources and obliged to live entirely on charity had risen by -February to 1,500,000. It was estimated that by June it would be -2,500,000, or more than one-third of the total population. In February -the nourishment of this famishing host already demanded 10 million frs. -(£400,000) per month; soon it will demand 12 to 13 millions. In this -conjuncture Mr. Hoover, the President of the American Commission, went -begging to the British Government, which promised £100,000 per month -provided Germany would cease to make requisitions in Flanders and levy -the tax of 40 millions. Germany refused. How will it end? - - -_Belgium's Gratitude to America._ - -Belgium knows that she owes her relief to the United States. Without -American charity our country would perish in the distress into which -the German exactions have plunged her. No one in Belgium will ever -forget this, and it is in the name of the whole nation that King Albert -has publicly thanked America. - -It was in sign of homage, and also of gratitude, that on the 22nd -February, 1915, on the anniversary of American Independence, the -Belgians wore in their buttonholes a medallion of the Stars and -Stripes, while thousands of the citizens of Brussels left their cards -at the hotel of His Excellency Mr. Brand H. Whitlock. Baron von Bissing -spoke of this as childishness; at Liége German officers even snatched -the American colours from women and young girls. Massacre and arson are -more familiar to _Kultur_ than gratitude. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[14] And also justified by the laws of warfare as affecting invasion. -Moreover: "The rules which affect a _levée en masse_ (a general rising -of the people to repel invaders, without organization) should be -generously interpreted. The first duty of a citizen is to defend his -country, and provided he does so loyally he should not be treated as a -marauder or criminal." The Germans could not at the outset know that -there was no _levée en masse_.--(TRANS.) - -[15] The Germans have tried to persuade Rome that these priests were -not assassinated but killed in battle. - -[16] To give an idea of these accusations, it was said that in the -cellars of a Louvain convent the corpses of fifty German soldiers were -discovered, murdered by the monks. - -[17] If organized and disciplined, the civic guards and francs-tireurs -would have formed part of the Belgian forces, provided they wore a -recognizable sign and bore arms openly.--(TRANS.) - -[18] We shall see later (p. 221) that at Louvain Dr. Hedin was -shamefully deceived by the military authorities who were guiding him -through the city. It is this which makes us fear that there may also -have been deceit in the case of the villagers tried as "francs-tireurs." - -[19] _Kriegsbrauch im Landkriege._ Professor J. H. Morgan has published -a translation, with an introduction (John Murray). For a comparison -between German, French, and English usages see _Frightfulness in Theory -and Practice_, by Charles Andler, ed. Bernard Miall (T. Fisher Unwin). - -[20] They are all, with a truly German lack of originality, with -the genuine intellectual slavishness of the "blonde beast," simply -repeating the words of Clausewitz, as all German military philosophers -have done for the best part of a century.--(TRANS.) - -[21] A perusal of Clausewitz, von Hartmann, and the _Kriegsbrauch_ -would have dispelled all doubt. None of these theories is new: how -often does a German develop a _new_ theory? This peculiarly bloodless, -mechanically ferocious barbarism is nearly a century old. The French -had seen it in action before.--(TRANS.) - -[22] The Germans even accuse the Belgian Government of paying its -"francs-tireurs" "by the piece"; that is, so much per German killed. - -[23] If it had _openly_ encouraged the civil population it would -merely have ordered the _levée en masse_, which it had a perfect right -to do: as Germany did in 1813. But it is interesting to note that in -1813 the German francs-tireurs were required _not_ to wear distinctive -uniforms or badges, and were allowed to use any weapons and any means -of injuring the enemy. Germany invented the franc-tireur, and now -expects Belgium to do what she would do in a like case. _The bogy so -feared by the German soldier is, indeed, his own shadow._ Actually, of -course, the Belgian Government called upon civilians to keep quiet and -to surrender arms.--(TRANS.) - -[24] Thus _Der Grosse Krieg_, pp. 51 and 52, published a Wolff telegram -on the 3rd August, 1914, saying that many spies had already been shot -in Germany, but that the public should none the less be careful to -report suspects, particularly those who spoke a foreign language. - -[25] _Étape_ (_etappen_, Germ.), stores, rations, or a -halting-place.--(TRANS.) - -[26] If we mention Reims it is because the Germans have on eight -occasions posted placards in Belgium bearing declarations relating to -this crime against civilization. - -[27] We have not been able to verify the authenticity of the quotation -from the _Times_. - -[28] In Germany the phrase has a meaning _sui generis_. - -[29] Names will be published later. - -[30] See photographs in _Panorama_, 9B (26th August, 1914), 17A (16th -October, 1914), 18A (16th October, 1914). - -[31] A pit for storing potatoes in good condition. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE GERMAN MIND, SELF-DEPICTED - - -In those chapters in which we have dealt with the violations of -international treaties, and of the Hague Convention, we have often -been led to comment on the mode of thought displayed by those who -committed these crimes. But hitherto we have touched upon the subject -of German mentality only in an incidental fashion; it will doubtless be -interesting to consider it more closely. - -We shall utilize, by preference, documents of German origin. In cases -where these are lacking, for example, in the case of the cruelties -committed, we shall have recourse to observations which we ourselves -have collected, and whose authenticity is indisputable. - -In place of passing in review all the peculiarities of the modern -German mind, which would occupy too much space, we shall confine -ourselves to those from which Belgium has suffered most cruelly; but -we shall not speak--it would be superfluous--of the obscene spirit of -rape, and rapacity, and drunkenness. The three psychological elements -which we shall consider are pride, duplicity, and spitefulness. - - -A.--Pride. - -_Some Manifestations of Pride and the Spirit of Boasting._ - -"The German nation is the Chosen People, and God is with us." That is -the prevailing idea of the speeches and proclamations of the Kaiser. -In his Speech from the Throne on the 4th August, 1914, he declared: -"It is not the spirit of conquest which urges us forward; but we are -animated by the inflexible determination to retain the position in -which God has set us, for ourselves and for all the generations to -come." - -In her pride Germany is unanimous. No German is permitted to doubt -the indisputable superiority of his nation over all other nations. As -soon as he learns to lisp his first words, his brain is steeped in the -conviction that no people is comparable to his own, even remotely. - -This longing to exalt his own country is accompanied by a corresponding -desire to abase all others. Hardly is a discovery of any kind made in a -neighbouring country than a German appropriates it in order to give it -a new trade-mark. One example will suffice. - -All the world knows that Louis Pasteur was the founder of the science -of bacteriology, a science whose consequences, in the spheres of -hygiene and medicine, are incalculable. Germany ignores Pasteur and has -heard only of Koch. A Belgian, who attended the Berlin celebrations -in honour of Koch, returned disgusted with the fact that the name -of Pasteur was systematically suppressed throughout the ceremonies. -In an obituary notice devoted to Koch a Belgian bacteriologist, M. -Jules Bordet, remarked with great justice, in speaking of the German -biographies of the scientist who had just died:-- - -"They made Koch the absolute creator of modern medicine: all other -glory pales before his; he is the founder of bacteriology. Their -obituary articles, emanating, for the most part, from disciples of -the master, and which are, one feels, steeped in pious gratitude, -and also, perhaps, to a certain extent, in a somewhat exclusive -patriotism, attribute to him the honour of having shown the organic -origin of contagious diseases." "It would be," said Herr Pfeiffer, -the distinguished Breslau bacteriologist, "a real act of justice were -posterity to divide the history of medicine into two periods, one -before Koch and the other after him." - -Reading such notices it would almost seem as though Pasteur had never -lived! - -We think M. Bordet shows himself far too indulgent toward the German -biographers when he says, in conclusion: "And one could not take it -amiss of these disciples if, in their filial solicitude, they left on -the tomb of their Master a few leaves from the laurels of Pasteur." - -Here is another example of boasting, interesting principally by reason -of the _charlatanesque_ manner in which it was published. Every one -has heard of the Cooper-Hewitt mercury-vapour lamp, with its strange -blue-violet light, so rich in ultra-violet rays. The most summary -treatises on physics explain that quartz will allow the ultra-violet -rays to pass, and that the Cooper-Hewitt quartz lamp is in constant -employment in the laboratories. But if you read the communication which -the Germans imposed upon _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ on the 27th December, 1914, -you will see that the Germans invented the whole affair. - -If you want to be initiated into the perfections of the German, Herr -Momme Nissen, in _Der Krieg und die Deutsche Kunst_, will enumerate -them for you. "The qualities of the German," he says, "integrity and -courage, profundity of mind and fidelity, insight and the sense of -inwardness, modesty and piety, are also the ornaments of our art." - - -_The Germans compare themselves with their Allies._ - -Here is a last point to be considered. The Germans do not merely -consider themselves to be superior to their adversaries; they are -equally modest on behalf of their allies. To their minds, and in their -writings, the present war is "the German war." The most complete -chronological compilation which has appeared hitherto is entitled -_Chronik des Deutschen Krieges_. The official publications deliberately -ignore the Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, Croats, Turks, etc. The first -of the pamphlets of propaganda distributed by the Germans (_Journal -de la Guerre_) begins thus: "The name this war will one day bear in -history is already determined; it can only be the _German War_, for it -is a war destined to establish the position of the German nation in the -world." By what name shall we call the German's sense of superiority -over all other nations: is it pride, presumption, or impudence? - -Herr Paul Rohrbach, who is generally more moderate in his expressions, -has written a pamphlet entitled _Warum es der Deutsche Krieg ist_ ("Why -this is the German War"). - -It would be useless to insist on the general aspects of the question. -Let us consider only a few of the immediate consequences of this frame -of mind: militarism, disdain for others, cynicism, and absence of the -critical spirit. - - -1. MILITARISM. - -_Might comes before Right._ - -Bismarck has given us a precise formula of the cult of brute force, -"Might comes before right!" Nietzsche has gone further, "Might creates -right." "You say that a good cause sanctifies even war? I tell you that -a good war sanctifies any cause!" (_Thus Spake Zarathustra_). - -Herr Maximilian Harden, the well-known polemical writer, expressed -the same idea in a lecture delivered at Duisbourg and reproduced in -_K.Z._ (8th December, 1914). It is expressed with equal lucidity in an -article published in _Zeit im Bild_ (19th November, 1914), and signed -_Vitus Bug_; the author, after inquiring into the reasons which make -Germany hated, adds: "Let us be victorious, and people will immediately -discover that we were in the right!" - -It is, consequently, towards the army that the essential aspirations -of the German nation converge; everything must give way to the -military interest; the moment this is in question there is no longer -any room for morality, says Professor Rein, of the University of Jena -(_N.R.C._, 22nd January, 1915, morning), nor for humanity, says Herr -Erzberger (_N.R.C._, 6th February, 1915, evening), nor even for the -law of nations, declares Professor Beer, of the University of Leipzig -(_Völkerrecht und Krieg_). In other countries people have remained -simple enough to believe that it is precisely in time of war that the -prescriptions of international law should be most strictly respected. -Nothing of the sort, say the Germans; the moment war breaks out -everyday justice can only efface itself. On the slightest accusation, -the least pretext, or even without any, they begin to shoot and to -burn. If by accident those put to death are innocent, or if there was -in truth no complaint to be made against the inhabitants of the houses -burned to ashes, it is obviously regrettable; but such commonplace -considerations will not prevent the German army from inflicting on the -nearest village a punishment any less exemplary. _Es ist Krieg_: in -this phrase is contained the whole psychology of the German soldier in -war-time. "Do you suppose," said a German at Louvain, "that we've got -time to make inquiries?" (_N.R.C._, 9th September, 1914, morning). "You -understand clearly," said an officer at Francorchamps, "that we cannot -stop the German army to inquire if this man has really fired on us; he -was accused of doing so; isn't that sufficient reason for shooting him?" - - * * * * * - -Before leaving the subject of militarism, we will cite one -insignificant fact which, however trifling, clearly reveals the -importance which the military idea has assumed in the conceptions of -the German people. According to the _N.R.C._ of the 6th February, 1915 -(evening), _Vorwärts_ has protested against the following measure: The -German wife whose husband is under arms cannot be expelled from her -dwelling for non-payment of rent; but if her husband should be killed -in the war the landlord immediately recovers the right to turn her out. - - -2. DISDAIN OF OTHERS. - -We have seen that the Germans are seeking by all possible means to -accentuate their superiority over their neighbours. An elementary -procedure for increasing the vertical distance between them and their -rivals consists in depreciating the latter. Germany has so often, in -every tone of voice, proclaimed the irremediable inferiority of all -the other peoples inhabiting our planet, that she has at last come to -believe it herself, and has begun to act in conformity with her belief. - - -_Some Inept Proclamations, etc._ - -Thus, to speak only of our own experience, they assuredly -under-estimated our national integrity when they believed us capable -of becoming accomplices in the violation of an international treaty. -They also greatly under-estimated our army's powers of resistance, or -they would have taken good care not to lose a fortnight in Belgium, -a delay which spoiled their sudden attack upon France. Finally, they -show us every day, by their placards, that they do not think much of -our intelligence. Some of those entitled "News published by the German -General Government" are really inimitable. - -Imagine our laughter when the authorities to whom we are forced to -submit officially announced that a German squadron had captured fifteen -fishing-boats; or that the Serbians had taken Semlin in order to obtain -food; or that the star of Paschitsch was growing pale; or that the -Austrians had evacuated Lemberg for strategic and humanitarian reasons; -or that the British Army is so ill-equipped that the soldiers are -without writing-paper and shoelaces; or that the river of the "gifts of -love" continues to flow; or that General Joffre (in a French that could -only have come from a German pen) informs his troops that "the moment -is come to profit by the weakness which offers itself to us, after we -have reinforced ourselves in men and material." In the last days of -September 1914, when a citizen of Brussels met a fair-haired comrade, -he hastened to measure him, to make sure that he was not Charles-Alice -Yate, "being about 5 ft. 9 in. in height." - -Here are some of these placards:-- - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, _6th September, 1914_.--The Austria-Hungarian Ambassador - publishes the following dispatch which has been forwarded to him by - the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vienna:-- - - "The Russian news on the subject of the battle of Lemberg and - the triumphant capture of the city is a lie. The open town of - Lemberg was evacuated by us without a battle for strategical and - humanitarian reasons." - - THE GENERAL GERMAN GOVERNMENT. - - LONDON, _8th September, 1914_ (Reuter's Agency).--A German - squadron, composed of two cruisers and four torpedo-boats, has - captured fifteen English fishing-boats in the North Sea, and has - brought numerous prisoners to Wilhelmshaven. - - THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, _22nd September, 1914_.--On the night of the 19th September - Major Charles-Alice Yate, of the regiment of the Yorkshire Light - Infantry, escaped from Torgau, where he was prisoner of war. Yate - is that English officer of superior rank concerning whom it was - announced the other day that he did not deny, upon inquiry, that - the English troops have been supplied with dum-dum bullets; in the - course of this interrogatory he declared that the soldier must - obviously use the ammunition which is furnished to him by the - Government. - - The fugitive is about 5 ft. 9 in. in height; he is slender, - fair-haired, and speaks German well. - - THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - VIENNA, _29th September, 1914_.--The _Reichspost_ announces from - Sofia: The correspondent of the _Volja_, the organ of Ghenadjev, - writes from Nish: The Austrian offensive has serious consequences - for Serbia; rebellion is muttering in the country and the army, and - every day may see the outbreak of the revolution. During the last - few days several regiments of artillery have revolted. A certain - number of guns have been demolished.... - - King Peter has returned; he is completely apathetic, and the Crown - Prince Alexander does not know what to do. The star of Paschitsch - is paling, and it is feared there may soon be victims in his - entourage. - - THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - -L ONDON, _6th October, 1914_.--The _Daily Chronicle_ announces that - at Aldershot, in round figures, 135,000 militia belonging to all - arms should be prepared to depart for the army as soon as they - are ready. However, the training, despite the most brilliant - efforts, could not give satisfactory results, the troops being - insufficiently equipped. The newspaper appeals for the assistance - of the public, and remarks that, for example, no officer of Lord - Kitchener's first army possesses field-glasses. They also lack - socks, handkerchiefs, shoelaces, writing-paper and materials, and - drums and fifes for the Scottish regiments. - - THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - -What is even more strange than their insistence in offering us their -sophisticated views, is their virtuous indignation when they discover -that we are not receptive of this kind of truth. Thus the people of -Liége, who would not believe the German placards and preferred their -secret newspapers, were warned by Lieut.-General von Kolewe that they -were in danger of appearing ridiculous in the eyes of intelligent -people. - - TO THE POPULATION OF LIÉGE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. - - Considering the continual successes of the German troops, it is - impossible to understand why the people of Liége are still so - credulous as to believe the absurd and frivolous news spread by - the manufactories of falsehoods installed in Liége. Those who busy - themselves in propagating such news are risking severe punishment. - They are playing a dangerous game in abusing the credulity of their - fellow-citizens and in inciting them to reckless actions. The - reasonable population of Liége will resist all temptations of the - kind. - - Otherwise it is exposing itself not merely to the gravest - disappointment, but also to appearing ridiculous in the eyes of - intelligent people. - - KOLEWE, - - _Lieut.-General and German Governor of the - Fortress of Liége_. - - _It is forbidden to tear down this placard or to paste another over - it._ - - -_Lies concerning the Situation in Belgium._ - -Before other placards the shrugging of shoulders gave way to disgust. -Baron von der Goltz, at Sofia, boasted of having rendered "the -situation in Belgium entirely normal." What of it? We were so glad -to be rid of him that we were ready to overlook any ineptitudes. But -when his successor, Baron von Bissing, after levying a contribution of -480 million frs. (£19,200,000), had the audacity to declare that he -hoped "to do much for the economic situation," and would especially -apply himself "to doing everything to assist the weak in Belgium, and -to encourage them," he passed the bounds of cynicism and presumption. -However, two months later, on the 18th February, 1915, after having -despoiled us of 120 million francs, he found occasion to go still -farther, affirming his "solicitude for the welfare and prosperity of -the population." - - -_Lies concerning "Francs-tireurs."_ - -What shall we say of the accusations made against Belgian civilians? -From August, at the time of the first sortie of our troops from -Antwerp, the Germans posted up statements in Brussels that the Belgian -population was again taking part in the conflict. - - OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY THE COMMANDANT OF THE GERMAN ARMY. - - BRUSSELS, _28th August, 1914_.--On the 26th and 27th August several - Belgian divisions made a sortie from Antwerp in order to attack - our lines of communication, but they were repulsed by those of our - troops left behind to invest the city. Five Belgian guns fell into - our hands.... - - The Belgian population almost everywhere took part in the fighting. - It became necessary to take the most drastic measures to repress - the bands of francs-tireurs.... - -Now certain of these battles took place at a distance of only six miles -from Brussels; peasants were shot at Houtem (a hamlet of Vilvorde) and -at Eppeghem: that is, in villages whence people went into the city -every morning with vegetables, milk, etc., so that the inhabitants -of the capital were perfectly informed as to the behaviour of the -German troops toward the Belgian civilians. They knew, too, that these -pretended attacks of "francs-tireurs" had been delivered by detachments -of the Belgian army (_see_ E. Waxweiler in _La Belgique neutre et -loyale_, p. 219). The keen indignation against the German liars was -still further aggravated when, three weeks later, the Kaiser repeated -these calumnies. The fact of their having placarded the walls of -Brussels with these obviously false accusations shows once more in what -low esteem the Germans hold the mental faculties of their victims. - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT. - - BRUSSELS, _7th October_.--From the leader of a troop of cyclists - near Hennuyères written instructions were taken, intended for the - leaders of the so-called "destructive detachment," in which they - are told, among other things: "Spread false news: landing of the - English at Antwerp, Russians at Calais." - -That the Germans should seek to deceive their own compatriots as to the -situation is natural enough--they are quite content with official news. -But in Belgium we still, in spite of all obstacles, continue to receive -foreign newspapers, which keep us informed of the military operations. -Why, then, did the Germans try to impose on us over the battle of the -Marne, when nothing was easier than to learn the truth from the _Times_ -and the French Press? - -A still more curious case was that of the battle of Ypres. During a -whole fortnight the official placards daily informed the Belgians -of the latest German success ... and at the end of three weeks the -army was still as far from Ypres. The whole of this Yser campaign -is interesting as throwing a light upon the German mentality. From -the outset the Germans tried to establish a confusion between the -"canalized" Yser and the "canalized" Yperlée, that is, the canal -running from Ypres to the Yser. What they call "the canal of the Yser" -in their placard of the 22nd October is the canalized Yser between -Dixmude and Nieuport. In the placard of the 2nd November they spoke -of the "canal from the Yser to Ypres, near Nieuport," an absolutely -fantastic description. Finally, on the 4th April, when they claimed to -have crossed "the Yser canal" to occupy Driegrachten, it was really -the Yperlée that was in question, and not the Yser at all. This is, as -will be seen, on a par with the intentional confusion which they sought -to create between the city of Liége and its forts (pp. 50, 58). Such -confusions may deceive the Germans, but the Belgians, familiar with the -geography of their country, naturally laugh at them. - -Another point relating to this astonishing campaign on the Yser: On -the 2nd November the Germans announced that operations were rendered -difficult by the inundation. On the following day, having expressed -their pity for the Belgians "whose fields were devastated for a long -time to come," they added that the water was in parts deeper than a -man's height, but that they had lost neither man, nor horse, nor gun. -How can they impose such idle stuff on people who know the _polders_ -of the coast region, with their innumerable canals and ditches, and -who know, moreover, than an inundation there renders all retreat -impossible? - - -3. CYNICISM. - -They must require a good stock of effrontery to put before us such -assertions as that of the Kaiser, whose falsity is obvious at sight. -They cannot be ignorant of the fact that these impostures are instantly -exposed. But this consideration does not give them pause; German -superiority appears to them so indisputable that they have no need -to trouble about the opinion of other people; if they occasionally -indicate the reasons for their actions, it is to reassure their own -conscience, not to justify themselves to their victims. They are, in -short, in the situation of the sportsman who brings down the game -passing within gunshot, but is not required to render an account of -it to the rabbits and partridges. To the sportsman's way of thinking -there is no cynicism in so acting: between the hunter and the game -there is too great a difference to make such a justification necessary. -Similarly, the Germans occupy, in the scale of _Kultur_, so exalted -a position as compared with the Belgians, that they believe in good -faith that all is permitted to them in dealing with this horde, and -that they need not justify their actions. They behave toward us as the -Conquistadores toward the Aztecs. - -More, they actually advertise their contempt for the rules of justice. -We have already mentioned the placard posted at Gand, according -to which they openly placed themselves in conflict with the Hague -Convention. They have gone yet farther in this direction. What are we -to say, for example, of the placard posted at Menin, in July 1915, by -order of Commandant Schmidt, in which it is ordained that the families -of those "who do not work regularly on the military works" shall be -allowed to die of starvation? - - ORDER. - - From to-day the town can no longer grant relief--of whatever kind, - even for families, women and children--save only to those workmen - who are working regularly on the military works and on other works - prescribed. - - All other workmen and their families cannot henceforth be assisted - in any way whatever. - -And this is not the gem of the collection. At Roubaix and the vicinity -(in French Flanders, close against the Belgian frontier) they -advertised their decision to prevent all sales of comestibles if work -were not resumed by the 7th July, and they even threatened completely -to suppress "circulation," which would have resulted in the lingering -death of the whole population. - -And this is not the worst. In a neighbouring town, Halluin, Commandant -Schranck caused a declaration to be read to the assembled notables -which stated that he denied their right to invoke the Hague Convention, -since the German military authorities had determined to enforce the -fulfilment of all their demands, "even if a city of 15,000 inhabitants -had to perish." - - (_Read at Halluin, on the 30th June, at 11.30 p.m., to the - Municipal Council and notables of the Town of Halluin._) - - GENTLEMEN, - - What is happening is known to all these gentlemen. It is the - conception and interpretation of Article 52 of the Hague Convention - which has created difficulties between you and the German military - authority. On which side is the right? It is not for us to discuss - that, for we are not competent, and we shall never arrive at - an understanding on this point. It will be the business of the - diplomatists and the representatives of the various States after - the war. - - To-day it is exclusively the interpretation of German military - authority which is valid, and for that reason we intend that all - that we shall need for the maintenance of our troops shall be made - by the workers of the territory occupied. I can assure you that - the German authority will not under any circumstances desist from - demanding its rights, even if a town of 15,000 inhabitants should - have to perish. The measures introduced up to the present are only - a beginning, and every day severe measures will be taken until our - object is obtained. - - This is the last word, and it is good advice I give you to-night. - Return to reason, and arrange for the workers to resume work - without delay; otherwise you will expose your town, your families, - and your persons to the greatest misfortunes. - - To-day, and perhaps for a long time yet, there is for Halluin - neither a prefecture nor a French Government. There is only one - will, and that is the will of German authority. - - THE COMMANDANT OF THE TOWN, - SCHRANCK. - -Do you not agree that a cynicism so shameless is a sign of perplexity -and an admission of impotence? The Germans realize that they are driven -to the worst expedients! - -A host of similar facts might be cited, but it would mean useless -repetition. Let us rather examine some examples of graphic cynicisms. - - -_Photographs and Picture Postcards._ - -The Germans have published, in their newspapers, photographs -representing the population of a village, consisting principally of -women, being driven away as prisoners (_Berl. Ill. Zeit._, No. 36, 6th -September, 1914); a military observation-post installed by them on the -tower of Malines Cathedral during the siege of Antwerp (_Berl. Ill. -Zeit_., No. 44, 1st November, 1914); doctors detained as prisoners in -Germany, contrary to the Geneva Convention (_Berl. Ill. Zeit._, No. 15, -11th April, 1915); soldiers taken prisoners, whom they are forcing, -despite Article 6 of the Hague Convention, to do work directed against -their country (_Die Wochenschau_, No. 44, 1914). - -We find the same effrontery in respect of the conflagrations started -by their troops: Scharr and Dathe, of Trèves, have edited and placed -on sale, in Belgium itself, a series of fifty picture postcards, -representing localities which the German army has destroyed by fire. -We may mention Dinant, Namur, Louvain, Aerschot, Termonde; and in -Belgium, Luxemburg, Barranzy, Etalles, Èthe, Izel, Jamoigne, Musson, -Eossignol, Tintigny. Let us add that these photographs commonly show -German soldiers and officers striking triumphant attitudes amid the -ruins. The most instructive card of this kind which we have seen is one -representing General Beeger amid the ruins of Dinant. To understand -the full significance of this card, one must remember that it was this -officer who ordered 1,200 of the houses of Dinant to be burned and 700 -of the inhabitants to be massacred. It is surprising that he did not -have a few corpses of "francs-tireurs" arranged about him when the -photograph was taken--preferably selected from the old men, women, and -children at the breast. - -After the torpedoing of the _Lusitania_ they sold in Belgium a series -of cards entitled _Kriegs-Errinerungs-Karte_, edited by Dr. Trenkler -& Co., of Leipzig, which pictured the operations of submarines. Card -No. 2, of Series XXXIII, represents--very inaccurately, by the way--a -German submarine stopping the _Lusitania_. It is as well to recall the -fact that in this disaster more than 1,500 non-combatants perished, -among them Mme. Antoine Depage, the wife of the well-known Belgian -surgeon. - -Nothing ought to surprise us on the part of those who prove that every -means is good provided it is efficacious. Here is what a newspaper, -much respected in Germany, the _Hamburger Fremdenblatt_, has to say in -its weekly illustrated supplement for the 16th May, 1915:-- - - "In the situation in which Germany now finds herself, attacked on - three sides at once with all the means that cruelty and perfidy - can invent, we must not ask ourselves whether a means of defence - is permitted or prohibited; but whether it is effectual. All that - facilitates the defence must be employed; this is especially true - of the submarine war, and consequently of the destruction of the - _Lusitania_." - - -_Alfred Heymel on the Battle of Charleroi._ - -We have already spoken of the articles of Alfred Heymel and Walter -Blöm. Here are some extracts from an article by the former:-- - - THE BATTLE OF CHARLEROI. - - One regiment of cavalry was detrained near the enemy frontier. For - a little while it halted on a manoeuvring ground where the division - to which we were to be attached as scouts was to assemble. - - Already many of us were impatient at having to wait longer before - marching to the front; we heard the growling thunder of the - howitzers of the great fortress near the frontier, around which - there had been violent fighting these last few days; we were told - of cruelties that made our hair stand on end, committed, in its - fury, by a people which had for years been excited against us deeds - of cruelty committed against our compatriots, soldiers, civilians, - women and children, because of our violation of a neutrality which - it had itself violated a thousand times over in advance. On our - side we were boiling inwardly to avenge these infamies.... We - breathed more freely only when, in our march beyond the frontier, - we saw the first houses burned in reprisal; a curé, who had - revolted, was hanging from a tree in a neighbouring thicket, - swinging at the will of the wind, when at last the noise of battle - grew plainer.... - - (They arrive near Charleroi.) - - The head of one regiment, led by my friend Lieutenant S----, - trotted forward again, and seized as hostages what civilians it - could catch; some 12 to 16 persons, old and young, fat and thin, - had to march before or between the lancers; more, this portion of - the regiment had received the order from its comrades not to ride - too far ahead. - - Something that alarmed me quite particularly, giving me a - presentiment of misfortune, was the fact that the wives of these - civilians burst into weeping: one red-headed woman, frantic, threw - herself down in the road and gave vent to wild screams; others, - behind us, their emaciated arms stretched in the air, threatened - us, although they were several times assured that so long as - nothing was done to us nothing would happen to their husbands, - sons, friends, and lovers. All these significant scenes took place - in the side streets.... - - (A volley is fired from a barricade--or a railway crossing the - street; it is not clear which.) - - I saw two or three cavalrymen fall back in front, and with them - the hostages fell to the ground; my friend was standing, near his - horse. A violent and rapid fire alternated with volleys; we could - not escape on either side; naturally we immediately faced about and - returned in the direction whence we had come; there was a furious - pursuit along the uneven road, with the balls whistling at our - backs. The horses fell, one after another.... - - Thus from the advance-guard we had become the rear-guard. We had - to consider how we could regain the main body of the troop. In the - first place hostages were taken, some curés among them; the cavalry - and artillery were no longer marching alone and unprotected, but - flanked by the infantry and pioneers; one soon learns when once - one has been caught. With great difficulty we again penetrated - the streets in the smoke and heat, in the midst of the flames - we ourselves had lit; now we continually heard the popping of - cartridges, bursting harmlessly, piled up in the houses, and - betraying the friendly intention of the ex-inmates![32]... - - We learned later, when we had found the uniforms, that two - battalions of crack French infantry were distributed everywhere, - in order to organize and discipline the fire of the Belgian - civic guard and the francs-tireurs. The rumour (of marksmen on - the neighbouring heights) spread.... I thought I perceived--this - chilled my heart, and I still hope I was mistaken--that my - cavalrymen, otherwise so brave, did not really feel inclined to - go forward; their gait became slower and slower; they continually - observed more minutiæ and took a longer time in seizing civilians; - in short, I saw the necessity of intervening, at need, against my - own troops, the most heart-breaking thing that can happen to you in - war. In any case I prepared myself, with a heart full of pain, to - face even the abyss of this prospect.... - - _Kunst und Künstler_, January 1915 (Amm. xiii, part 4). - -We must not overlook an article by Captain Walter Blöm, adjutant to -General von Bissing. Herr Blöm, who is greatly admired in Germany, -and whose novels may be seen at this moment on the shelves of the -travellers' libraries installed in our railway stations, does not -hesitate to declare that the conflagrations at Battice and Dinant -were not intended to punish the population, but to terrorize them (p. -84). The article already mentioned, which incidentally describes the -shooting of a French hostage, is highly typical. One sees that the -death of this man--shot because the French army does not consent to -cease its bombardment--does not in the least affect the writer, who -finds the conduct of his countrymen quite natural. - -Referring to the systematic pillage effected by the German army, -we have already mentioned (p. 132) the fact that "war booty" was -despatched openly. In this respect, effrontery and impudence have -surely nowhere been carried to greater lengths than in the valley of -the Meuse. All the villas were as a matter of course emptied by the -officers; when they were situated close to the banks of the river -the furniture, etc., was transported on a little steamer, one of -those tourist boats which in summer run between Namur and Dinant. The -boat would stop before each villa, and--without the least attempt to -conceal the nature of the proceedings--the pianos, beautiful pieces -of furniture, clocks, pictures, etc., were piled on the deck. To cite -one case among hundreds, it was thus that the villa of Mme. Wodon, at -Davos, was emptied. - -Cynicism and impudence often lend one another mutual support. Let us -recall, for example, the question of asphyxiating gases. Article 23 of -the Hague Convention forbids the employment of poisons. Even in the -siege of Liége our enemies were making use of shells which discharged -poisonous gases at the moment of explosion; it was one of them that -all but poisoned General Leman. It might, however, be supposed that -these toxic vapours were the inevitable result of the detonation of -the explosives with which the shells were loaded. But in April 1915 -the Germans suddenly began to accuse their adversaries of the use of -asphyxiating shells (see the German official communiqués of the 9th, -12th, 14th, and 21st April). At the same time they made it known that -their chemists, far abler than those of France or England, were about -to combine substances whose detonation would liberate products far more -toxic than those of the enemy's shells. And on the 22nd April they -preceded their attack on the trenches to the north of Ypres by a cloud -of smoke of a yellowish-green colour, which asphyxiated the French and -Canadians (see _N.R.C._, 29th April, 1914, morning). Now the falsity -of their bragging allegations is obvious. They will not persuade any -one to believe that between the 8th of April and the 22nd May they had -had time to invent the combination of substances capable of giving -off toxic vapours, to manufacture them in sufficient quantities, and -finally to forward the cylinders to the field of battle. - -Let us add, moreover, that we knew before the end of March--that is, -before the accusations made against the French--that the Germans were -making experiments on a large scale in the aviation camp at Kiewit, -near Hasselt. They were asphyxiating dogs. It may be supposed that -they presently realized that they had gone a little too far in their -cynicism, for in its issue of the 3rd May, 1915, _Die Wochenschau_, -commenting on the affair of the 22nd April, stated that the attack had -been "ably seconded by technical means." - -Still, the palm for cynicism goes to the high authorities. What are we -to think of Baron von der Goltz, whose proclamations state that the -innocent and guilty will be punished without distinction? (p. 144). -Here we begin to see into the mentality of the Germans; swollen with -pride, they consider that all things are permitted to them as against -a people so uncivilized as the Belgians. - -Well, incredible as it may seem, the Germans have surpassed themselves -in this department. The same action, accordingly as it is performed -by them or against them, is denounced as a crime or highly approved. -We have already seen this in connection with the bombardment of towns -by aeroplanes and dirigibles. What shall we say of the action of the -German cavalryman, who, surprised by superior forces, surrendered; but, -as he was giving up his arms thought better of it, broke the head of -one of his adversaries, and fled. If a Belgian or a Frenchman had been -guilty of such treachery the Germans could not have found sufficient -terms of abuse to heap upon his head; but as he was a German his action -became _ein kühnes Reiterstückchen_ (a "Bold exploit of a Cavalryman"). -More--this incident is reported in the first number of the pamphlets -of propaganda distributed by order of the German authorities--the -_Journal de la Guerre_. Not only do they find no cause for blame in a -soldier who has committed so vile an action; they are proud of him, and -take pains to celebrate his glory in neutral countries. - -Here are two other examples, bearing on matters of much greater -importance. On the 4th August, 1914, the very day on which they were -violating the neutrality of Belgium, and were commencing to punish -us, at Visé, for having dared to resist them, they expressed their -satisfaction in the fact that Switzerland was scrupulously remaining -neutral. M. Waxweiler (p. 52) calls our attention to this contradiction -in their attitude toward the two neutral countries--Belgium and -Switzerland. Moreover, they had the impudence to placard their -satisfaction in the neutrality of Switzerland about the streets of -Brussels. - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - BERNE, _7th February_.--The representative of the Bund has been - received in Berlin by Herr von Jagow, Secretary of State for - Foreign Affairs, who spoke of Switzerland in the most friendly - manner. Herr von Jagow says: The strictly neutral attitude of - Switzerland has produced the most favourable impression in Germany. - We take a very keen interest in a neutral, independent, and - powerful Switzerland. - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - -While in Belgium they burn houses and torture civilians, on the pretext -that the latter have fired on them, they congratulate the Hungarian -peasants who took up arms to defend their country against the Russian -invader. The contrast here is so obvious that it even struck one -German--Herr Maximilian Harden. In an article in _Jingoism, a Disease -of the Mind_, he reproaches his compatriots with having two weights -and two measures (published in _Vorwärts_, August 1914). - -They push their effrontery to the point of photographing their own -francs-tireurs, so that no doubt may be left in our minds. The _Berl. -Ill. Zeit._ of the 16th March, 1915 (p. 261), gives a photograph "from -the theatre of the war in the Carpathians"--"Ruthenian Peasant employed -in the Austro-Hungarian Army to guard roads and telegraph-lines." The -peasant, without uniform, carries a rifle. - -Lastly, let us cite a case in which cynicism is allied to pedantry. On -the calcined walls of the Hôtel de Ville of Dinant (burned on the 23rd -and 24th August, 1914) is a chronogram. The letters are cut in a slab -of marble let into the wall facing the Meuse. The fire had rendered the -inscription illegible, but the commandant of the town, in March 1915, -had the slab re-painted black and the letters re-gilt. This is the -inscription:-- - - PAX ET SALVS - NEVTRA LITATEM - SERVANT IBVS DETVR. - - ("May peace and security be granted to those who preserve - neutrality.") - - (1637.) - -Herr Otto Eduard Schmidt, returning from the French front by way -of Dinant, was struck by this inscription. "I could not learn for -certain," he says, "by questioning passing soldiers of the Landsturm, -whether the inscription had lately been placed there or had merely -been re-gilt. But in any case, I should regard it an insult to German -authority, and I am astonished that this insult should be tolerated" -(O. E. Schmidt, _Eine Fahrt zu den Sachsen an die Front_, p. 131). What -would Herr Schmidt say if he knew that it was his own countrymen who, -in a fit of shameless cynicism, caused this inscription to be renovated? - - -_Surrender of the Critical Spirit. Refusal to Examine the Accusations -of Cruelty._ - -Painfully moved by the horrors committed in Belgium, M. Charles Magnet, -the National Grand Master of Belgian Freemasonry, wrote on the 9th -September to nine German lodges, requesting them to institute, by -common consent, an inquiry into the facts. Since the Germans denied the -atrocities of which their troops were accused, and, on the other hand, -were accusing the Belgians of maltreating the wounded, such an inquiry -could only have a happy result. Two lodges only replied. "The request -is superfluous; this inquiry would be an insult to our army," replied -the Darmstadt lodge. "Our troops are not ill-conducted; it would even -be dangerous to recommend them to display sensibility and kindness," -replied the Bayreuth lodge. - -The argument may be summarized thus: "We know, as Germans, that we -possess the truth; it is useless, therefore, to go in search of it with -the help of an impartial commission." In a second letter M. Magnet -commented on these evasions, as contrary to the spirit of brotherhood -as to the scientific spirit. - -Let it not be supposed that the refusal to examine, objectively and -impartially, the German and the Belgian accusations, is peculiar to -Freemasonry. On the 24th January, 1915, Cardinal Mercier requested the -German authorities in Belgium to set up a commission comprising both -Germans and Belgians, under the presidency of a representative of a -neutral country. His request was accorded no reply. - -Thus the Germans refuse to allow any light to be thrown on their -actions and those of the Belgians. Why this opposition to a faithful -search for the truth? They fear, perhaps, that the truth will be -unfavourable to them. That is undoubtedly one of their reasons; but we -do not think it can be the only reason; and the principal reason for -their refusal is without doubt the voluntary blindness to which they -have one and all subjected themselves since the outbreak of the war. - -They have decided, one would imagine, to accept, without any -discussion, whatever is decreed by authority, which they invest with -the absolute truth; every German calmly receives that portion of the -truth which the Government thinks fit to dispense to its faithful, and -no German permits himself to ask for more. _Magister dixit_: the Staff -has spoken! - -Since the month of August a strict censorship has been exercised over -the Press. _Vorwärts_ and other Socialist sheets have several times -been suspended. The _Kölnischer Volkszeitung_ was suspended on the 11th -September, 1914, for having published articles disposing of at least a -part of the so-called Belgian atrocities.... And then, apparently, it -proceeded to take them for granted; for afterwards it even aggravated -the accusations brought against the Belgians. - -The _Vossische Zeitung_ itself, official as it is, had its issue of the -1st December, 1914, seized on account of an article on a commission of -the Reichstag (_N.R.C._, 3rd December, 1914, evening). At the same time -the Government was careful to stop all foreign books and newspapers. -This prohibition is so strict that Dutch working-men going to work -in Germany are not allowed to wrap their sandwiches in newspaper -(_N.R.C._, 10th December, 1914, evening). - -In Germany even people are beginning to find the censorship a little -too strict. Before the Budget Commission of the Reichstag Herr -Scheidemann, the Socialist deputy, complained that in the district -of Rüstringen certain of the German official communiqués even were -prohibited. The newspapers may not leave blank the spaces caused by the -censorship, as the latter must not appear. At Strasburg the censorship -prohibited the publication of articles dealing with the increased price -of milk. At Dortmund the Socialist newspapers were subjected to a -preventive censorship for having inserted an article by the sociologist -Lujo Brentano, one of the "Ninety-three," professor at the University -of Münich (_N.R.C._, 16th May, 1913, morning). - -Does the German public, knowing that the newspapers publish none but -articles inspired by authority, or at least controlled thereby, accept -this sophisticated mental pabulum in good part? Or does it make an -effort to procure foreign publications? One must believe that it does -not, for in that case the "intellectuals," better informed, would cease -to blindly accept the official declarations. - -"But," it will perhaps be said, "since the Government forbids the -introduction of foreign newspapers, it is radically impossible to -obtain them." We do not know just how the Germans could obtain -pamphlets and newspapers, but we do know that in Belgium we read -prohibited literature every day--French, Dutch, and English. Any one -who does not intend to resign himself to living in an oubliette will -succeed, in spite of everything, in opening some chink that the light -may shine through; and this light, when we have received it, we hasten -to share. It is forbidden, under the severest penalties, including the -capital, to introduce newspapers into Belgium; it is forbidden, under -the same penalties, to publish and distribute "false news," as our -masters call it. It makes little difference to us; not an article or -book of importance appears abroad but it reaches us, and two days later -it is secretly distributed in thousands of copies. There will be a -curious book for some one to write when the war is over, on the subject -of the strange and ingenious means employed by the Belgians, prisoners -in their own country since August 1914, to obtain and distribute -prohibited letterpress. - -There is accordingly no doubt that if the Germans really wished it -they could without great difficulty obtain reliable "documentation." -But they do not wish it. They, of late so proud of their critical -spirit, who made it their rule, so they professed--and their glory, -as was thought--to accept only that which their reason commanded them -to believe! They have abdicated their critical faculty; they have -sacrificed it to the militarist Moloch. And to-day, with eyes closed, -they swallow all that the Government and its reptile Press presents to -them. - - -_The Abolition of Free Discussion in Germany._ - -What am I saying? Not only are they ready to swallow all the lies -offered to them; they have even abolished liberty of speech among -themselves. A striking example of this fact was given by the _N.R.C._ -(of the 16th November, 1914, morning edition). Dr. Wekberg, one of the -three editors of a German periodical, the _Revue des Volksrechts_, -retired from his editorship because his colleagues refused to insert an -article in which he declared that Germany's attitude towards Belgium -was perhaps disputable. It would be difficult to push intolerance of -criticism much farther. - -In the same connection we may recall the sessions of the Reichstag -of the 4th August, 1914, the 2nd December, 1914, and the 20th March, -1915. At the first session not a voice protested against the war. At -the second, the Socialist deputy, Dr. Karl Liebknecht, asked leave -to present some objections, which indeed were timid enough; he was -at once disowned by his party. On the 20th March the deputy Ledebour -permitted himself to criticize the proclamation of Marshal von -Hindenburg, prescribing the burning of three Russian villages for any -German village burned by the Russians. Both these deputies expressed -the opinion that it is iniquitous to punish the innocent in the place -of the guilty. Immediately the whole assembly, Socialists included, -copiously abused and insulted the two speakers. We may remark that Herr -Ledebour was discussing not a strategical measure, but a prescription -that was merely inhuman (see _K.Z._, 20th March, 1915, evening). - -These few examples are enough to show that the Socialists lend -themselves to militarist domestication with the same docility as the -"bourgeois" parties. As for the Catholic remnant in the Reichstag, its -docility surpasses even that of the Socialists. - -In short, all the political parties, without exception, have abdicated -their liberty of thought, to accept, obsequiously and without the -slightest attempt at discussion, the ready-made opinions provided by -authority. Such, in Germany, is the power of discipline, that all -have submitted without protest--one might almost say wantonly--to -the voluntary extirpation of the critical spirit. But the inevitable -results of this servility were not long in showing themselves; having -renounced the employment of reason, the Germans now accept the most -extravagant lies. - - -_German Credulity._ - -We have remarked that one day a curious book may be written as to the -expedients invented by the Belgians to obtain news from abroad and to -distribute it throughout the country. Equally interesting--but how -discouraging, from the standpoint of the progressive evolution of -the human mind--will be the book containing the amazing examples of -credulity afforded by the Germans during this war. When speaking of -the German accusations against the Belgians we cited the case of the -rifles collected in the Hôtel de Ville, which were exhibited to the -German soldiers as the irrefutable proof of the official premeditation -of the "franc-tireur" campaign (p. 90). Not only were the soldiers -thus deluded. A well-known novelist, Herr Fedor von Zobeltitz, -visiting in Antwerp a museum of arms, which contained war weapons of -the Middle Ages, cried: "See how Belgium made ready for the war!" Was -he sincere? It is difficult to say, for artists often allow their -sensibility to run away with them. One may say the same of the Kaiser, -who also declared that Belgium had long been preparing for the "war -of francs-tireurs"; and even, perhaps, of Herr Bethmann-Hollweg, who -spoke, in his manifesto to the American newspapers, of gouged-out -eyes and other atrocities whose falsity he could very easily have -ascertained. - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT. - - BERLIN, _10th September_.--The _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ - publishes the following telegram addressed by the Emperor to - President Wilson of the United States:-- - - "I consider it my duty, Mr. President, to inform you, in your - quality of a most distinguished representative of humanitarian - principles, of the fact that my troops discovered, after the - capture of the French fortress of Longwy, in that fortress, - thousands of dum-dum bullets made in special workshops by the - Government. Bullets of the same kind have been found on dead - soldiers, or wounded or prisoners, of English nationality. You know - what horrible wounds and sufferings are caused by these balls, and - that their employment is forbidden by the recognized principles of - international law. I therefore raise a solemn protest against such - a mode of making war, which has become, thanks to the methods of - our adversaries, one of the most barbarous of history. - - "Not only have they themselves employed this cruel weapon, but - the Belgian Government has openly encouraged the civil population - to take part in this war, which it had carefully for a long time - prepared. The cruelties inflicted, in the course of this guerilla - war, by women and even by priests, upon wounded soldiers, doctors, - and hospital nurses (doctors have been killed and hospitals fired - on) have been such that my generals have finally found themselves - obliged to resort to the most rigorous means to chastise the guilty - and to prevent the bloodthirsty population from continuing these - abominable, criminal, and hateful acts. Many villages, and even - the city of Louvain, have had to be demolished (except the very - beautiful Hôtel de Ville) in the interest of our defence and the - protection of our troops. My heart bleeds when I see that such - measures have been rendered inevitable, and when I think of the - innumerable innocent persons who have lost their homes and their - belongings as a result of the deeds of the criminals in question. - - "WILHELM I.R." - THE GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT. - - DECLARATION OF THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EMPIRE TO THE ASSOCIATED AND - UNITED PRESS, NEW YORK. - - ... In this way England will tell your compatriots that the German - troops have burned and sacked Belgian towns and villages, but - she will carefully conceal the fact that young Belgian girls have - gouged out the eyes of wounded men stretched defenceless on the - field of battle, that the functionaries of Belgian towns have - invited German officers to dinner and have treacherously shot - them dead at table. Contrary to international law, the whole - civil population of Belgium has been called to arms[33] and has - treacherously risen against our troops with concealed arms and a - perfidy incredible after having first of all feigned a friendly - welcome. Belgian women have cut the throats of German soldiers - quartered on them while they slept.... - - _Journal de la Guerre_ (an organ of German propaganda). - -We will suppose, for the time being--to be extremely generous to the -Kaiser and his Chancellor--that they accepted, in good faith, the -accusations of cruelty brought against the Belgians, and that they -carefully refrained from investigating them, so that they should not be -forced to recognize their imbecility. - - -_Voluntary Blindness of the "Intellectual._" - -Perhaps it will be objected that the examples hitherto cited emanate -chiefly from politicians and literary men, who are not accustomed to -exercise their judgment. But there are also the manifestoes of the -professorial body, that is, those whose essential mission consists in -passing facts and ideas through the sieve of criticism, to isolate the -true from the false, and to extract from error the fragment of truth -which may have fallen into it. For what is the effect of teaching, of -whatever degree, if it is not the constant alertness of the critical -spirit, which seeks, in all things and at every moment, to separate -that which is true and which should therefore be communicated to the -disciple from the medley of false and useless things which may with -impunity be abandoned to oblivion? And when the teacher is also a -seeker, has he not once more unceasingly to exercise his critical -spirit, that he may recognize in the host of ideas which present -themselves to him those which may lead him to the desired end--and, -once this is attained, those which he may use as a touchstone to test -experimentally the validity of these deductions? In short, for the -professor and the scientific worker there is no intellectual faculty -more indispensable than the critical spirit. - -Now among those who have dashed into the lists to champion, with their -pens, the rights of Germany, and to crush her adversaries, we must -make a quite special mention of the professors and schoolmasters. Let -us begin with the latter. Their principal argument in denial of the -barbarous conduct of which the German troops have been accused, is -that it would be incompatible with the flourishing condition of the -educational institutions of Germany. As though elementary education -was capable of eliminating from humanity the profound imprints of its -intimate mentality! Instruction may hide them, as under a veneer, but -it can never cause their disappearance. - -The Germans, after Sadowa and the war of 1870-1, declared that the -whole honour of their victories was due to their primary education. -"The French campaign is the triumph of the German schoolmaster." Those -who in Belgium have seen the villages devastated by fire and the graves -of the civilians shot, and above all the pillaged homes, with furniture -and crockery broken into small fragments, and the filthy beds, will -carry away the impression that "the Belgian campaign is the bankruptcy -of the German schoolmaster." - - -_The Manifesto of the "Ninety-three."_ - -The famous manifesto of the "ninety-three Intellectuals" to the -civilized world is only too well known, and has already been so -universally execrated, that there is no need to discuss it at length. -The reading of this document, which ought to be carefully preserved -for the edification of future generations, might almost make us doubt -the sanity of the signatories. How could they have imagined that "the -civilized world" would accept their affirmations and their denials? -Both are equally devoid of proof. To cite only one proposition--what -are we to think of the amazing declaration that not a single Belgian -citizen has lost his life or his property--except in the case of -the bitterest necessity? Have they never seen the train-loads of -"war-booty" entering Germany? It would certainly be interesting to -hear them explain what is the "bitter necessity," under whose empire -pianos and pictures have to be carried off from Belgium, or that which -compels the Germans to force the collecting-boxes in the churches, or -that which made them shoot Father Dupierreux for writing in his diary -impressions unfavourable to the Germans! - -It would be cruel to insist. The "Ninety-three" have already earned, -as the first penalty of their evil action, the disgust of the whole -world. Further dissection of their libel inevitably leads us to the -conclusion that the signatories display therein either their lack -of intelligence or their servility; and that their only plausible -excuse is that they allowed themselves to be carried away by their -German pride, the most incommensurable, intolerant, and insupportable -which the world has ever known. We will confine ourselves to -referring the reader to the principal replies which were made to the -manifesto of the "Ninety-three." They are those of M. Seippel, Mr. -Church, the Portuguese Academy of Sciences, the French Academy of -Inscriptions and Belles Lettres, the French Academy of Medicine, the -French Universities, the Zoological Society of France, the English -"intellectuals," M. Ruyssen, M. Vandervelde, and _Simplicissimus_. - -There is yet one point to be mentioned. The declaration of the German -"intellectuals" was first made known to us by an article in the _Kriegs -Echo_ of the 16th October, 1914, entitled _Es ist Nicht Wahr_, and -giving the whole manifesto, excepting the signatures and the paragraph -referring to Louvain. Well! when we had read this tissue of flagrant -lies we attributed it to some journalist who dared not even sign his -name to his lucubrations. And when, later, we were told that the -authors--or more exactly the signatories--comprised some of the most -celebrated writers in Germany, we believed the whole thing must be a -hoax. But we had to admit the evidence. It was for many of us a very -painful moment when our illusions as to the stability of science in -Germany were thus dispelled. - - -_The Manifesto of the 3,125 Professors._ - -Did the Government consider that the representatives of science and -art were not yet sufficiently compromised, and that they had not yet -sufficiently involved the fate of the Universities with that of -Militarism? In any case, only a few days after the publication of the -manifesto of the "Ninety-three" a fresh declaration appeared, devoted -entirely to the promotion of the solidarity of superior education -with the army, and signed by 3,125 names, or those of almost all the -professors of Germany. - -The mentality of the masters pales before that of the disciples. -The Brussels correspondent of the _N.R.C._ relates (_N.R.C._, 11th -November, 1914, morning), that of the innumerable soldiers whom he -has seen passing, the only ones whose attitude was insolent were -young university students of Berlin. Moreover, the German Socialists -who visited our _Maison du Peuple_ avowed that the troops who burned -Louvain were principally composed of "intellectuals"! - -Besides the intellectuals of the teaching profession and the arts, -those "barbarian scholars," as M. Emile Boutroux calls them, there -is another category, which has likewise been mobilized to defend the -militarist spirit and the Hohenzollern dynasty. This is the clergy: -Protestant pastors, Catholic priests, Israelitish rabbis; all without -distinction have been touched by the militarist grace and have entered -the campaign for the good cause. - - -_The Protestant Pastors._ - -Honour where honour is due! Herr O. Dryander, first preacher to the -Court of Berlin, published a collective letter, drafted by himself, -Herr Lahusen, and Herr Axenfeld, in reply to M. Babut's appeal for a -declaration from the Christians of the belligerent countries, demanding -that the war should be conducted conformably with Christian principles -and the laws of humanity.[34] Herr Dryander and his acolytes refuse -to entertain the idea that "a step of this nature could be necessary -in Germany in order that the war shall be conducted conformably with -Christian ideas and the claims of the most elementary humanity." -Without cross-examination, without any sort of discussion, they adopt -the accusations made against the armies of the Allies, and they deny -the actions of which the Germans are accused. This is, as will be seen, -the same method as that of the German Freemasons in an analogous case. -Then they naturally sing the old refrain: "The war has been forced upon -Germany" (they do not say "by Belgium"). In short, there is no need to -throw any light on the subject, as there is already light within their -minds, and the German mind is of course the only mind one must take -into account. - -The same theologian has published several pamphlets of sermons; -_Evangelische Reden in Schwerer Zeit_. The general theme remains -the same. "We have been compelled to accept war" (1, p. 5); "We are -fighting for our _Kultur_ against the absence of _Kultur_--for German -morality against barbarism--for the free German personality, attached -to God, against the instincts of the disorderly masses" (1, p. 7). "If -God be for us, who can be against us?"[35] "Now if ever there was a -just cause assuredly it is ours" (1, p. 9). "War is a duty only when -it is undertaken for legitimate defence.... Let us thank God that in -the present war our state of legitimate defence is so secure and so -evident, and that it is almost every day stayed up by fresh proofs; -also we have unshakable confidence in our right and in the purity of -our conscience" (2, pp. 38-9). - -Here is a sermon of a somewhat peculiar kind. Herr Busch, having -explained that Germany is like a peaceful stroller who suddenly finds -himself attacked by two assassins, and then by a third (p. 5), declares -that "in spite of all the German soldiers love their enemies." "God -be thanked," he says, "we have already read of most touching examples -in the newspapers. A German sergeant-major, who had been obliged to -have a man and woman shot, in Belgium, after a council of war, adopted -their only child, a little girl of two or three years; for he was -himself without children; as his regiment soon afterwards left for -Eastern Prussia, and was passing through his own town, he took the -child to give it to his wife" (p. 9). Pray God--we might add, whose -civilization is only Belgian--that there are not too many married men -without children among the soldiers of the Kaiser, for they have a way -of making orphans in order to adopt them which would cost our country -dear. - -Herr Correvon, pastor of the Reformed Church (French-speaking) in -Frankfort-on-Main, preached a sermon on the 9th August, 1914, on the -text: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" His arguments amount -to this: Germany, having the right on her side, will have God on her -side also. He naturally speaks of "the firm and admirable speech of the -Chancellor, a man whom I can only compare with a Duplessis-Mornay, the -minister of Henri IV" (p. 11). Then, having summarized the Emperor's -speech, he cried: "To solve the alarming problem of these social -questions ... it needed only the potent gesture with which the God who -is always the strong city, the '_feste Burg_' of Germany, the God of -Luther, the God of Paul Gerhard and Sebastian Bach, has pronounced the -terrible and perhaps the liberating word: 'You wish for war, you shall -have it'!" - -We see that from the very first days of the war, before any one could -have verified the statements of the Chancellor, the Protestant pastors -of Germany, even those of foreign origin, unhesitatingly accepted the -official assertions. Is it as pastors that they stand forth as the -stern defenders of the rights of truth? Are they not rather spiritless -courtiers, we might almost say like the sheep of Panurge? - - -_The Catholic Priests and Rabbis._ - -The Catholic priests have given proofs of equal docility. Mgr. the -Cardinal Felix von Hartmann, Archbishop of Cologne, says in _The Divine -Providence_, a pastoral letter read on the 25th of January, 1915:-- - - "Our warriors have gone forth to the bloody conflict, with God, for - King and Country! With God, in the conflict which has been forced - upon us, the fight for the salvation and the liberty of our dear - German land; with God, in the war for the sacred possessions of - Christianity and its beneficent civilization. And what exploits - have not our warriors accomplished, under the protection of God, - under the leadership of their wonderful chiefs, the Emperor and - the German Princes, exploits whose glory shall shine in times to - come! And more, what precious treasures of devotion, of love for - one's neighbour, and of nobility, has not this war revealed, in our - country as on the field of battle!" - -The curate August Ritzl, however, falls into the sin of pride. - - "Kultur has received an unheard-of impulse in Germany; the human - spirit has subjected the most diverse forces of nature.... A - glance at the map shows us the German Empire as the centre of - Europe. On all sides, near and far, enemies are intent on the ruin - of our country. To the east the giant empire of Russia threatens - us--to the west, violent France, still strong despite her moral - decay--allied with English perfidy and Belgian cruelty; Japan, - Serbia, and Egypt have also declared war upon us" (pp. 26-27). - -Well, reverend sir, before proclaiming the cruelty of the Belgians, -before asserting, from the vantage of the pulpit of Truth, that Serbia -and Egypt have declared war on Germany, a little circumspection and -critical sense would not have been out of place! - -Let us also cite the sermon preached on the 9th August, in the -synagogue of Schwerin, by Dr. S. Silberstein, rabbi of the Grand Duchy -of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. "They have forced us to put our hand to the -sword; we execrate the perfidy with which our enemies are fighting us; -we wish to ward off the danger that threatens us in honourable combat." -So the Jewish rabbis knew as early as the 9th August that it was -Germany that had been attacked, and that the other nations were forgers! - -Useless to prolong the series.... We should be only repeating -ourselves; for all the preachers, of whatever confession, repeat the -same lesson, almost in the same words: "The war which has been forced -upon us ... our treacherous enemies ... our loyal allies ... the cruel -Belgians ... our excellent soldiers, allying goodness to bravery ... -our heroic leaders...." - - -B.--Untruthfulness. - -To describe frankly and completely the attitude of the Germans in -Belgium during the present war, without speaking of their duplicity, -would be an impossible task; so that the reader must not be surprised -that on every page of our record we have pinned down at least one -lie. We must not forget that modern Germany follows the examples of -Bismarck, and that Bismarck himself proclaimed that he had caused the -outbreak of the war of 1870 by a skilful falsification of a Government -despatch. At the time of the centenary of the Iron Chancellor's -birth--the 1st April, 1915--the German newspapers gave their lyric -enthusiasm a loose rein; but none of the endless dithyrambics -consecrated to the glorification of the Great Man contained a single -word of blame for the forgery itself--abominable as it was--nor for the -ostentatious impudence with which its author confessed it. - -What honesty can we expect in a people which praises to the skies a -forger because he was a forger, and a forger proud of his skill! - - -1. A FEW LIES. - -Number 50 of _Die Wochenschau_ (1914, p. 1588) contains a photograph -in which we see sailors loading a gun installed among sand-hills. The -inscription underneath (translated from the German) reads: "Belgian -gun, captured and served by German sailors on the coast of the -Channel." The Channel! The Germans have never been there: they did set -out, full of enthusiasm, for Calais, and then the shore of the Channel, -and then London. But in that direction they never got farther than -Lombartzyde, on the right bank of the Yser. But they prefer to let it -be believed that they command the Channel, so they have chosen the -Channel coast for the site of their gun--on paper. Then this "Belgian -gun" is of a curious type for a piece of Belgian artillery; our guns -have a rectangular shield, while the shield of the German guns is -round--just like that in the photograph! Finally, one may ask what the -gunners are aiming at on this seashore, with their small gun? Certainly -not one of the English vessels bombarding the Belgian coast, for these -lie much too far out to sea; perhaps the Germans are amusing themselves -by firing shells at the shrimpers, to repeat their memorable exploit of -the 8th September, 1914? Well, that makes three flagrant lies to one -single photograph! - -Number 15 of _Die Wochenschau_ (1915) gives on page 463 a view of -the interior of the Palais de Justice in Brussels. Here is the -description--a French translation is given: "German soldiers in the -hall of the Assize Court in the Palais de Justice of Brussels. Brussels -having become the seat of the German General Government for Belgium, -has naturally a strong garrison and a very animated military life. The -famous Palais de Justice on the Place Poelaert also houses a great -number of soldiers. Nothing is more singular than the picture presented -by this imposing and luxurious building with the new inmates in -'campaigning grey' who are installed there. A thousand precautions are -taken so that nothing shall be spoiled; and while wherever the enemy -has trodden on German soil it will be necessary to work for a long time -rebuilding the buildings he has destroyed, no one will perceive, who -sees the superb halls of the Palais de Justice in Brussels, that the -German soldiers are billeted there." - -To understand the full beauty of this pleasantry one has only to look -at the picture. One sees there the linen which these soldiers are -drying on clotheslines stretched across the "luxurious hall"; this, -apparently, is one of the "thousand precautions" taken in order that -nothing may be spoiled. - -It was desired to prove that England had already been forced to send -marines into France. No. 27 of the _Illustrierte Kriegs-Kurier_, -a semi-official, subsidized organ, represents "President Poincaré -visiting the British forces in France. One sees him reviewing the -artillery of the Royal Marines." And we do see President Poincaré -passing in front of two ranks of British soldiers armed with rifles. -But was it in France that this review took place, during the present -war? Consult the July number of the French illustrated periodical, -_Lectures pour tous_, for 1913. On page 1245 you will find a -photograph entitled "The Consecration of the Entente Cordiale. M. -Poincaré, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, reviewing his guard of -honour on his arrival at Portsmouth (24th June, 1913)." Now the same -personages and the same soldiers figure in the two photographs; and the -surroundings are the same. The only difference is that one photograph -was taken a moment later than the other. - -It seems that trickery of this kind is believed not to be a German -speciality. Our neighbours accuse the Russians and the English of the -same fault. But a kind of lie of which Germany may boldly claim the -paternity and the exclusive monopoly is that which consists in denying, -or at least in considerably diminishing, the extent of their acts of -vandalism. On the other hand, they try to deceive their readers as to -the causes of the destruction of Belgian towns. - -Thus they are now trying to make people believe that Louvain was not -intentionally burned, but that the town suffered a bombardment. This -is the legend which they related to Dr. Sven Hedin, while calling his -attention to the accuracy of their fire:-- - - "Eleven miles to Louvain. Once in the town one goes a good way - before coming to the first ruins. By no means all Louvain has - been destroyed by the bombardment, as is imagined. Hardly a fifth - of the town is destroyed. It is true that this fifth included - many precious buildings, which cannot be replaced; particularly - regrettable is the loss of the library. In the midst of this - destruction, however, like a rock in the midst of the sea, rises - the Hôtel de Ville, the proud jewel of the period of 1450, with its - six slender open towers. I went right round the Hôtel de Ville, and - I could not with the best will in the world discover a scratch on - these walls, with their prodigal richness of ornamentation. Perhaps - there may somewhere be a scratch from a shell-splinter which - escaped my eyes. Thanks to the excellence of the German fire not a - single moulding of the six towers has been damaged. The reason for - the bombardment of Louvain is known. The civil population fired - from the windows on the German troops at the time of their entering - the town, and as this crime could not be punished otherwise, the - houses were burned by bombardment. When the German soldiers sought - to extinguish the flames in the houses adjacent to the Hôtel de - Ville the francs-tireurs again fired on them with their carbines. - _Any other army in the world would have done the same_, and the - Germans have themselves profoundly regretted that they were forced - against their will to resort to such means." - - (SVEN HEDIN, _Ein Volk in Waffen_, p. 149.) - -They told the same story at Termonde to Herren Koester and Noske: "It -is certain," say these gentlemen, "that Termonde was not intentionally -burned." - -On the other hand, the Germans try to dissemble the extent of the -damage inflicted. In the October issue of the official and propagandist -_Journal de la Guerre_ they give a plan of Louvain on which the parts -destroyed are shown by shading. Now this plan is falsified in two -ways. In the first place, no distinction is made between the portion -built on and that occupied by market gardeners, which is considerable; -so that the ratio of the part destroyed to the part left intact is -distorted. Secondly, this portion is absolutely diminished; many -quarters burned are shown as intact; to mention only one example, the -Old Market, where only the College of the Josephites and a few adjacent -houses have been left standing, is marked as untouched by fire. - -There is yet another kind of graphic lie which is peculiar to the -Germans. They are experts at displaying sentimentality to order; a -sentimentality, by the way, which goes ill with their incontestable -cruelty. Thus they have several times published photographs -representing German soldiers sharing their bread or soup with French -and Belgian women or children. One is particularly inclined to let -oneself be touched by the kindliness of these German warriors, -who, after having been so treacherously attacked by the terrible -"francs-tireurs," now take the bread from their own mouths to feed -the starving population.... What these public demonstrations of -German generosity and magnanimity are worth one may judge from the -photograph published in No. 16 of the _Illustrierte Kriegs-Kurier_. (It -is interesting to note that it is always the _Kurier_, semi-official -and subsidized, which bears the palm for sincerity.) The illustration -shows that "the soldiers of the German Landsturm share their bread with -French children." Now, this little scene, otherwise very convincing, -is not laid in France but in Belgium, in the railway station at -Buysinghen, near Hal. It is wholly "faked." - -This is not the only instance in which the Germans have built up -scenes to be photographed or cinematographed. Here is another. On the -20th October, 1914, a military band had been playing on the terrace -of the Botanical Gardens of Brussels, and some German officers were -strolling round the musicians. At the same time a cinematographic -camera was set up in the Rue Royale. It was naturally hoped that large -numbers of the public would gather near the band, so that a nice -film could be obtained, showing a crowd of Belgian citizens present -at a military concert, and fraternizing with the German officers. -Alas, the Germans had counted without the hatred which the people -of Brussels entertain for anything which concerns our oppressors! -At the first thumps of the big drum the promenaders rapidly melted -away, and the disappointed officers were left alone. The scheme -had failed! A fresh attempt was made on the 26th, on the Boulevard -Anspach, near the Bourse; that is, at the busiest spot in Brussels. -The number of passers-by there is always so great that it is easy to -give the impression of a crowd. Yet those who had occasion to preside -over the unwinding of the film discovered that not a few people were -ostentatiously turning their backs upon the musicians. This, by the -way, is the favourite attitude of the people of Brussels when, at -about eleven o'clock each morning, the military band--a true barbarian -orchestra--passes down the Rue Royale and along the Park. - -No. 31 of this semi-official journal shows "the band of the German -Marines which plays every Sunday at Zeebrugge." Now a street like that -represented, with tall contiguous houses and large shops, does not -exist in Zeebrugge. - -No. 3 of the same paper (it must certainly justify the Government -subsidy) shows us, in these photographs, the entry of the German -Marines into Antwerp. Only the photographs were taken in Brussels, at -the corner of the Rue de la Loi and the Rue Ducale. - -The same number contains two photographs of the Hôtel de Ville, -Louvain: "Before and after the Bombardment"(!) - -Naturally our Washingtonian enemies do not miss their opportunities -of falsifying picture postcards. In January 1915 they were selling in -Belgium a card entitled _Kriegsoperationskarte als Feld-Postbrief_ -(published by Forkel, Stuttgart), according to which they were -occupying, in Flanders, a region considerably to the west of the Yser; -their front reaching to Oost-Dunkerke and Poperinghe. Another card, -showing the country round Verdun, is even more flagrantly untruthful. - - -_Written Lies._ - -Let us pass on to the written lies. - -The reader will remember the innumerable lies told by the German Press -respecting the attitude of the Belgian population toward the German -residents in our towns (p. 106), the German wounded (p. 99), and the -German troops passing through or billeted in them. We shall not return -to these again, save to refer to other inventions which the Germans -employed to excite their troops against ours. - -Not content with accusing us of the most unspeakable crimes against -their army, the Germans have even accused us of odious crimes against -our own countrymen. In this way they seek to prove the bestially -ferocious character of the Belgians. - -In the booklet entitled _Sturmnacht in Loewen_ (A Night of Alarm in -Louvain) Herr Robert Heymann, after reminding his readers of the -cruelties of which the Belgians were guilty in Antwerp, Brussels, etc., -adds that these savage deeds were by no means surprising on the part of -a people which does not even respect its own fellow-citizens. Then (p. -8) he relates the "Brutalities committed against a Convent." This is -too interesting an effort to suffer a word of suppression. - - BRUTAL ATTACK ON A CONVENT. - - Let us hear one of those concerned relate his tribulations. The - story constitutes an important document, testifying to the high - level of Germany as regards morality and _Kultur_: Germany, who has - something better to do in this war than to commit any bloodthirsty - action. - - A great mission has fallen to Germany, and the day is no longer - distant when all the neutral nations will realize this. - - This is the "story of the Brothers of Silence." - - The convent of the Jesuits is situated quite close to Liége, on a - hill about 600 yards from the southern fort (_a_). I had been a - brother of the convent for two years. We brothers do not read the - newspapers, and by reason of our vow of silence (_b_) we do not - speak either, so that we knew nothing about the war. - - On Tuesday, the 6th August, I, simultaneously with seven other - brothers, took the watch from noon to midnight. In the night, at - 11.15, I suddenly heard a sound completely unknown to me. I went - out into the courtyard, whence, to one side, I could see Liége and - its forts. I saw, at some distance, in the sky, a little light; - this told me that the thing was in the air. I intended to pursue my - rounds, but the snoring sound which was approaching, although the - life of the world has no interest for me, made me halt. The light - came nearer and nearer; the noise had ceased. The idea occurred - to me that this might be a dirigible; but no, all of a sudden a - blinding light illumined the earth. It is the star of the Magi, - announcing something, I thought; I will follow it with my eyes. - In the radiance down below I saw everything plainly--portions of - the fortress and other things. Then, lit up by reflection from the - illuminated earth, I saw that there really was a powerful dirigible - there (_c_). I felt inclined to shout for joy; I had never yet - seen a dirigible. The light lasted only a few seconds, but to me - it seemed a long time. My eyes were not yet accustomed to the - darkness of the night, when I heard a crash. I looked up to the - sky; I saw nothing; the little light was quietly moving away; but - down below there was plenty to see--fire, and smoke! In the light I - could easily see everything. I also heard the echo. I had not had - time to recover from my great alarm when a second light appeared - on the earth, rather close to me. This time I could see still more - clearly that it was a dirigible. It seemed to me that at the end of - a long cable was suspended, very low down, a metal car, in which - stood a man. I saw him distinctly with his two hands throwing an - object into the illumined part. Immediately afterwards the light - on the ground disappeared. I continued, however, to gaze at the - same spot. A mighty sheaf of fire gushed up, while great blocks - were thrown into the air on every side. What a terrible crash! My - ear-drums seemed broken; I was as though deaf. The earth trembled - so violently underfoot that I staggered. Greatly alarmed, I still - watched the same place. The blinding sheaf of fire had turned - into a dense mass of smoke, which was rising slowly into the air. - Little by little it grew lighter, like a white vapour. Finally the - vicinity lit up as though on fire. - - I tried to note whether the fire was spreading, when I was - shaken by a fresh crash. This terrible spectacle repeated itself - continually, but was gradually moving away. From 11.15 to - midnight 12 bombs were thrown on the forts. In the interval of - the explosions one heard the snoring of the motors. After the - last explosion the dirigible rose, moved off, and disappeared. I - remained with my eyes fixed in the same direction; the clock of the - convent struck midnight. - - The seven brothers who had been keeping the watch and I myself - remained in the courtyard with those who came to relieve us. No - one could think of sleep. The other brothers and the fathers (we - were 500) remained indoors, watching the burning fortress from the - windows. - - As I was no longer on guard I went to seek a ladder, and in order - to see better I climbed a wall situated a little farther down, and - some 10 feet high. I remained there until four o'clock. About two - o'clock there began, down below in the city, a sound of isolated - rifle-shots, and shouts which soon grew louder and louder. - - At last an infernal uproar reached my ears, and numerous fires - broke out in that part of the city neighbouring on the convent. - - At four o'clock the bell called us to the church. It was an - extraordinary thing: despite our alarm we all remained obedient - to our vow of silence. We must not speak! But it became a real - torment, for our devotions lasted for two long hours. - - By the shock of the explosions the beautiful stained-glass windows - were bent inwards like sails swollen by the wind. The walls of - stone, nearly 3 feet in thickness, which surrounded the courtyard, - showed long, deep fissures. When at 6 a.m. we left the church the - shots and the shouting were still more terrible, and the fires more - numerous and farther towards the interior of the town. - - As usual, the porter opened the gate at six. How alarming! Hundreds - of Belgians from the neighbourhood rushed into the courtyard. As - we feared the convent might be sacked (_f_), the porter attempted - at first to drive them back. A brother said: "Go! you shall have - all you want!" The misguided populace immediately seized knives and - killed 20 of our brothers and one father. I myself rushed to the - bell in the courtyard and rang the alarm. Armed with pitchforks - and manure-forks and spades (_g_), the brothers rushed into the - courtyard and drove out the mob. Two brothers, who during the fight - were carried away in the crowd, were discovered hacked to pieces, - mangled as though by wild beasts. Their bodies were a dreadful - sight. A Belgian brother, hearing the alarm, seized a fork, and - so armed he rushed towards the gate, thinking to fight German - soldiers. When he saw that his assailants were his compatriots he - turned his arms against us, his brothers, shouting like a madman: - "You are mad, you are mad!" After a brief struggle the fork was - torn away from him. He was seized and thrown over the wall. He had - turned his arms against his brothers; but above all he had broken - his vow of silence. - - The fight had lasted barely a quarter of an hour. After the gate - was closed--at 6.15, our usual breakfast hour--we assembled in the - refectory for our meal. - - Despite these extraordinary events I was extremely hungry. We - now felt safe. But when, after the twenty minutes which our meal - lasted, we returned to the courtyard, we saw that the Belgian - brutes had in two places set fire to the convent. They had dragged - our corn and hay under the wood-shed which stood not far from the - convent; they had also pushed carts loaded with corn in the shock - against the buildings and outhouses (_g_), and had set fire to the - whole. The flames were already reaching the gable. It was no use - dreaming of saving anything, for all the buildings were connected - with one another. This was a sore trial. But it could not break our - vow of silence, and, doubly mute, we watched the flames. Our sorrow - found vent in tears when we saw our Superior burst into sobs. He - came into our midst; as all the fathers may speak, he said aloud: - "Go and save what you can!" and we carried out his orders. - - Rapidly we telephoned to the Belgian authorities at Liége to obtain - help and protection. But to our great alarm _German soldiers_ - appeared at this moment. As Germany does not allow us Jesuits - within her frontiers, we were extremely anxious. On account of the - presence of the German troops we wanted to carry back into the - convent the precious treasures already brought into the court; but - the leader of the German troops explained to our Superior that - this portion of Liége was already in the hands of the Germans. We - therefore placed ourselves under their protection. We had no reason - to regret it. The German escort came with eight automobiles, which - bore our inestimable treasures into Germany; paintings, which in - our haste we cut from their frames and rolled like paper; our - sacred golden vessels, and our fathers (_h_). In great haste we had - dug a huge ditch, in which, without religious ceremony and without - words, we buried our 20 assassinated brothers and the father who - was killed. While the fire continued to burn the hundreds of - brothers remaining ran hither and thither in unspeakable disorder, - seeking their clothes and shoes. I had wooden shoes on and could - not find shoes to fit me; but I saw, to my great amazement, four - pairs of shoes in my box. Everything was stuffed into the boxes and - forced down with the feet, in all haste. - - So, on Saturday (_i_), at dawn, 350 brothers left the still - smoking convent to cross the German frontier. For three hours each - painfully dragged along what modest belongings he had saved. One - old brother of eighty years remained behind; he declared, when - abandoned: "I wish to die here." Although the German soldiers - protected us as we proceeded, the Belgian people still attacked us - frequently. I received violent kicks, blows on the legs, and all - over my body. For two nights none of us slept, and in addition we - were greatly perturbed and in terrible trouble. - - When, after unheard-of exertions, we dragged ourselves across the - frontier, we let ourselves fall exhausted in a meadow, where we - slept, a leaden slumber, protected and watched by the Germans, from - morning to sunset. - - (ROBERT HEYMANN, _Sturmnacht in Loewen_, pp. 8-13.) - -As will be seen, this is a story to make the flesh creep. Still, it -seems to us to present certain difficulties. - -(_a_) There is no convent of Jesuits near Liége about 600 yards from -one of the southern forts (Boncelles, Embourg, and Chaudfontaine). - -(_b_) The Jesuit brothers are _not_ compelled to keep silence. No -doubt the author chose the Jesuits because the order is excluded from -Germany, so that he would expect his compatriots to know nothing of the -rule of the Jesuit communities. - -(_c_) How did these brothers, who read no newspapers and never spoke, -know of the existence of dirigibles? - -But apart from all this, the facts are incorrect. At no time did a -dirigible fly over Liége during the siege. - -The people of Liége saw a German dirigible for the first time on the -1st September, 1914, at 10 p.m. On the following day, at 6 p.m., they -saw another. - -(_d_) Therefore fires could not have been lit by the bombs from these -dirigibles. - -(_e_) Where have stained-glass windows ever been seen to bulge like -sails under the shock of an explosion capable of cracking walls over 30 -inches in thickness? - -(_f_) Nothing had happened so far to give any one the idea that the -convent was about to be pillaged. - -(_g_) Since when have the Jesuit convents owned farms, etc., or been -equipped with hay-forks, manure-forks, spades, hay-carts, etc.? - -(_h_) It is delightful to note that in enumerating the precious -possessions of the convent the Jesuit fathers occupy the very last -place, after the pictures and the gold plate! But this impertinence is -more apparent than real; for the narrator has just stated that the 150 -Jesuit fathers were packed, together with the pictures and the sacred -vessels, in _eight_ motor-cars! Evidently they were very tiny Jesuits. -It must have been their minuteness that saved them; for the author -has reminded us that Jesuits (of ordinary size) are not admitted into -Germany; but these, happily, passed unperceived. - -(_i_) It was not Saturday, but Friday. - -It is by such inventions--presented as the narratives of eye-witnesses, -and not as romances--that the Germans excite against us both their -troops and their home population. The method has given excellent -results; nothing gives better proof of its efficiency than the first -paragraph of the story of _The Battle of Charleroi_, in which we read -that at the beginning of August many trucks passed through Belgium -which bore the inscription:-- - - _Gegen Frankreich mit Mut, - Gegen Belgiën mit Wut._ - - (Against France with courage; against Belgium with rage.) - -Which shows to what a pitch the minds of the German troops had been -excited against us. - - -_A "French Dirigible" Captured by the Germans._ - -Other inscriptions on the railway carriages and vans are not -uninteresting to the student of _Kultur_. - -On the 5th March, 1915, we learned from ocular witnesses that a German -dirigible was lost, on the 4th, at Overhespen, near Tirlemont. _La -Belgique_ of the 6th March contained a few details. - - BRUSSELS, _5th March_ (Official).--The Zeppelin dirigible L8, - returning yesterday from a fruitful voyage of exploration, came - to earth in the darkness near Tirlemont, and, during the process - of landing, struck against some trees. It was rather seriously - damaged, so that it seemed preferable to dismantle it. The - operation was completed very rapidly by the soldiers of the - aviation department of Brussels, who were despatched to the spot. - The dismantled parts will be transported to Germany, there to be - rebuilt. - -In reality the "rather serious damage" meant that the balloon was -completely destroyed, and that twenty of the twenty-eight occupants -of the cars were killed. So far we would not describe the report as -a lie, as it does not exceed the habitual limits of our enemies' -official telegrams. But this goes a little too far: At Tirlemont the -report was spread that the dirigible in question was French, and that -it was skilfully captured by German troops; and on the trucks which -bore the metallic remains of the Zeppelin to Germany was written, in -large letters: _Erobertes Französisches Luftschiff_ (Captured French -Airship). This is no longer a manipulated truth, but a downright lie. - - -_The Transportation of the German Dead._ - -Here is another fraud of the same kind. When the number of the German -dead is too great for burial on the field of battle they evacuate the -surplus into other districts. The bodies are usually transported in -closed vans. But sometimes these are lacking, and the bodies have to -be packed into goods wagons. Nothing outside indicates the contents of -these wagons; it may be supposed that the authorities have no desire -to publish the extent of their losses. For this reason the corpses are -always hidden under something else; one sees passing, for example, what -appears to be a trainload of sugar-beet, but in reality the bodies -of soldiers are being transported. A biologist might call this an -interesting case of protective mimicry. - - -_Some Lying Placards._ - -The German authorities have no scruples about posting up false news. -For several weeks one might read, on the walls of the Hôtel de Ville at -Vilvorde, the following placard:-- - - NOTICE. - - Antwerp surrendered to-day with its army. - - THE DISTRICT COMMANDANT. - (Signature illegible.) - - VILVORDE, _9th October, 1914_. - -With its army! When the Germans were all crestfallen at having laid -hands on an empty nest! - -This is merely grotesque; but here are three placards which belong to -the system of intimidation _à outrance_. - -We have already stated (p. 147) that placards exhibited in Louvain -stated that the town of Mons was forced to pay a fine because a -civilian had fired on the German army. Now the fact was wholly -imaginary; never did any civilian of Mons fire on the Germans; never -did they accuse one of having done so; so that they never had occasion -to fine the town on that account. All is false here, from the first -word to the last. - -While at Louvain they were posting up the placard relating to Mons, -they were exhibiting at Mons a notice according to which certain -inhabitants of Soignies had fired on the German troops. This also was -a sheer falsehood. No such action was imputed to any inhabitant of -Soignies. At Charleroi they advertised the statement that they had -inflicted a penalty on Anderlues for a similar offence. Here, once -more, both accusation and penalty were pure inventions. - -Here is an equally untruthful placard. It was posted up at Cugnon -(Luxemburg) early in October, 1914, between the fall of the first forts -at Antwerp and the taking of the city. It announces the destruction of -the line of forts between Verdun and Toul, and the march on Paris (a -month after the battle of the Marne!). Its principal interest lies in -the signature: the burgomaster did not know of the placard until it -was posted; the military authorities had simply forged his name. This -did not prevent them from forcing the commune of Cugnon to pay for the -printing of these lies. - - -_M. Max's Denial._ - -The most interesting example of lying by placard is undoubtedly that -which was revealed by the burgomaster of Brussels. On the 30th August -one might read, on the walls of the capital, a notice in which M. Max -gave the lie to a placard posted at Liége. This is it:-- - - CITY OF BRUSSELS. - - The German governor of the city of Liége, Lieutenant-General von - Kolewe, yesterday had the following notice exposed:-- - - _To the Inhabitants of the City of Liége._ - - "The burgomaster of Brussels has informed the German commandant - that the French Government has declared to the Belgian Government - the impossibility of assisting it offensively in any way, as it is - itself forced to assume the defensive." - - _To this assertion I oppose the most positive denial._ - - THE BURGOMASTER, - ADOLPHE MAX. - - BRUSSELS, _30th August, 1914_. - -Since their burgomaster declared the assertion to be false, no doubt -could remain in the minds of the people of Brussels. But, curiously -enough, beside M. Max's placard there remained a German placard, which -had been posted two days earlier, and in which it was stated:-- - - On the 25th inst. the official French newspapers published a - communication from the French Government stating that the French - armies being forced to assume the defensive would no longer be in a - position to assist Belgium in the matter of a military offensive. - - BRUSSELS, _23rd August, 1914_. - -The only serious difference between the two texts was that at Liége -the burgomaster of Brussels guaranteed the truth of the _communiqué_. -So the impression was given that it was Herr von Kolewe who had the -idea of bringing M. Max's name into this ridiculous statement, in -the hope of giving it some weight. But no! Von Kolewe was innocent -of the forgery; it was the work of the German General Staff, and -was distributed by the Wolff Agency, as we learned a little later. -The Liége _communiqué_ is precisely the official German telegram as -published everywhere--for example, in _Les Nouvelles_, "published by -the authorization of the German Military Authority," at Spa, on the -30th August, 1914; by the _N.R.C._, on the 28th August; by the _K.Z._ -(see _Kriegs-Depeschen_, p. 41); and by the _Frankfurter Zeitung_ (see -_Der Grosse Krieg_, p. 172). - -What, then, is the meaning of the first telegram posted in -Brussels--that of the 25th August, in which no mention of the -burgomaster occurs? Simply this: the German Government was announcing -to the whole world an item of "news" whose improbability required to -be supported by the word of an honest man, such as the burgomaster of -Brussels. A lie so gross and flagrant might be published at Liége, but -not in Brussels itself. Unfortunately the Germans had not succeeded in -cutting off communication between Liége and Brussels; on the day after -its appearance the Liége placard had reached M. Max, and he was able to -issue his famous denial. The effect was tremendous. From that moment -the people of Brussels no longer believed any "official news."[36] Did -the Germans make any attempt to reply to the denial? None: why attempt -the impossible? But they prohibited, with their usual heaviness, the -publication of any placards, even by the municipality. - - - IMPORTANT NOTICE. - - The publication of placards, unless they have received my special - permission, is strictly prohibited, those of the municipality of - the city being included. - - (_Signed_) VON LÜTTWITZ, _General_. - -Translated into the vulgar tongue this means: "When we Germans lie we -do not wish attention called to the fact." - - -_How the Officers Lie to their Men._ - -Hitherto we have considered only those German lies which were addressed -to the Belgians. But there are better lies than these: they lie -to their own troops. At the outset of the invasion of Belgium the -German soldiers were led to believe that they were already in France, -quite close to Paris, even in October and November 1914. Germans in -cantonments near Roulers, in Flanders, believed that they were only -eight miles from Paris, and they used to ask the correspondent of the -_Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_ to show them "a place they could see the -Eiffel Tower from." This, it may be said, proves that in all armies -there are soldiers of small intelligence, even in the German Army. No: -it proves that in this latter army the officers lie with method. You -may judge. The soldiers tended in the hospital of the Palais de Justice -in Brussels used to date their letters "Paris"; and it was by order of -their superior officers that they deceived their families. The official -journal, _Deutsche Soldatenpost_, in its issue for the 16th October, -1914, contains a little poem entitled "Hindenburg," whose third stanza -commences: - - _Vor Paris aber steht das deutsche Heer..._ - (But the German host stands before Paris.) - -This, be it noted, on the 16th October, more than a month after the -battle of the Marne. About the same time a soldier in Antwerp learned -from his officers that if the German army had not yet entered Paris it -was merely to avoid the plague, which was raging there (_N.R.C._, 20th -October, 1914, morning). - -After that, who can doubt that systematic lying forms part of the -duties of an officer towards his men? - - -2. PERSEVERANCE IN FALSEHOOD. - -Nothing is left to chance in the campaign of lies any more than in the -military campaign proper. The Great General Staff organizes everything -with the same care--the attacks of "francs-tireurs," the benzine -syringes, the pastilles of fulminating cotton employed in the rapid -starting of conflagrations--just as it organizes the manoeuvres of the -Press intended to direct the mentality of the troops towards a policy -of pitiless repression. - -They even try to educate (which means, to pervert the minds of) the -prisoners of war in their concentration camps. Thus in No. 5 of _La -Guerre_, a journal especially intended for prisoners of war (published -the 10th March, 1915), a passage is reproduced from the "Records of the -War," by Houston Stewart Chamberlain. Here is an extract: "Finally, -one should read the notices on the detestable attitude of the civil -population of Belgium, of both sexes, in the present war: notices -officially confirmed and attested in writing by several priests: -according to which the populace, behaving a hundred times worse than -ferocious beasts, have horribly mutilated and gouged out the eyes -of poor wounded German soldiers, afterwards slowly stifling them by -pouring sawdust into their nose and mouth." - -It will perhaps be objected that those who write of such things are -blinded by the militarist spirit; that they have, like everybody in -Germany, abolished in themselves the critical faculty; and that they do -not even dream of disputing the statements of the official journals; -in short, that they do not, properly speaking, lie, because they are -sincere. But can they really be sincere? Could they, on the 10th March, -pretend that they still believed that the Belgians gouge out the eyes -of wounded men and choke them to death with sawdust when _Vorwärts_ -had succeeded in getting at the truth, and had been protesting against -these lies since the month of January? Besides, the Germans know their -own "reptile" Press, and they ought to realize that their newspapers do -not merit credence, least of all in time of war. - -But even if we absolve these writers of the crime of lying, to accuse -them of nothing worse than inconceivable credulity, we cannot on any -pretext extend the same indulgence to those who are incontestably in -a position to know the truth. To cite only one example--is it not -shameful that Baron von Bissing the younger should publish _in April -1915_, in the _Süddeutsche Monatshefte_, an article on Belgium in which -he repeats the accusations against the "francs-tireurs," and the tales -of Belgians mutilating the German wounded? And what are we to say of -the reply made by the German Minister of War to Mlle. Leman according -to which the German troops have never ill-treated priests (p. 72), nor -touched the property of the Church? A visit to Bueken (near Louvain) -gives the reply to this twofold assertion. In May 1915 one could still -see, in the sacristy, the muniment chest which had contained the sacred -vessels; it had been broken open by the Germans with the aid of a -bell-clapper. As for the curé, M. De Clerck, we know what he suffered; -he was shot after his ears and nose were cut off. With the curé his -assistant was killed: Father Vincentius Sombroek, a conventual, born at -Zaandam, in Holland.[37] - -The picture-postcard has, of course, not been forgotten. The Germans -had on sale in Brussels, for their soldiers, a coloured card of -_The Uhlans_ _before Paris_. It shows groups of German cavalrymen -contemplating Paris and the Eiffel Tower. This card is published by R. -and K., and bears the number 500. - -This same firm fabricated some remarkable cards relating to the -military operations in Belgium. No. 507 represents the bombardment of -Antwerp. It shows the city in flames, seen from the Tête de Flandre, -and it also shows guns installed in the same locality. Now the Germans -never had guns on the left bank of the Scheldt. No. 502 shows the -bombardment of Namur by means of guns firing from Jambes, which again -is incorrect. These cards, it should be noted, were still being sold -in June 1915; that is, when every one knew that these pictures were -"faked." - - -_The Germans' Treatment of Mgr. Mercier._ - -There are other examples of continuity of falsehood than those relating -to violations of the Hague Convention and the Treaty of London (1839). -For example, a long series of lies was directed against one single -individual--Mgr. Mercier, Cardinal-Archbishop of Malines, Primate of -Belgium. - -The facts are so well known that there is no need of lengthy comment. - -1. Mgr. Mercier went to Rome for the Conclave. We learned in Belgium, -by a placard dated the 8th September, that the Cardinal was returning -to his country "with a safe-conduct, passing through the German lines." - -_A lie._--The Cardinal never had any German safe-conduct. He returned -to Belgium by way of Lyons, Paris, Havre (where he delivered a speech), -London, and Holland. - -2. During his stay in Rome the Cardinal made declarations very -unfavourable to the Germans. A placard of the 12th September, 1914, -assured us that he protested against the interview in the _Corriere -della Sera_. - -_A lie._--The _Corriere della Sera_ is a neutral journal (in the sense -that the Belgian _Le Soir_ is neutral), and the Germans wished to -produce the impression that the Cardinal had been interviewed by a -correspondent of this newspaper. Now he was interviewed by the editor -of the Catholic journal, the _Corriere d'Italia_. This is merely one of -the "errors" of Cardinal von Hartmann's rectification. The whole is in -keeping with this; but it is too long to consider in detail. - -3. Baron von der Goltz, at the moment of leaving Belgium, of which he -had been Governor-General, thought fit to assert that he had come to an -agreement with Mgr. Mercier as to the reopening of the courses in the -University of Louvain (_Le Réveil_, 1st December, 1914). - -_A lie._--There was never any question of resuming these courses. - -4. The Cardinal published his famous Pastoral Letter, which was sent -to all the churches of his diocese, to be read from the pulpit. It -recalled the present sufferings of the country, and adjured Belgians to -"remain faithful to their king and their laws." - -Directly the Germans, informed by their spies, knew of the existence -of this pastoral letter they withdrew Cardinal Mercier's authorization -to visit the other bishops in his motor-car. At the same time they -forbade the curés to make the letter known to their parishioners; they -even proceeded to seize the pamphlet in the presbyteries. Naturally -the priests refused to obey the German injunctions, and the beginning -of the _mandamus_ was read from the pulpit on Sunday, the 3rd January, -1915. The Germans were furious, and forbade the curés to continue -the reading of the letter; and, the more readily to obtain their -submission, showed them a German declaration, signed by von Bissing, of -which this is the translation:-- - - BRUSSELS, _7th January, 1915_. - - TO THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF MALINES. - - As a result of my remarks, Cardinal Mercier of Malines has declared - to me verbally and in writing that he had no intention of exciting - or alarming the population by his pastoral letter, and he had not - expected any such effect. That he had particularly insisted on the - necessity of obedience on the part of the population towards the - occupier, even if a patriot should inwardly feel in a state of - opposition. - - In case I should nevertheless fear an exciting effect, the Cardinal - did not insist on requiring of his clergy the repeated reading of - the pastoral letter on the succeeding Sundays, provided for in the - conclusion of the letter, nor the distribution of the letter. - - My hypothesis has proved correct. - - I therefore repeat my prohibition of the 2nd January of this year, - concerning the reading and the diffusion of the pastoral letter. - I draw the attention of the clergy to this point--that they will - be acting in contradiction to the written declaration of their - Cardinal in disobeying his prohibition. - - BARON VON BISSING, - _Colonel-General_. - _Governor-General in Belgium._ - -_A lie._--This declaration is false. Mgr. Evrard, Dean of St. Gudule -in Brussels, went to see Mgr. Mercier at Malines, and obtained proof -of the falsehood. He at once warned all the curés of Brussels and the -district of the manoeuvre, and on Sunday, the 10th January, the reading -of the letter was resumed. - - BRUSSELS, _9th January, 1915_. - - MONSIEUR LE CURÉ,-- - - I have returned from Malines. - - Despite the written prohibition received yesterday, His Eminence - the Cardinal wishes his letter to be read. This written prohibition - is cunning and spurious. - - "Neither verbally, nor in writing, have I withdrawn anything, - nor do I now withdraw anything of my previous instructions, and - I protest against the violence done against the liberty of my - pastoral ministry." - - That is what the Cardinal dictated to me. - - He added: "They have done everything to make me sign mitigations - of my letter; I have not signed them. Now they seek to separate my - clergy from me, by forbidding them to read it. - - "I have done my duty; my clergy know if they will do theirs." - - Accept, M. le Curé, the homage of all my respect. - - (_Signed_) E. EVRARD, _Dean_. - -5. Baron von Bissing published in the newspapers a _communiqué_ stating -"that no hindrance of any kind had been put in the way of the exercise -of the pastoral duties of the Cardinal-Archbishop." - -_A lie._--The Cardinal contradicted this assertion in a Latin letter -addressed to his clergy. - - MECHLINIAE, - _Dominica infra Octavam Epiphaniae_. - - REVERENDI ADMODUM DOMINI ET COOPERATORES DILECTISSIMI,-- - - Habuistis, ut puto, prae oculis nuntium a Gubernio Generali - Bruxellensi publicis ephemeridibus propalatum, quo declarabatur - "Cardinalem Archiepiscopum Mechliniensem a munere suo ecclesiastico - libere adimplendo nullatenus fuisse impeditum." Quod quam a - veritate alienum sit, e factis elucet. - - Milites enim, vespere diei primae Januarii - necnon per totam noctem insequentem, domus presbyterales - invaserunt, Litteras Pastorales e manibus parochorum vel - arripuerunt vel arripere conati sunt frustra, easque ne populo - fideli praelegeratis, etiam sub poenis gravissimis, vobis metipsis - aut parochiae vestrae infligendis, auctoritate episcopali despecta, - prohibuerunt. - - Nec dignitati nostrae pepercere, Die namque secunda Januarii - orto nondum sole, hora scilicet sexta, jusserunt me, die eadem - matutina, coram Gubernatore Generali, epistolae meae ad clerum et - populum rationem reddere; die autem postero, Laudibus Vespertinis - in Ecclesia cathedrali Antverpiensi praeesse me vetuerunt; tandem, - ne alios Belgii episcopos libere adeam, prohibent. - - Jura vestra, Cooperatores dilectissimi, et mea, violata fuisse, - civis, animarum pastor et Sacri Cardinalium Collegii sodalis, - protestor. - - Quidquid praedixerint alii, experientia nunc compertum est nullum - ex epistola illa pastorali enatum esse seditionis periculum, sed - eam potius animarum paci et publicae tranquillitati haud parum - adjumento fuisse. - - Vobis de officio fortiter et suaviter impleto gratulor, cui animo - virili et pacifico, fideles estote memores verborum illorum quibus - mentem meam plane et integre jam expressi: "Soyes à la fois et - les meilleurs gardiens du patriotisme, et les soutiens de l'ordre - public." - - Caeterum, "Spiritu sitis ferventes, Domino servientes, spe - gaudentes, in tribulatione patientes, orationi instantes, - necessitatibus sanctorum communicantes."[38] - - Ne mei, quaeso, obliviscamini in observationibus vestris, nec - vestrum obliviscar; arcto fraternitatis vinculo conjuncti, - unanimes Antistitem, clerum et populum fidelem commendemus Domino, - "ut et quae agenda sunt, videant, et ad implenda quae viderint, - convalescant."[39] - - Vobis in Christo addictissimus, - D. J. CARD. MERCIER, - _Archiepisc. Mechl._ - - Expostulatur à R^{do} admodum D^o Decano relatio de iis quae in - parochiis decanatus evenerunt. - - N.B.--Non desunt in dioecesi clerici qui vestibus laïcis ad tempus - usi sunt. Jam nunc habitum clericalem resumant omnes. - - (_S._) D. J. - -[_Translation._] - - MALINES, - _The Sunday of the Octave of the Epiphany_. - - VERY REVEREND GENTLEMEN AND WELL-BELOVED COLLEAGUES,-- - - You have, I think, had sight of the message from the General - Government of Brussels, published in the newspapers, in which it - is declared that "the Cardinal Archbishop of Malines has in no - manner been prevented in the free performance of his ecclesiastical - office." - - The facts will show that this assertion is contrary to the truth. - As a matter of fact, on the evening of the 1st January, and during - the whole of the night, soldiers entered the presbyteries and took - from the priests, or vainly endeavoured to take, the pastoral - letter, and, in contempt of episcopal authority, forbade you to - read it to the assembled faithful, under the threat of extremely - severe punishment which would be inflicted on yourselves or on your - parish. - - Even our dignity was not respected. For on the 2nd of January, - before sunrise even, that is, at six o'clock, I was ordered - to present myself on the morning of that same day before the - Governor-General, to justify my letter to the clergy and the - people; on the following day I was forbidden to preside at - Benediction in the Cathedral of Antwerp; lastly, I was forbidden to - visit the other Belgian bishops. - - As a citizen, a pastor of souls, and a member of the Sacred College - of Cardinals I protest that your rights, well-beloved brothers, and - my own, have been infringed. - - Whatever has been pretended, experience has proved that no danger - of sedition has resulted from this pastoral letter, but rather that - it contributed greatly to the peace and tranquillity of the public. - - I congratulate you with having accomplished your duty firmly and - harmoniously. Remain devoted to it with a manly and peaceable - heart, recalling those words in which I have already fully and - entirely expressed my thought: "Be at once the best guardians of - patriotism and the supporters of public order." - - Moreover: "Be fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing - in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; - distributing to the necessities of the saints."[40] - - Do not forget me, I beg you, in your supplications; neither - will I forget you. All together, closely united by the bond of - brotherhood, let us recommend the bishop, the clergy, and the - faithful "that they may behold their duty and be strong to fulfil - it."[41] - - Yours very faithfully in Christ, - D. J. CARDINAL MERCIER, - _Archbishop of Malines_. - - The Very Rev. the Deans are begged to report what has happened in - the parishes of their Deanery. - - N.B.--Members of the clergy have for a time worn civil clothing. - Let all now resume their ecclesiastical clothing. - -6. On Sunday, the 3rd January, 1915, the Cardinal did not go -to Antwerp, as he had intended. The Germans announced in the -newspapers--in _L'Avenir_ (Antwerp), for example--that the Cardinal's -absence was voluntary. - -_A lie._--They had forbidden Mgr. Mercier to leave Malines. - - * * * * * - -We have mentioned that while these things were happening the clergy -continued to make the pastoral letter known in all the churches, -except in those cases where the Germans had succeeded in subtracting -the copies of the letter. But even there the reading of the letter was -resumed after a brief interval, when fresh impressions of the letter -had been printed and distributed all over the country. This propaganda -was, of course, secret; an official _communiqué_ published at Namur, on -the 12th January, 1915, leaves no doubt as to that. It threatens the -infliction of severe punishment on those who should distribute this -document. To give some idea of the activity with which the pastoral -letter was distributed throughout Belgium, we may mention that we know -of twelve different editions in French and two in Flemish; there are, -moreover, at least two typewritten editions. Each impression numbered -thousands of copies; of one single edition the Germans seized 35,000 -copies! We may add that a German translation also has appeared, but -this is _ad usum Germanorum_. The interesting passages are suppressed. - -The pastoral letter was not without results in Rome. The Belgian colony -there organized a mass for the priests put to death in Belgium, a list -of whom was given by the Cardinal. The organ of the Vatican, the -_Osservatore Romano_, translated "put to death" by _caduti_, "fallen." -This vague term might allow it to be supposed that the priests had -fallen on the field of battle, not that they were assassinated by the -German troops. The German newspapers were jubilant. The _Kölnische -Volkszeitung_, one of the leading Catholic organs in Germany, edited -by Herr Julius Bachem, published an article to show that the Holy See -had not been duped by the tricks of the Belgians, and refused to credit -the tale of priests put to death by the Germans (see _Het Vaderland_, -31st March, 1915, 2nd sheet, evening). The _Düsseldorfer Anzeiger_ -also contained a long and far-fetched article in its issue of the 29th -January. - - -3. THE ORGANIZATION OF PROPAGANDA. - -With the methodical spirit which they boast of possessing, the Germans -have from the outset of the war created bureaux for the propagation of -the "German idea" throughout the world. Some of these organizations of -propaganda have for their province the neutral countries, among which, -in the first rank, are the United States, the Scandinavian countries, -Italy, Holland, and Switzerland. Others deal with the occupied -countries, or enemy countries, through the intermediary of prisoners -of war and civil prisoners. Finally, there are those that deal with -Germany and her allies. If we add to the bureaux of propaganda situated -in Germany, and operating thence, those established and operating -in foreign countries, we shall begin to understand the power of -expansion and penetration possessed by such instruments in the hands of -unscrupulous people. - -Again, we must reckon not only with the official or semi-official -propaganda, devoid of the mercenary spirit, whose only object is the -triumph of Germany. There are a number of publishing concerns which -pursue the same objects. - -Besides her printed propaganda, Germany makes use of other means, -apparently accessory and occasional, but whose effects may become -very appreciable; visits of German scholars and German politicians, -especially socialist politicians; letters written by Germans to friends -or relations abroad; inquiries addressed to the scholars of neutral -countries; promises made to notable persons, in the hope of obtaining -their co-operation. - -One word before examining the working of these organizations. Should we -really classify them under the heading of "falsehoods"? After what we -have said of the methods of the German Press, and the mentality of the -German rulers, no one will hesitate, we fancy, as to the place which -falsehood must be accorded in this propaganda. But so that no doubt -shall remain in the reader's mind, we will give a few quotations from -the propagandist literature relating to Belgium. - - -(_a_) _Propagandist Bureaux operating in Germany._ - -The most important of the propagandist pamphlets appearing in Germany -is a monthly publication. It is known, in French, as the _Journal de -la Guerre_. We know it also in German and in Dutch; probably it is -translated into yet other languages. Each number consists of 40 to -72 pages, and contains general information, a chronicle of the war, -photographs and drawings, tales of the battles, etc. ... in short, -everything that can influence the public opinion of neutral countries. -In almost every number is an article tending to prove that Germany was -forced, for reasons of self-defence, to invade Belgium; that Belgium, -moreover, had violated her own neutrality in advance; that the Belgians -amply deserve their fate, on account of their wicked treatment of -wounded men (gouging out their eyes, etc.). We have already mentioned -the _Journal de la Guerre_ with reference to a "faked" map of Louvain. - - * * * * * - -The _Journal de la Guerre_ published an article by Herr Helfferich on -a journey through Belgium, undertaken in September 1914. It is teeming -with inaccuracies, but it would be waste of time to refute them all. -We will confine ourselves to the first sentence, which states that -the burgomaster of Battice has been shot. Now, this is untrue: the -burgomaster of Battice, M. Rosette, who has filled his office for many -years, is in excellent health, and is still living in Battice. - -Another publication--_La Guerre--Journal périodique paraissant durant -la guerre de 1914-15_--is intended for prisoners of war. - -The best method of impressing the prisoners is assuredly to show them -that in their own country people are already beginning to realize -the indisputable superiority of Germany. So _La Guerre_ frequently -publishes articles reprinted from _La Gazette des Ardennes_; only -it forgets to mention that _La Gazette des Ardennes_ is a newspaper -established, edited, and printed exclusively by Germans, since -the occupation. Shall we take another example of duplicity? For -the Belgians, naturally, what their priests tell them has great -weight with them. No. 14 of _La Guerre_ reproduces a passage from an -article (which is mentioned on p. 129) originally published by "the -priest Domela Nieuwenhuis, of Gand." Here is a falsehood: M. Domela -Nieuwenhuis is not a priest; he is a Protestant pastor in Gand. In -the quotation M. Nieuwenhuis says: "If we Flemings had been properly -informed...." (_La Guerre_, No. 14, p. 217). - -"We Flemings," M. Nieuwenhuis is supposed to have said ... and he is a -Dutchman. This is curious. Let us compare this with the original text -in _De Tijdspiegel_, p. 316, 1st April, 1915. There we find: "_Indien -wij hier in Vlaanderen ... zouden zign voorgelicht...._" ("If we, here -in Flanders, had been informed....") The German forgers have been at -work, and by a little tinkering at the text, they have made a Dutch -pastor pass for a Flemish priest! To what are they not reduced! - - * * * * * - -The pamphlet _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_ speaks on p. 93 of an -international propagandist organisation established in Berlin: the -_Commission for the publication of impartial news abroad_ (we translate -from the Dutch version). This Commission publishes _Correspondence for -Neutrals_, which aims solely at "distributing positive news concerning -the working of social, juridicial, economic, and moral institutions -and general culture in Germany." Its articles are especially intended -for use by the Press. It appears two or three times a week, in ten -different languages, and will continue to do so during the war. It -asserts that its expenses are covered entirely by private subscriptions. - -At the Superior Technical College of Stuttgart is established the -_Süddeutsche Nachrichtenstelle für die Neutralen_ (South German News -Bureau for the Neutrals). It publishes propagandist leaflets at -irregular intervals and of various dimensions, which are intended to -furnish "the verifiable truth as to the origin, course, and results of -the war." - -The professors of the University of Leipzig sent abroad a special -number of the _Leipziger Neueste Nachrichte_ of the 25th August, 1914, -which gave, in chronological order, "the truth about the causes of the -war and the German successes." The truth! Its capital falsehoods are -too numerous for examination here. - -At Düsseldorf is the _Büro zur Verbreitung deutscher Nachrichten im -Auslande_ (the German Bureau for distributing German news abroad). The -French version of this title is _Bureau allemand pour la publication -de nouvelles authentiques à l'Etranger_. Observe, in passing, that -_Deutsche Nachrichten_ is translated as "authentic news," which will -not fail to surprise the reader. This Bureau used to publish _Le -Réveil_, a remarkable journal sold in Belgium and the occupied parts of -France. - -The _Deutscher Überseedienst_ (German Overseas Service) busies itself -particularly with the falsification of public opinion abroad. Its -publications are usually distributed gratis. - -For Americans living in Europe, Germany provides _The Continental -Times, Special War Edition and Journal for Americans in Europe_, edited -at the Hôtel Adon in Berlin. To judge of the veracity of this journal, -it is enough to read, in the issue for the 8th February, the article by -Herr J. E. Noegerath, devoted to his journey through Belgium. In this -we learn that "Malines was bombarded simultaneously by the Belgians and -the Germans; the cathedral, somewhat seriously damaged, is about to be -repaired by the Germans." St. Rombaut repaired by the Germans! This -exceeds even the German limits! Well, the Americans in Europe have a -chance of obtaining positive information. - -_The League of German Scientists and Artists for the Defence of -Civilization_ (in French they make it _La Ligue pour la défense de la -civilisation_--for the _prevention_--which is just what it is!) is -installed in the Palace of the Academy of Science in Berlin, Unter den -Linden, 38. It publishes pamphlets; for example, that of Herr Riesser, -on _The Success of the German War Loan_. As far as we know it has -published nothing about Belgium. - - * * * * * - -A very interesting method of propaganda is that which consists in -attaching to business letters leaflets printed on very thin paper, -giving "authentic" news in the language of the recipient. _The -Hamburger Fremdenblatt_ has published many of these, at 10 pfennigs for -10 copies. They include, notably, _Appeals to Christians_; _An Appeal -to the Catholic Missions_, in German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, -French, and Italian; _An Appeal to the Protestant Missions_, in German, -English, and Portuguese. - -Another series of leaflets to be inserted in letters is published by -the _Bureau des Deutschen Handelstages, Berlin_ (Bureau of the German -Commercial Conference of Berlin). Nine different leaflets appeared. No. -10 and the succeeding leaflets are of different origin; these leaflets -are now published by the _Kriegs-Auschuss der Deutschen Industrie, -Berlin_ (Military Commission of German Industry). No. 10 reproduces a -proclamation by Dr. Schroedter, threatening to strip the Belgians of -all their copper, "down to the last door-handle." - -In Germany also are published leaflets bearing no indication of their -origin. One of these, entitled _What is the Cause of the Severity of -the War?_ is curious for more reasons than one. - - -(_b_) _Propagandist Matter issued by the Publishing Houses._ - -There are, to begin with, the numerous low-priced pamphlets which carry -the gospel to the soldiers in the trenches, and enlighten the home -population. The most voluminous and the most perfidious of these books -is that of Major Viktor von Strantz: _Die Eroberung Belgiëns_. - -Several publishing houses issue series of booklets, under some general -title. We may mention:-- - - _Krieg und Sieg, 1914, nach Berichten der Zeitgenossen_ (War and - Victory, 1914, according to the Accounts of Eye-witnesses). - - _Der Deutschen Volkes Kriegstagebuch_ (The German People's Diary of - the War). - - _Der Weltkrieg, 1914_ (The World-war of 1914), at 20 pfennigs. - -Besides these works, which are intended rather for the masses, we must -mention others, intended for a more intellectual public. - -Such are:-- - - _Reden aus der Kriegzeit_; _Deutsche Vortrage Hamburgischer - Professoren_; _Zwischen Krieg und Frieden_; _Der Deutsche Krieg_; - _Kriegsberichte aus den Grossen Hauptquartier._ - -To these we may add works appearing in small isolated volumes at a low -price, containing more especially diplomatic documents:-- - - _Deutschland in der Notwehr_ (Carl Schüsemann, Bremen); _Das - Volkerringen, 1914_, F. M. Kireheisen (Universal Bibliothek, - Leipzig). - - _Urkunden, Depeschen und Berichte der Frankfurter Zeitung. Der - Grosse Krieg. Eine Chronich von Tag zu Tag_ (Frankfurt, 1914-15). - -We must not overlook the numerous illustrated publications, among -which we may mention the _Album de la Grande Guerre_, published by -the _Deutscher Überseedienst_, with explanations in German, English, -Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. This collection contains a -number of illustrations relating to Belgium: for example, in No. 2 we -have "A Zeppelin bombarding Liége," which never happened (p. 229): and -No. 3 gives us a view of the Place des Bailles at Malines, "a quarter -where the houses were destroyed by Belgian artillery" (whereas the -Belgian artillery destroyed nothing in Malines, and the Place des -Bailles was not bombarded but burned). - - -(_c_) _Propangandist Bureaux operating Abroad._ - -Not content with flooding neutrals with literature fabricated in -Germany itself, to such an extent that the former complained of the -German importunity, the Germans have also set up bureaux of propaganda -in foreign countries. The most important of these, without doubt, is -that which has been operating in the United States, under the direction -of Herr Bernhard Dernburg, ex-Minister of the Empire. Herr Dernburg -has neglected no means of action, and has not feared to mount into the -breach himself in his efforts to ensure the triumph of his cause. - -In Belgium the propaganda was of a multiple nature. In the first -place, the Germans were careful to inform us, daily, by means of -placards, as to the "actual" results of the military operations, and -they distributed tens of thousands of copies of circulars relating to -the "Anglo-Belgian Conventions" (p. 43), the Griendl report (p. 41), -the retirement of Italy from the Triple Alliance, etc. As these might -not have enlightened us sufficiently, the German authorities took the -Press in hand, the result being such journals as _Le Réveil_ and the -_Deutsche Soldatenpost_. They then censored the Belgian papers in -various manners. - -(1) The Germans wished to compel various papers to appear under their -control. All those in the capital refused; but in the provinces certain -newspapers, such as _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ (at Namur) and _Le Bien Public_ -(at Gand), accepted the German conditions. _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ was -really and truly forced to appear; as it admitted, in a covert fashion, -in its issues of the 20th and 27th August, and explicitly in those of -the 7th October and the 6th November. - -(2) The German authorities forced these journals, and others which have -since been established, to publish propagandist articles, imposing -penalties in case of failure. Thus _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ (it was suggested -that it might be called _L'Ami de par Ordre!_) was obliged to publish -stories of "francs-tireurs" which it knew were inventions; and after -the burning of the Grand' Place at Namur (concerning which it knew very -well what to think) it published, in large letters, on the 28th August, -1914, a protest against francs-tireurs. On the 1st September followed -an article describing the punishment of Louvain after an attack by -civilians. On the following day was further mention of the "leaders" -who brought such terrible reprisals on their fellow-citizens. In -order to make these flagrant lies "go down," the journal is compelled -from time to time to repeat that it prints nothing but the truth (for -example, on the 7th September). - -Incontestably imposed, also, are the articles which basely flatter -the Germans; notably its excuses after its suspension (7th and 8th -December) and its thanks to the Military Government of Namur when -the latter ceased to take hostages (on the 29th September). In this -last issue is an equally characteristic article on the subject of the -Cathedral of Reims; in this the German Government pretends that it did -not allege the presence of an observation-post on the Cathedral. But -one has only to read the official communiqués of the 23rd September in -order to prove that _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ has been forced to lie to its -readers. - -Of course the Germans deny that they demand the insertion of these -articles (see _Le Bien Public_, 1st November, 1914); otherwise their -readers would cease to give any credence to these "Belgian" papers. - -(3) The principal mission of the censorship consists in suppressing -all that displeases it and all that it regards as compromising. Thus, -for two months _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ did not publish a single communiqué -from the armies of the Allies, although it pretended the contrary in -its issue of the 7th October. It was only on the 26th that it began -to publish them; but it then borrowed them from the German papers, -which was not perhaps a guarantee of exactitude. At the same time _Le -Bruxellois_ stated that there were scarcely any French communiqués. -As for _Le Bien Public_, it was suspended during the whole of May -1915, because the censorship would no longer allow it to publish the -communiqués of the Allies. - -The censorship had promised the journals whose publication it permitted -(or demanded) that it would not mutilate articles, but would suppress -them entirely (_Le Bien Public_, 1st November, 1914). Of course, it -did not keep its engagements; for what engagement did our enemies ever -keep? To realize how the censorship mutilates, curtails, and falsifies -one has only to compare the official telegrams contained in the French -newspapers with those which are vouchsafed us by the expurgated -journals. Here are a few examples; it will be seen that the censorship -suppresses not only sentences and parts of sentences, but single words, -and even parts of words. We will confess that this last procedure was -totally unexpected, even on the part of Germany, although her scholars -have certainly acquired a habit of splitting hairs. - -The words in italics are those suppressed by the censorship:-- - - _La Belgique_, Tuesday, 26th January, 1913,--PETROGRAD, _23rd - January_. (Official telegram from the Great General Staff).... - German attempts to pass to the offensive in various places have - been _easily_ defeated _by our artillery_.... On the 21st January - enemy troops, in strength about a division of infantry, and - supported by artillery, attacked our front in the Kirlibaba region, - _but they were repulsed_. Up to the morning of the 21st January our - troops had maintained themselves in their positions. _We have made - 200 prisoners._ - - _La Belgique_, Monday, 1st February, 1913.--PARIS, _29th January_. - (Official, 3 p.m.)--In Belgium, in the Nieuport sector, our - infantry has gained a footing on the great dune which was mentioned - on the 27th. _A German aeroplane was brought down by our guns._ In - the sectors of Ypres and Lens, as in the sector of Arras, there - have been, intermittently, artillery duels of some violence, and - some attacks of infantry were attempted but immediately _thrown - back by our fire_. Nothing fresh to report in the Soissons, - Craonne, or Reims districts. _It is confirmed that the attack - repulsed by us at Fontaine-Madame on the night of the 27th cost - the Germans dearly...._ PARIS, _the 29th January_ (_official, 11 - p.m._).... _This morning, the 29th, a German aeroplane was forced - to the ground east of Gerbeviller. Its passengers, an officer and - an under-officer, are prisoners._ - - _La Belgique_, Thursday, 4th February, 1915.--PARIS, _1st - February_. (Official telegram, 3 p.m.).... To the south-east of - Ypres the Germans have attempted an attack upon our trenches to the - north of the canal, an attack which was _immediately_ checked by - our artillery fire.... In the Argonne, _where the Germans appear - to have suffered greatly in the recent fighting_, the day has been - comparatively quiet.... - - PARIS, _1st February_. (Official telegram, 11 p.m.).... On the - morning of the 1st February the enemy violently attacked our - trenches to the north, Béthune--La Bassée. He was thrown back - _and left numerous dead on the ground_. At Beaumont-Hamel, to the - north of Arras, the German infantry attempted to carry one of our - trenches by surprise, but was forced to retreat, _abandoning on the - spot the explosives with which it was provided_.... - - _La Belgique_, Friday, 12th February, 1915.--PARIS, _9th February_. - (Official telegram, 3 p.m.).... Along the road from Béthune to - La Bassée we have reoccupied a windmill in which the enemy had - succeeded in establishing himself. Soissons was bombarded _with - incendiary shells_. - - _La Belgique_, Saturday, 13th February, 1915.--PARIS, _10th - February_. (Official, 11 p.m.).... In Lorraine our outposts - _easily_ repulsed a German attack on the eastern edge and to the - north of the Forest of Purvy. - - _La Patrie_ (Brussels).--COPENHAGEN, _2nd March_.--According to a - communication from London in the _Berlingske Tidende_ the Swedish - painter, Johnson, who was arrested as a spy, because he was making - pretended luminous signals to German ships of war, is _said to have - been_ acquitted for lack of evidence. - -To appreciate at its full value the mutilation of the official -communiqués by the German censorship, it must be recalled (1) that -it had undertaken to leave the official communiqués untouched, and -(2) that the subservient portion of the press continued to call them -"official telegrams." - - -_Sincerity of the Censored Newspapers._ - -At the outset the censorship used to allow newspapers to leave a blank -space in the place of an article, phrase, or words deleted. But this -procedure was too frank for the Germans, and the readers were aware -of it; so the German authorities forced the newspapers to fill up the -blanks; and in order to facilitate their task they published a special -typewritten journal, appearing in French and in Flemish, _Le Courrier -Belge_, in which "all the articles had passed the censorship." Editors, -therefore, had only to select an article of the desired length in order -to fill the gaps left by the official scissors. - -We may add that by the terms of a decision given in the Court of -First Instance in Brussels, the journals at present appearing in -Germany under the German censorship may not claim the title of Belgian -newspapers. - -It may readily be imagined what the censored journals have become under -this delightful system. But a story which is told in Belgium will -perhaps give the reader a better idea of their vicissitudes. The soul -of a soldier presents itself at the gate of Paradise. "Who are you?" -says St. Peter. After a long hesitating pause (for no one cares to -make such a painful confession) the soul replies: "I am the soul of a -German soldier." "You are an impudent liar!" cries St. Peter. "I read -the Belgian newspapers with the greatest care, and they have not yet -announced the death of a single German soldier!" - -On the 7th June, 1915, the Germans had a unique opportunity of proving -that the German journals in Belgian clothes, such as _L'Ami de -l'Ordre_, _La Belgique_, _Le Bien Public_, etc., were still capable on -occasion of speaking the truth. But they allowed the opportunity to -slip. However, here are the facts:-- - -On the night of Sunday, the 6th June, 1915, towards 2.30 a.m., we were -awakened by a furious cannonade and the explosion of bombs: Allied -aviators were bombarding the shed of the dirigible at Evere, to which -they set fire, destroying both shed and balloon. On the same day we -learned that a second German dirigible had just been destroyed at -Mont St.-Amand, near Gand, by a British aviator. We awaited the next -day's papers with curiosity. Would they report the two incidents, -making as little of them as possible, or would they keep silence? -They merely stated that the German air-fleet had raided the English -coast on the night of the 7th. Of what happened on its return, not a -word. In the _Kölnische Zeitung_, again, there was nothing said as to -the disasters at Evere and Mont St.-Amand. So the muzzled Press of -Belgium and Germany may speak of German successes (we are supposing, -of course, that the bombardment of open towns _is_ a success), but as -to the failures they are dumb. These are two facts which are known -to hundreds of thousands of persons, and are therefore impossible of -concealment. To keep silence, therefore, could have only one result, -namely, to prove that the German communiqués are "faked," and that -the Belgian journals are muzzled: in short, that all news which comes -from Germany is adulterated. If our oppressors had published a short -paragraph dealing with these two "accidents," then a few Belgians, more -credulous than their fellows, might have continued to believe that the -word "German" can still on occasion be spoken in the same breath as -the word "sincerity." But in their incomparable stupidity the censors -(who are doubtless diplomatists out of a job) failed to realize that by -preserving silence as to the raids of the British aviators they were -for ever destroying the value of their newspapers. They rendered us a -similar service, on this occasion, to that which they rendered when -they forbade M. Max to publish the statement that they were liars (p. -233). We were well aware that the German was a shocking psychologist, -but we hardly realized how shocking!... The incident is, as will be -seen, the pendant of the story of the Liége Zeppelin. This dirigible -raided Liége on the night of the 6th August, and the raid was described -in the German newspapers and even illustrated. Unfortunately the raid -never took place! - -A few days later the Germans plunged even deeper into the mire. On the -night of the 16th June the people of Brussels once again heard the -sound of guns, this time from Berchem; but no one saw an aeroplane. -Next day the papers contained a paragraph stating that an attack by -enemy aviators had been repulsed. Did the raid really take place? It is -doubtful; and in any case it does not matter. The essential point is -that on this occasion the newspapers were allowed to speak. - -The Governor-General, who has a keen sense of the fitting opportunity, -chose this moment to inform us that a mischievous Press was circulating -in Belgium (see _La Belgique_, 14th January, 1915). Nothing could be -truer, as the reader has just seen. - - -_Persecution of Uncensored Newspapers._ - -Naturally, the desire to obtain foreign newspapers became keener than -ever in Belgium as the untruthfulness of the censored journals became -more apparent. To the notices published by the Germans forbidding the -distribution of "false news" (p. 187) we may add an official communiqué -which was reproduced in _L'ami de l'Ordre_ on the 17th October:-- - - "Any person who shall spread similar false reports, or cause them - to be distributed, will be shot without mercy." - - -(_d_) _Various Propaganda._ - -Lastly, let us mention--without insistence, as they are already -sufficiently familiar--various methods of propaganda which are -individual, and apparently spontaneous, but from which the Germans -expect very happy results. - -All those Belgians who have friends or relations in Germany, and all -those who are themselves of German origin, have incessantly been -receiving, since correspondence between the two countries has been -permitted, letters in which they are told that Germany is sure of -victory, that the Belgians have been deceived by England and by their -king, that the Germans do no harm to any one, etc. These assertions -are repeated with such regularity and monotony that they produce -the impression of a lesson that has been learned; so, to avoid this -unfortunate impression, the correspondents are careful to declare that -they are only expressing their personal opinion. - -Next, we may mention the foreign visits of German scholars; for -example, that of Herr Ostwald (one of the Ninety-three) to Sweden, and -that of Herr Lamprecht (another of the Ninety-three) to Belgium. Herr -Ostwald's lectures have evoked a great sensation, but it was perhaps -hardly the sensation Germany had hoped for; moreover, the University -of Leipzig declared that it did not subscribe to the ideas of its -sometime professor. The effort of Herr Lamprecht was more discreet; it -was preceded by a written effort, but letter and visit had the same -negative result. - -More insidious are the visits made to Belgium by prominent German -socialists: Wendel, Liebknecht, Noske, Koester, etc. They, too, hoped -easily to convince us of the rights and, above all, of the superiority -of Germany. They went back with an empty bag; one may even venture to -assert that they were rather shaken, since Herr Liebknecht complains, -in a conversation with an editor of the _Social-Demokraten_, a -Norwegian organ, of the part which the Socialist missionaries were made -to play (_N.R.C._, 28th December, 1914, evening). - -The _Vossische Zeitung_ has discovered another means of propaganda. -This journal sent a paper of questions to Dutch and Scandinavian -scholars, asking them what their science owes to Germany. A shallow -trick, this; every nation has naturally produced men of mark, to whom -science has cause for gratitude. - - -4. THE VIOLATION OF ENGAGEMENTS. - -The war began by the violation of a solemn treaty, to which Germany -subscribed in 1839. The entire conduct of the war has been, as -far as Germany is concerned, a long series of violations of the -Hague Convention of 1907. Germany alleges, in her own defence, that -circumstances have altered since the period when these pacts were -signed; that she was obliged to forestall France; that in case of -absolute necessity, such as that in which she stood, she has the right -to use all means of injuring the enemy, permitted or not (p. 83); -and moreover, that the torpedoing of the _Lusitania_ (p. 194), the -employment of living shields (p. 117), the use of toxic gases (p. 198), -and terrorization by fire and assassination (p. 164), having proved -efficacious, it is in her interests not to neglect them out of mere -humanity, or a simple and childish respect for her own signature. - -It is hopeless to discuss the matter; it would be wasted pains, Germany -having decided to let her conduct be shaped by the impulse of the -moment, without hampering herself with any anterior promises. She -is fighting for her life, her publicists and statesmen never cease -repeating, and she is free to throw all her engagements to the wind. -"_Not kennt kein Gebot_," declared the Chancellor, on the 9th August, -and this convenient maxim has lost nothing of its popularity. - -But there are other engagements, engagements which Germany has entered -into with Belgium since the beginning of the war, and which she has -broken with the same ease: a promise to restore Belgium's independence; -a promise to respect our patriotism, a promise to pay cash for all -requisitions once the tribute of 480 millions frs. was paid, etc. Our -enemies can invoke no extenuating circumstances to mitigate these -breaches of faith, for no change had occurred between the dates of -making these engagements and their violation. - - -_The Independence of Belgium._ - -On the 4th August, 1914, the very day on which our country was invaded, -the Imperial Government made one last effort to extort from England a -promise of neutrality. It gave an assurance that even in the case of an -armed conflict with Belgium, Germany would not on any pretext annex her -territory (_Livre Bleu_, No. 74). On that very day the Kaiser and the -Chancellor made similar declarations: "We shall repair the injustice -which we are committing towards Belgium," said the Chancellor. Directly -they had a newspaper at their disposal in Belgium our invaders -published an article assuring the Belgians of their respect for -whatever engagements they had entered into (see _L'Ami de l'Ordre_, -29th and 30th August, 1914). - -Words, idle words! - -Hardly were the Germans, in boasting mood, able to style themselves -conquerors, than they hastened to trample their promises underfoot. Are -the engagements of the Berlin Government anything more than so many -scraps of paper, which may with impunity be declared null and void? -Such men as Erzberger, Losch, Dernburg, Maximilian Harden, etc., all -partaking in the public life of their country, found nothing was more -urgent than to disregard whatever the Emperor and the Chancellor might -have said, no matter how solemn the circumstances, and to make plans -for the future in which Belgium would remain wholly or in part annexed. - - -_The Promise to respect the Patriotism of the Belgians._ - -"I ask no one to renounce his patriotic sentiments," said Baron von der -Goltz in the first of the somewhat extraordinary declarations with -which he gratified us during his stay in our midst in his quality of -Governor-General (placard of 2nd September, 1914). - - -_The Forced Striking of the Flag._ - -Every one was anxiously asking himself what was really the thought -at the back of the Baron's head; for we already knew the Germans -sufficiently to realize that so honeyed a phrase concealed some peril. -But what? Two weeks later the riddle was solved; it meant that the -Belgian national flag was "regarded as a provocation by the German -troops" (placard of 16th September, 1914). A provocation of what or -whom? Of their national sentiment? Well, and what of ours, which the -Governor-General was not asking us to renounce? It is true that after -the appearance of this placard the Military Governor announced that -he had "by no means the intention of wounding the dignity or the -feelings of the inhabitants by this measure; its sole purpose is to -preserve the citizens from any annoyance." In short, it was for our -good that we were forced to haul down our flag. What was to be done? -To resist would be to give the scoundrels who were oppressing us an -occasion for exercising their murderous and incendiary talents on -Brussels. By a very dignified and very moderate notice, M. Max, the -burgomaster, counselled his fellow-citizens to yield. This placard, -which was not subjected to the censorship, despite the order given by -the Germans, displeased them to the point of having it immediately -covered with blank sheets of paper. But these were torn away by the -people of Brussels, or else they were rendered transparent by means of -petroleum: in a word, every one could read the burgomaster's protest. -But as it was expected, with a good show of reason, that the Germans -would soon cause it to disappear completely, many persons copied the -placard, or even photographed it; and for a long time numbers of the -inhabitants of Brussels carried upon their persons, like a precious -relic, a copy or a photograph of M. Max's famous placard. - - -_The Belgian Colours forbidden in the Provinces._ - -While the withdrawal of the Belgian flag was demanded, in the provinces -a hunt was conducted for the Belgian colours used in the decoration of -shop-windows. The German police would enter the shops and demand the -immediate removal of all tricolour ribbons decorating the windows. - - MILITARY COURT. - - Henry Dargette, of Namur, Place Arthur Borlée, 32, was punished - with a fine of 10 marks, or 2 days' subsidiary detention, in - accordance with § 13 of the Imperial decree of the 28th December, - 1893, for having disregarded the communiqué of the Imperial - Government of Namur of the 22nd April, 1915. He had exposed in his - shop-window boxes of tin-plate with the French, British, Russian, - and Belgian colours. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 3-6 July, 1915.) - -In Brussels it was a long time before they decided to take measures -against the wearing of the tricolour rosettes which so many people -carried in their buttonholes; in the streets, at least two persons -in three displayed our colours. This persistence on the part of -the Belgians in publicly displaying their patriotic sentiments is -extremely annoying to the Germans. For proof we need only turn to the -letter from Brussels published in the weekly illustrated supplement -of the _Hamburger Fremdenblatt_ for the 18th April, 1915: "One does -not see a schoolboy, not a schoolgirl, not a lady, not a gentleman, -who does not wear, in an obvious fashion, the Belgian cockade." In -certain towns--for example Lessines, Gand, and Dinant--this kind of -manifestation is prohibited. At Namur the fine may amount to 500 frs.; -the placard which threatens this penalty is conceived in the involved -and nauseating style which we encounter every time the Germans inflict -on us a particularly disgusting piece of hypocrisy. In particular it -is stated that it is forbidden "_publicly_ to display the Belgian -colours." No doubt it is permissible to have them floating about in -one's pocket, or to decorate the interior of one's chest of drawers -with them. This is how the Teuton Tartuffe "asks no one to renounce his -patriotic sentiments":-- - - - GOVERNMENT COMMUNIQUÉS. - - One may observe, of late, in a great proportion of the inhabitants - of the town, as well as in the young school-children, a tendency to - manifest their patriotic feelings by wearing, in an open manner, - the Belgian colours, under different forms. - - I am far from wishing to offend their feelings; on the contrary, I - esteem and respect them. - - But, on the other hand, I cannot but perceive, in this form - [of display], that it is desired thereby PUBLICLY to express a - demonstration against the present state of affairs and against the - German authority, which I expressly forbid. - - I consequently direct: - - It is strictly forbidden to place in view, publicly, the Belgian - colours, either on oneself, or on any objects whatever, in no - matter what circumstances. - - Contraventions will be punished by a fine which may amount to - 500 frs., unless, according to the gravity of the case, the - contravention is punished by imprisonment. - - This regulation does not at any time prevent the wearing of - official decorations by those who have the right to do so. - - LIEUTENANT-GENERAL BARON VON HIRSCHBERG, - _Military Governor of the Fortified Position of Namur_. - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 15th November, 1914.) - - -_Prohibition of the Belgian Colours in Brussels._ - -Suddenly, without any pretext, the sight of the little tricolour -decorations worn by the people of Brussels began to offend the Germans, -and the national emblem was prohibited from the 1st July, 1915. The -prohibition was posted only on the 30th of June. It made a distinction -between the Belgian colours, the wearing of which was tolerated if it -was not provocative, and the colours of our Allies, the display of -which, even if not provocative, was absolutely prohibited. How were -our German bumpkins going to make this much too subtle distinction -between provocative and non-provocative display? This evidently left -the door open to all sorts of arbitrary actions. So the people of -Brussels judged it prudent to renounce their badges entirely. A few, -however, replaced the rosette by an ivy-leaf, the emblem of fidelity -in the language of flowers. What were the Germans to do now? Prohibit -the wearing of the ivy-leaf, perhaps, for by the 5th July they had -forbidden the manufacture and sale of artificial ivy-leaves, whether of -cloth or paper. But they did not persist in this course. For the first -time since we had been subject to them they conceived a witty idea. -They themselves began to display the ivy-leaf; from that moment this -emblem could not decently be worn by any of us. It would be interesting -to know who inspired them with this ingenious idea. - - -_The "Te Deum" on the Patron Saint's Day of the King._ - -Let us note the date of _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ which contained Baron von -Hirschberg's announcement: the 15th November, the patron saint's -day of the King. The same copy of the paper reproduced an article -from _Düsseldorfer General Anzeiger_, which doubtless had escaped -the censor, doing homage to the valour of the King and Queen. On -the following day _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ had to announce that the usual -_Te Deum_ would not be performed. Why was the ceremony suppressed? -The paper did not say; but we can easily guess; the superior German -authorities had decided otherwise. - -In Brussels also the _Te Deum_ of the 15th November was prohibited. It -was decided to replace it by a mass which would be sung at 11 o'clock -in the church of St. Gudule. By 10.30 the church was overflowing with -people; but towards 11.0 a priest passed quietly through the ranks -of the faithful, announcing that the singing of the Mass had been -prohibited by the Germans, and that it would be replaced by a Low Mass. -After this some hundreds of persons repaired to the Palais Royal, to -the gate in the Rue Bréderode; they expected that a book would be -there, as usual, to receive their signatures. The register had been -there, but the German authorities had removed it. The callers then -decided merely to leave their cards; but a Palace servant came to -inform them that the Germans, after removing the register, had also -forbidden the formation of assemblies near the Palace, and had even -made some arrests; he therefore begged the public to disperse. More -respect for patriotic sentiments! - - -_The Portraits of the Royal Family._ - -Since then it has been forbidden to sell portraits of the Royal -Family published since the outbreak of the war. In particular those -picture-postcards are prohibited which represent the King as a -soldier, the King with his Staff, the King in the trenches, the King -on the dunes, the King with General Joffre, the King at Furnes, the -Queen as a nurse, Prince Leopold as a trooper, etc. The prohibition is -applied with an incoherence which accords ill with the wonderful spirit -of organization with which our persecutors are credited. In certain -parts of Brussels the vendors have never been disturbed; in others, -they may sell the cards in the shops, but may not expose them in the -windows; elsewhere it is a crime even to have the cards in stock. In -short, all is left to the caprice of the police. These make the round -of the stationers' shops, seizing all prohibited cards, and very often, -too, seizing other cards on their own initiative and for their own use. -To a stationer who was privily selling us some prohibited cards, we put -the question, whether the police did not often enter his shop, in order -to seize whatever displeased them. "What displeases them?" he replied. -"No, no; they seize more particularly whatever pleases them!" Another -merchant, who was summoned to attend at the German police bureau in -the Rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies, was assured by the commissioner that -the police had the right to take "everything that might excite the -patriotism of the Belgians." This official put his own interpretation -on Baron von der Goltz's regulations with regard to patriotism. - -Not far away, at St. Gilles, on Sunday the 14th February, an -under-officer brutally snatched away the national flag which covered -the coffin of a Belgian soldier. Here is another example of individual -ideas as to the respect to be paid to patriotism and piety. - -While in Brussels the Germans prohibited only the more recent -Royal portraits, at Gand, in February 1915, the commandant of the -Magazine,[42] in order to show his zeal, forbade the sale of any -portraits of the Royal Family, of whatever date or nature. - - The Burgomaster of Gand has received the following letter, the - communal administration sending us a translation of the same:-- - - 2. mob. Etappen Kommandantur. - Reference No. 1095. - - GAND, _4th February, 1915_. - - To the Burgomaster of the City,-- - - I beg you again to draw the attention of all the booksellers, - stationers' shops, etc., by hand-bill or by means of the - newspapers, that they are forbidden under any circumstances to - display the portraits of the Royal Family of Belgium, either in the - windows or in the interior of the shops. - - Those who act otherwise will be severely punished. - - THE COMMANDANT OF THE MAGAZINE, - P.O. - - (_Signed_) HENZ. - - (_Le Bien Public_, 13th February, 1915.) - -The German persecutions were resumed with renewed vigour on the -approach of the 8th April, the King's birthday. At Antwerp the Germans -took care to forbid, in advance, anything that might have passed for -a royalist manifestation; but the inhabitants succeeded, none the -less, under their enemies' noses, in celebrating their Sovereign's -anniversary. - -Elsewhere the Germans, in their incorrigible meanness, had a different -inspiration. They suddenly had an intuition that the communal -administrations of Brabant were going to dismiss the schools in honour -of the King. Immediately circulars were distributed, forbidding the -closing of the schools on that day. But these ineffable blunderers -had forgotten one thing: namely, that the 8th of April fell in the -middle of the Easter holidays! Certain communes permitted themselves -the malicious delight of inquiring of the Germans whether they must -recall the pupils for the 8th of April? The Germans, of course, missed -the irony of the situation, and replied that it would not be necessary -to resume the classes. Their second letter contains a particularly -delightful sentence: "My will is merely that instruction shall not be -specially interrupted in honour of the anniversary of H.M. the King -of the Belgians." Another example of the unshakable determination to -respect the Belgians' patriotism! - - -_Obligation to Employ the German Language._ - -These letters are written in German. For that matter, it has become -a rule with our enemies to write only in their own tongue, and often -even in German characters. Better still: at Liége and Namur (_L'Ami de -l'Ordre_, 31st August, 1914) they required the Belgians also to write -in German. Yet another way of respecting our patriotism! - - -_The Belgian Army is our Enemy!_ - -Far from making an effort to respect our feelings, one would even -imagine that they must make it a point of honour (German honour) to -wound our loyalty. Thus, when they punish any one for rendering service -to the Belgians, instead of expressing the matter simply, as we have -done, they announce that the Belgian is convicted of relations with the -enemy. They are speaking of their enemies. But "the enemy" implies that -the Belgian Government or the Belgian army is the enemy of the Belgian -people. - -Better still: they inform us, by means of placards, that to aid the -Belgian army is "treason." The Belgian becomes a traitor by rendering -a service to his country! What a singular conception of honour! - - WARNING. - - The military tribunals have lately been compelled to condemn to - hard labour for attempted treason a large number of Belgians, who - had assisted their compatriots subject to military service in their - attempt to join the enemy army. - - I again warn [the public] against committing such crimes against - the German troops, in view of the severe penalties which they will - incur. - - THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL IN BELGIUM, - GENERAL VON BISSING, - _Colonel-General_. - - BRUSSELS, _3rd March, 1915_. - - -_The "Brabançonne" Prohibited._ - -At Namur the _Brabançonne_ was declared seditious on the 23rd March, -1915. But a month later the execution of the _first four verses_ was -declared to be permissible. What did the Germans mean by that? Let us -remember that none of the known versions of our national song (the two -versions of Jenneval and that of Rogier) consists of more than four -verses. Which, then, are those that our persecutors forbid? In their -rage for prohibition they have prohibited something that does not -exist!--unless they were speaking of the verse invented by _La Libre -Belgique_, and published in its tenth issue. It would be amusing if -the German authorities had fallen into a snare set by a prohibited -newspaper! - -In Brussels the Germans had not dared openly to interdict the -_Brabançonne_, as they did another national anthem which had, -so to speak, the freedom of the city of Brussels: we mean the -_Marseillaise_ (placard of the 27th March, 1915). Never did one -hear the _Marseillaise_ so often as after the Germans forbade us to -sing or play it; only it was now whistled. So, as might have been -expected, whistling the _Marseillaise_ was made a crime. As for the -_Brabançonne_, it was prohibited in an underhand sort of way. It used -to be sung every day in a school in Brussels; but two German soldiers -of the Landsturm, who were guarding a neighbouring railway, heard -it, and felt offended. Hence a letter to the communal authorities, -demanding that the national anthem should be sung or played with more -discretion. It is now seldom played save in the churches: at High Mass -on Sunday and the funeral services for soldiers. - - -_The National Anniversary of July 21st._ - -In July 1915 the people of Brussels hit on a new method of celebrating -the national anniversary of the 21st July. Since our tyrants would -obviously forbid us to fly our flag at half-mast, in token of our being -for the time in mourning for our country, a number of shopkeepers -announced, by means of a small printed notice, that "the shop would -be closed on Wednesday, the 21st July." The Germans were displeased; -moreover, they issued a decree forbidding all demonstrations. - - 21ST JULY. - - _Order of the Governor of Brussels dated 18th July, 1915._ - - I warn the public that on the 21st July, 1915, demonstrations of - all kinds are expressly and severely prohibited. - - Meetings, processions, and the decoration of public and private - buildings also come under the application of the above prohibition. - - Offenders will be punished by a term of imprisonment not exceeding - three months and a fine which may amount to as much as 10,000 - marks, or by one of these penalties to the exclusion of the other. - -They also announced, by means of the newspapers in their pay, _Le -Bruxellois_ and _La Belgique_, that the closing of the shops might be -regarded as a demonstration. Their pains were wasted. On the morning -of the 21st the shops and cafés remained closed; in private houses -the shutters were not opened. In all Brussels only a few taverns were -open--taverns frequented by the Germans, which a Belgian would never -compromise himself by entering. All that day it was a comforting and -impressive spectacle to see the crowd, in its Sunday clothes, grave -and deeply affected, with never one uplifted voice, passing along the -streets of closed houses. Never had the like been seen in Brussels. -No one would have dared to hope for such unanimity of feeling after -eleven months of occupation. The Germans were raging. They brought out -troops, who, with bayonet and cannon, occupied the principal public -squares; they ran an armoured motor-car up and down the most frequented -streets; they dragged artillery along the avenues surrounding the city. -But they did not succeed in fomenting the slightest disturbance; the -Brussels public was too firmly determined to preserve its dignity and -its tranquillity. - -In all the churches the _Te Deum_ was replaced by a High Mass, followed -by the playing of the _Brabançonne_; the latter was sung in chorus by -the congregation, who were moved to tears. - -The comic note was struck by the Germans. Suddenly, in the afternoon, -motor-cars began to hustle the crowds that had gathered; they bore -red placards, which were immediately pasted up, announcing that the -cafés, cinema-halls, etc., were to be closed at 8 p.m. Now all these -establishments had been closed since the morning. The Germans must have -lost their heads to make so grotesque an exhibition of themselves. - -As a sort of reprisal, the authorities suspended the two newspapers -which had not appeared on the 21st July: _Le Quotidien_ and _L'Écho de -la Presse_. Immediately _La Belgique_, which had appeared, suspended -itself, in order to produce a belief that it was not German! As for the -_Bruxellois_, it said not a word of the striking demonstration of the -21st. - -In other Belgian towns the shops were closed. In Antwerp more than the -shops were closed; the bureau of German passports, in the Place Verte, -announced, by means of two written notices, in German and Flemish, that -it was closed for the 21st July. The Germans were trying to repeat the -trick of the ivy-leaf. In vain, however, since the 21st was to occur -only once! - -At Gand the Germans forbade the closing of the shops. And the latter -were all open. But in many windows one saw, instead of the usual -display of goods, a group of articles which comprised a bucket of -water, a scrubbing-brush, and a chamois leather, with an inscription: -"Cleaning To-day." - - -_The Anniversary of the 4th August._ - -We must suppose that the unanimity with which the houses of Brussels -were kept shut up touched the Germans in a sore place, for they -prohibited the repetition of their manifestation on the 4th August, -the anniversary of their entrance into Belgium. - - NOTICE. - - I warn the population of the Brussels district that on the 4th - August any demonstration, including the decoration of houses by - means of flags and the wearing of emblems as a demonstration is - strictly prohibited. - - All gatherings will be dispersed regardless by the armed forces. - - Also I order that on the 4th August all the shops, as well - as cafés, restaurants, taverns, theatres, cinemas, and other - establishments of the same kind shall be closed after 8 o'clock in - the evening (German time). After 9 o'clock in the evening (German - time) only persons having a special written authorization emanating - from a German authority may remain in or enter the streets. - - Persons contravening these orders will be punished by a maximum - imprisonment of five years and a fine which may amount to 10,000 - marks, or one of these penalties to the exclusion of the other. - - The shops and establishments beforementioned which, as a - demonstration, shall close during the day of the 4th August will - remain closed for a considerable period of time. - - THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT, - VON KRAEWEL. - - _1st August, 1915._ - -The placard announcing these prohibitions forbade us to deck our houses -with flags! Flags, good God! Who then would have dreamed of flying -flags in commemoration of the rupture of an international pact! At the -most the people of Brussels had intended to wear in the buttonhole a -little "scrap of paper." But the wearing of emblems was forbidden. - -What the Germans did not think of forbidding was the little -demonstration of sympathy which they received on the evening of the -4th. In conformity with the order, all doors were closed at 20 hours -(9 o'clock German time). But in several of the popular quarters of -Brussels the inhabitants were no sooner indoors than the upper windows -were thrown open, and a deafening concert issued forth, in which -phonographs, alarm clocks, and saucepan-lids were predominant. The -patrols demanded the closing of the windows; but the people climbed on -the roofs to continue their _charivari_ there. The military commandant -was not pleased. It took him only five days to think of an appropriate -punishment. - - OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION. - - M. Maurice Lemonnier, acting burgomaster of the City of Brussels, - has just had posted the following communication:-- - - "_To the Inhabitants of the Rue de l'Escalier and the Rue du Dam_: - - "I place before you the translation of an extract from a letter - which I have just received from the German authorities. - - "I call your attention to the penalties announced against those - who shall contravene the measures ordained by the German Military - Government." - - BRUSSELS, _9th August, 1915_. - - _At the Sheriff's College, Brussels._ - - ... Even if I am willing to recognize that the Administration - of the City endeavoured, by means of its organs, to obtain the - application of the prescribed measures on the 4th of this month, - there yet remains the fact that in two streets isolated individuals - were guilty, in a demonstrative manner, of gross misconduct toward - the German patrols. - - It is to be regretted that it has not been possible to discover the - persons individually guilty; consequently nothing is left me to do - but to take measures against the streets in which the offences were - committed. - - Consequently I order the following as regards the two streets, Rue - de l'Escalier and Rue du Dam: - - From Monday, the 9th of this month, and for the space of fourteen - days, that is to say, until the 23rd of this month inclusively: - - A. All business houses and cafés will be closed after 7 o'clock in - the evening (German time). - - B. After 9 o'clock in the evening (German time) no one must be - found out of doors, in the street. After that time all windows - giving on the street must be closed. - - It is incumbent on the city to communicate the foregoing to the - inhabitants of these streets, to apply the aforementioned measures, - and to exercise a strict supervision in order that they may be - observed. - - Also I beg you to see that these streets are sufficiently lighted, - until 11 o'clock at night (German time). - - Moreover, I shall have these streets inspected by German patrols. - If on this occasion fresh offences are committed against the German - patrols, these latter will make use of their weapons. - - With my utmost consideration (Avec haute considération distingué), - - (_Signed_) VON KRAEWEL, - _Governor of Brussels_. - -Our tyrants appeared greatly to fear popular demonstrations. The people -of Liége had planned to honour, on the 6th August, in the cemetery, -the soldiers who died for their country during the defence of the city -in August 1914. Immediately the Germans made public their restrictive -measures. - - CITY OF LIÉGE. - - _To the Population._ - - Colonel von Soden, Commandant of the Fortress of Liége, has just - addressed to me the following letter (in translation):-- - - "In the course of the morning of Friday, the 6th August, - commemorative ceremonies will take place at the tombs of the - soldiers killed in combat. - - "I beg you to bring the foregoing to the notice of the population. - - "I particularly insist that, during the visit to the tombs, or in - case of participation in the military ceremonies, no demonstrative - manifestation of any kind must occur." - - LIÉGE, _the 2nd August, 1915_. - - THE BURGOMASTER, - G. KLEYER. - - (_Posted at Liége._) - -The people of Liége retorted by putting their shops in mourning, and on -the 6th August it was an impressive spectacle to see the shop-windows -throughout the centre of Liége hung with deep violet. - - -_School Inspection by the Germans._ - -In the schools the children were for a long time able to sing _La -Brabançonne_ on the sly; but this was not to last. The German -authorities passed a decree against Germanophobe demonstrations in the -schools. - - ORDER. - - _Article First._ - - The members of the teaching staff, school managers and inspectors, - who, during the occupation, tolerate, favour, provoke, or organize - Germanophobe manifestations or secret practices will be punished by - imprisonment for a maximum term of one year. - - _Article Second._ - - The German authorities have the right to enter all classes and - rooms of all schools existing in Belgium, and to supervise the - teaching and all the manifestations of school life with a view to - preventing secret practices and intrigues directed against Germany. - - _Article Third._ - - Whosoever shall seek to oppose or prevent verifications and - inquiries relating to infractions mentioned in Article 1, or the - measures of supervision ordained by Article 2, is liable to a fine - of 10 to 1,500 marks or to a maximum imprisonment of six months. - - _Article Fourth._ - - The infractions provided against in Articles 1 and 3 shall be tried - by the military courts. - - BRUSSELS, _26th June, 1915_. - - DER GENERAL GOUVERNEUR IN BELGIËN, - FREIHERR VON BISSING, - _Generaloberst_. - -Our children will have to unlearn the national anthem, which, in the -present circumstances, is evidently Germanophobe; and the teachers of -history, too, must keep a watch upon their words. During the French -lesson there must be no more recitations of Andrieux' _Le Meunier -de Sans-Souci_. It may even be necessary to make deletions in the -Latin classics; for one can see the military tribunals inflicting -severe penalties on Tacitus, for even in his days _Gallos certare pro -libertate, Batavos, pro gloria, Germanos ad prædam_ (The Gauls fight -for liberty, the Batavians for glory, the Germans for pillage). Another -Latin author who would certainly be proscribed is Velleius Paterculus; -he states in his Roman History: _At illi_ (_Germani_), _quod nisi -expertus vix credat, in summa feritate versutissimi natumque mendacio -genus_ (The Germans ally an extreme ferocity to the greatest knavery; -they are a race born to lie; and one must have mingled with them to -believe this). Velleius Paterculus was a good observer. - - * * * * * - -The morality--or immorality--of this long series of broken engagements, -which might be indefinitely prolonged, has had the result that no one -can any longer put his trust in Germany. None the less does Germany -continue to make promises, and is even annoyed and irritated when one -doubts her word. Thus the Chancellor said, in a speech delivered to the -Reichstag on the 23rd May, 1915, at the time of the negotiations with -Italy:-- - -"Germany had given her word that the concessions offered [by Germany] -should be actually accorded [by Austria][43]; consequently there could -no longer be any reason for distrust." Italy, strong in the experience -acquired by Belgium, decided, on the other hand, that there was reason -for distrust from the moment Germany pledged her word; and accordingly -she broke off negotiations in order to declare war. - - -C.--Incitements to Disunion. - -_Divide et impera_ ("Divide in order to rule") is a maxim which has -largely inspired the Germans in their relations with the Belgians. They -therefore do their utmost to divide the nation from its King, to excite -the Belgians one against another, and finally to kindle discord between -our Allies and ourselves. - -We have just seen by what unjustifiable methods, after promising to -respect our patriotism, they proceeded systematically (as they do -all things) to thwart our sentiments of fidelity to our King and our -nationality. Not content with opposing--sometimes openly, sometimes -with hypocrisy--all our loyalist manifestations, they endeavour to -embroil us with our Sovereigns. - - -_Incitements to Disloyalty._ - -While they accuse the Belgian nation of having sold itself to the -Triple Entente, they hold the King personally responsible for this -"conspiracy." Having become the "valet" or the "slave" of England, the -Sovereign could not accept the friendly hand which the Kaiser tendered -him on two occasions--the 2nd and the 9th of August, 1914. - -At Antwerp the Germans alone appear to have heard the absurd -declaration, that he vowed to "die in the city with his last -soldiers." Then he betrays his army and "takes to flight, amid the -maledictions of his subjects," deserting them for those that seduced -him. - -Then we have him on the Yser, the melancholy king "abandoned by God." -He would ask nothing better than to conclude peace. But England holds -him still in her toils, and prevents him from accomplishing this -wise project. It is _Le Réveil_, that peculiarly truthful newspaper -of Düsseldorf, which reveals this sinister exploit of Albion. The -_Hamburger Nachrichten_ receives the same report from Brussels. - - KING ALBERT WISHES TO MAKE PEACE. - - HAMBURG, _14th November, 1914_. - - From Brussels the _Hamburger Nachrichten_ hears from a very - reliable source that the report is confirmed which states that - serious differences exist between Belgium and England--that is, - that all personal relations are interrupted between King Albert and - the British Staff. - - The King desires an understanding with Germany, which Great Britain - is endeavouring by all means to prevent. - - (_Vossische Zeitung_, 15th November, 1914.) - -The propagandist pamphlet _Lüttich_ is less severe to our Sovereign, -since it invokes, as an extenuating circumstance, his "blindness, -which verges on stupidity." Incommensurable pride or imbecility--such -are the characteristics of King Albert! Do these paladins of tact and -delicacy show any greater respect for our Queen? Be sure they do not! -An article on King Albert and the Triple Entente, in the _Deutsche -Soldatenpost_ of the 10th October, 1914, a newspaper intended both for -the troops and the Belgian public, states: "From the outset the Queen -was initiated into the King's plans. She has not uttered a single word -of reproach for the horrible brutalities of which the principal victims -were innocent young German girls in Brussels and Antwerp." - -Well, we know that none of these "proofs" have shaken our fidelity. -Despite all prohibitions, despite all the fines imposed, thousands of -copies of the portraits of the King in the midst of his troops, and of -the Queen, our dear little Queen, tending the wounded, are sold every -day of the year. The patriotism of the Belgians is certainly incurable! - - -_The Walloons incited against the Flemings._ - -So the Germans sought a new device. As they could not cause disunion -between the people and the Sovereign, they tried to sow dissension -between the citizens themselves, by envenoming the problem of language -and reviving political rancour. - -At first they exploited, in the most virulent manner, the -Flemish-Walloon conflict. As in all countries in which several tongues -are spoken, there is naturally in Belgium a struggle between the -Flemings, who speak a Germanic language, and occupy the northern -portion of the country, and the Walloons, who speak a Latin tongue, -and occupy the southern provinces. But this conflict, however lively -it may have been, has never touched the foundations of our national -conscience, and we have always felt ourselves Belgians before -everything. - -At the outset, confesses Herr Kurd von Strantz, the Germans did not -realize what profit they might derive from the antagonism of races in -Belgium: an antagonism which they believed to be profound, but which -was only skin-deep. Since the month of August, however, they have been -trying to make up for lost time; they no longer lose a single occasion -to excite the Flemings against the Walloons, and in particular they -seek to make the latter believe that the Flemings already entertain -feelings of sympathy towards their executioners. - -Only two months after the occupation of the capital the Germans, -organizing their conquest, attempted to win over the Flemings -by feigning to espouse their grievances and by exploiting their -racial relationship, in order to divide them from their Walloon -fellow-citizens. Suddenly, in the official communiqués, Flemish took -the place until then occupied by French, and the German newspapers -began to display a touching sympathy for their "Flemish brothers," -and for their country and their art. We did not even need to read the -article published by the _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_ on the 11th -December (which was seen by M. Paul Hymans), in order to divine, at the -root of these sudden and simultaneous manifestations, the orders issued -by the German official circles. - -For it was not thus during the first weeks of the occupation. Then -correspondence was permissible only in French and German: Flemish was -not tolerated. The official notices were printed in French and German -only. Then, on the 25th August, the Government placards appeared in -German, French, and Flemish. Finally, on the 1st October, Flemish had -the advantage of French. Although from the standpoint of Belgian law -the latter measure was legal in the Brussels district, the by-law -ordering the cinema-houses to publish their programmes in Flemish -as well as French was not so; very often the manager is innocent of -Flemish, and the Flemish programme is spelt in the most fantastic -manner. Absolutely illegal, too, is the by-law compelling shopkeepers -in Bruges and Ostend to replace their French shop-signs by signs -written in Flemish. Still more galling was the outcome of a certain -trial at Tongres. Some young men, Flemings and Walloons, were accused -of the same offence. They were inscribed on separate lists, according -to their origin. The Walloons were condemned to severer penalties than -those inflicted on the Flemings. One sees the double object here: to -mollify the Flemings and to make the Walloons suspicious of them. We -may compare this with the fact that the majority of the Flemish civil -prisoners have been repatriated, while the Walloons are still in -Germany. - -However, the daily task of insinuation and persuasion is undertaken -by the German press. In the first place it lays stress on the great -affinity of character, historical past, origin, and language between -the Germans and the Flemings (_Düss. Gen. Anz._, 4th December, 1914). -The Germans must humour the Flemings and make friends with them. One -reason why it would not do to treat Belgium more harshly (as had been -demanded) is that there is a racial relationship between a portion -of the population and that of Germany. There is no Belgian people -(_Voss. Zeit._, 1st March, 1915). Much is made of the distant echoes -of the linguistic quarrel (_Voss. Zeit._, 1st March, 1915; _K.Z._, -18th March, 1915; _Frankf. Zeit._, 24th March, 1915; Osswald, _Zur -Belgischen Frage_).--The ill-feeling of the Flemings toward the "purely -Walloon" Belgian Government must be fomented (_Frankf. Zeit._, 24th -March, 1915), and also their dislike of the Belgian press printed in -the French tongue, both Government and press having been long ago -won over to France and the hatred of Germany (_K.Z._, 15th November, -1915). _La Croix Rouge_ is published in three languages, Flemish -preceding even German, and the French occupying only the extreme right -of the sheet; each number contains only one _feuilleton_, and that is -a novel in Flemish. A little Flemish conversation manual--_Vlamischer -Sprachführer_--is published in Düsseldorf for the use of Germans, -and of soldiers in particular. In order to compromise the Flemish, -the Germans pretend that well-known Flemings are already working -hand-in-hand with the German administration. It is even stated that a -pro-German group of young Flemings exists (_K.Z._, 18th March, 1915). -In verse translations, the _Dietsch_ or _duitsch_ of the Flemish poets -is rendered by "German," whereas these words signify simply the Flemish -or Dutch language (_Lüttich_, p. 127; _Köln. Volksz._, 25th January, -1915). Herr Karl Lamprecht, the well-known historian, who knew that his -translation was dishonest, was one of those who translated _dietsch_ -by "German" (_Die Woche_, No. 12, 1915). Better still, in the same -article Herr Lamprecht feigns to believe that by the expression _Noord -en Zuid_ Emmanuel Hiel intended to denote the Germans and the Flemings; -whereas he is speaking--and no confusion is possible--of the Dutch -(Noord-Nederlanders), and the Flemings (Zuid-Nederlanders). - -A short story by M. Maurice Sabbe was published in the _Berliner -Tageblatt_ on the 25th December, 1914, with an introduction which was -peculiarly compromising to the author's patriotic sentiments. His -extremely plain reply was as follows:-- - - HOW FRÄULEIN DÄMCHEN WAS BURIED. - - (_Reproduction prohibited._) - - By MAURICE SABBE, - - Professor of Germanic Languages at the Malines Athenæum. - - (The sketch was preceded by a brief introduction, which we quote.) - - The sketch we publish here deserves particular attention. Maurice - Sabbe is a scholar and a Flemish writer of repute, who, during the - bombardment of Malines, fled into Holland. Sabbe knows Germany, - thanks to a long residence at Weimar, and the military situation - has not succeeded in destroying his feeling, which is exempt from - prejudice, for Germany and Germanism. He expresses his opinion with - sympathy in the lectures which he is delivering in Holland, and, - in the same spirit, he has addressed, through his translator, to - a German journal, the _Berliner Tageblatt_, this short story of - life in Malines, which describes an episode of the war: the first - contribution which, coming from Belgium and written by a Belgian - during the war, has been destined to find publication in Germany. - - THE EDITOR. - (_Berliner Tageblatt_, 25th December, 1914.) - - BUSSUM, _28th December, 1914_. - - SIR, - - I beg your hospitality for the following lines:-- - - In the November number (1914) of the review _Onze Eeuw_ I published - a literary version of an episode of the bombardment of Malines. - A Dutch writer, M. E. Meier, requested my permission for the - publication of a translation of this sketch in a German newspaper. - I granted it him without hesitation and even with a certain - pleasure. My narrative emphasized the kindness and magnanimity of - my countrymen towards their enemies, and, at a moment when the - German press was accusing every Belgian of being a franc-tireur, - I thought myself fortunate to be able to place a contrary example - beneath the eyes of the German public. - - I left the choice of newspaper to my translator, and the - translation appeared in the Christmas number of the _Berliner - Tageblatt_. - - But here the plot thickens. Unknown to me, the editors of the - _Berliner Tageblatt_ prefaced my story with a notice highly - compromising to me. It asserts, in short, that I have German - sympathies which the war has not succeeded in shaking, that I am - giving lectures in Holland in order to express these feelings, and - that I wrote my short story especially to be published in Germany! - - The last assertion is already contradicted by the fact that the - sketch in question is a translation of the text which appeared in - a French review two months ago. As for my sentiments, they are - what they have always been, those of a Belgian unshakably attached - to his unhappy country and his noble King. These, and no others, - are the feelings I have expressed in my lectures in Holland. My - numerous auditors can testify to this. - - You will give me a sensible pleasure, sir, by inserting this - letter, thus assisting me to avoid any misunderstanding. - - Accept, etc., - MAURICE SABBE. - -This is only a detail in the conflict we are sustaining against -invading Germany, but it is a very instructive detail, because it shows -that before accepting any assertion on the part of our oppressors we -must always ask ourselves how much of it is a lie. The same question -arises _à propos_ of a letter written by a Fleming living at Liége -and speaking "in the name of the Flemish population of Liége," which -aspires to live under the German domination. By the singularities of -his syntax and his orthography this Fleming from Liége can only be of -German origin (_Düss. Gen. Anz._, 11th February, 1915). - -Once there was even a kind word spoken for the Walloons, vindicating -the dignity of their dialects, which are by no means dependent on -the French. (It is true this bold assertion comes from Herr Kurd von -Strantz.) - - -_Inciting the People against the Belgian Government._ - -On the other hand, they hope to detach the Belgian people from its -Government. Especially during the siege of Antwerp did they heap -effort on effort of this kind. It was then greatly to their interest -to send as many troops as possible to the Western front (so says -Lieutenant-General Imhoff, in his introduction to Delbrück's _Der -Deutsche Krieg in Feldpostbriefen_, pp. 11 to 13). Now hundreds -of thousands of their men were delayed in Belgium by the siege of -Antwerp. At all costs these had to be liberated in order to lengthen -the battle-front towards the north-west and the sea. Towards the -middle of September they did not hesitate for the third time to make -peace proposals to the Government--proposals which were rejected with -disdain, as were the previous ones (pp. 50-1). After this repeated -diplomatic failure they attempted trickery, a speciality in which -they shine to more advantage. As they could not succeed in directly -influencing the leaders of Belgian politics, they endeavoured to act -on them indirectly through the people. A newspaper was established, -_L'Écho de Bruxelles_, "for the general welfare," to which a certain -"Aristide" contributed. He professed to be an occasional correspondent, -although his articles were really the pretext for issuing the paper. - -In the first number he published a detestable letter in which he -called upon the Belgian Government at all costs to make peace with -Germany. This proceeding was so improper that the _N.R.C._ even, while -reprinting the letter, could not refrain from criticizing it harshly. -In No. 4, which appeared on the 4th October, 1914, and which was -entirely devoted to an attempt to cause mental anxiety in the people -of Brussels, he condemned as unpatriotic "the man who does not rise -up to cry to the people of Antwerp that they must cease from this -sanguinary, disastrous, and useless struggle for a cause which is not -ours." The same accusation was made against "those divisional Generals -whom the laurels of General Leman will not allow to sleep." "The -laurels of General Leman, great God!" he adds, and thereupon he moves -heaven and earth to prove the notorious insufficiency of the valiant -defender of Liége. No, he says, "the true and only heroes of this -melancholy war in Belgium are those who ... have proposed to treat with -Germany. These, Ministers and generals, have given proof of courage -and wisdom, exposing themselves to the vengeance of a mob over-excited -by a system of lies and delusions.... And the public will kick out -these French journalists and these hawkers of French journals who for -years have whispered hatred of neighbour against neighbour, the latter -being the best customer Belgium possessed." We have cited only the -more scandalous portions of this article, ignoring the merely ignoble -passages. - -While "Aristide" was endeavouring to influence the civil population, -aeroplanes were distributing to the Belgian troops in Antwerp -circulars, printed in French, and in another language which had a -certain resemblance to Flemish; and these strange handbills informed -the Belgian soldiers that they had been deceived by their officers and -by the authorities; that the Belgian army was fighting for the British -and the Russians, etc. - - DECLARATION. - - BRUSSELS, _1st October, 1914_. - - BELGIAN SOLDIERS, - - Your blood and your whole salvation, you are not giving them at - all to your beloved country; you are only serving the interest - of Russia, a country which desires only to increase its already - enormous power, and, above all, the interest of England, whose - perfidious avarice has given birth to this cruel and unheard-of - war. From the commencement your newspapers, paid from French and - English sources, have never ceased to deceive you, telling you - nothing but lies as to the causes of the war and the battles which - have followed, and this is still done every day. Consider one of - your army orders which affords fresh proof of this. This is what it - contains: - - "You have been told that your comrades who are prisoners in Germany - have been forced to march against Russia beside our soldiers." Yet - your common sense must tell you that this would be a measure quite - impossible to execute. When the day comes when your comrades who - are prisoners return from our country and tell you with how much - benevolence they have been treated, their words will make you blush - for what your newspapers, and your officers, have dared to tell - you, in order to deceive you in so incredible a manner. Every day - of resistance makes you sustain irreparable losses, while with the - capitulation of Antwerp you will be free from all anxiety. Belgian - soldiers, you have fought enough for the interests of the princes - of Russia, for those of the capitalists of perfidious Albion. Your - situation is one to despair of. Germany, who is fighting only for - her life, has destroyed two Russian armies. To-day no Russian is to - be found in our country. In France our troops are about to overcome - the last resistance. If you wish to rejoin your wives and children, - if you wish to return to your work, in a word, if you wish for - peace, put an end to this useless struggle, which is ending only - in your ruin. Then you will quickly enjoy all the benefits of a - favourable and perfect peace. - - VON BESELER, - _Commander-in-Chief of the Besieging Army_. - -When examples of this circular were brought to us in Brabant, we at -first thought it was a hoax. But we had to submit to the evidence; the -idea of this proclamation had really been conceived and executed by the -Germans. - -After the fall of Antwerp the campaign continued. Was it not necessary -to prevent the Belgians from going to join the Allies in the direction -of Flanders? With this end in view, the Germans attempted to throw -suspicion on the conduct of the Belgian military authorities at the -time of the taking of Antwerp. It was again the _Écho de Bruxelles_ -which was entrusted with the publication of the first false news. -Shortly after the accomplishment of this pleasant task, the _Écho de -Bruxelles_ disappeared for ever: doubtless it was no longer required. - -As for the defamatory libels which were uttered in November and -December, in order to incriminate the conduct of the civil authorities -of Antwerp, it is not yet known by whom they were instigated, worded, -and distributed; but we have a reasonable conviction that the Germans -were not unaware of them. In any case they did what they could to -profit by this disagreement, and they also did their best--in vain--to -revive the question when the Belgians, by common accord, had settled -their differences. - -But the Germans had not yet given up the idea of fomenting conflicts -among us. In an article entitled _Belgische Umstimmigkeiten_ (Change -of Temper in Belgium) the _Kölnische Zeitung_ of the 22nd November, -1914 (2nd morning edition) referred to a telegram from Berlin which -stated that news received from Breda (according to the _Berliner -Lokal-Anzeiger_) asserted that seven Belgian officers had deserted -and had there been interned. To verify this was very difficult, the -more so as in November 1914 no postal or telegraphic communication was -permitted between Belgium and Holland. The rest of the article informed -us that on the 5th November--a fortnight before their desertion--these -officers had received from King Albert the Cross of the Order of -Leopold: they had thus waited to desert until they had been made the -object of special distinction, which is at least peculiar. And then, -setting out from the Yser, they crossed the German lines to be interned -at Breda, in Northern Brabant. Strange! strange! And all this in order -to inform us that these officers, disheartened by the servile and -treacherous attitude of the King, refused again to send their men into -battle, for the sake of the English. - - -_Inciting the Belgians against the English._ - -It will be remarked that the English always receive a good share of the -venomous slime which the Germans, as M. Spitteler says, spit upon the -King, the Government, and the Belgian authorities. "England--there is -the enemy!" says the _Hassgesang Gegen England_--i.e. _Song of Hatred -of England_, the work of Herr Ernst Lissauer. - - _We love but with a single love, - We hate but with a single hate; - We have one foe, and one alone-- - England!_ - -It would be tedious to mention all the innumerable articles intended -to arouse in us a hatred of England. We may mention the opinion of -Dr. Hedin, reproduced on the placard of the 9th November, 1914; -the proclamation of Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, inserted, for -our edification, in _Le Réveil_ (29th October), as well as the -declaration imputed to the Flemish "poet" Cyrid Buysse (placard of -12th December, 1914). But these lovers of truth forgot to announce, -a few days later, that M. Buysse denied the truth of the German -declaration. A mere instance of forgetfulness, no doubt, unless the -Amsterdam-Copenhagen-Berlin-Brussels route, which was covered by the -so-called declaration, had suddenly grown too long for truth to travel -by. - - -D.--A Few Details of the Administration of Belgium. - -The preceding chapter has informed us how the Germans bore themselves -towards the inhabitants of the territory occupied in conformity -with--or rather in contravention of--Articles 42-56 of the Hague -Convention. Treachery and untruthfulness are the chief weapons -employed by our enemies. We need not return to the subject. We desire -now merely to refer to some details relating to the administration. -Details, we said; and in truth we shall consider neither the financial -administration of the country, nor its judicial administration, nor -its political administration, nor any of the other great cog-wheels -essential to the life of a nation. We shall confine ourselves to very -simple facts which any one can remark and understand. - - -(_a_) _Present Prosperity in Belgium._ - -There is nothing of which the Germans are more proud than their -talent--real or illusory--for organization. Accordingly they professed -their intention of re-establishing the normal state of affairs in -Belgium, in spite of the war, and they are always informing the whole -world that everything has resumed its regular course in our country. - - -_Assertions of the German Authorities._ - -Even in his inaugural proclamation (2nd September, 1914), von der -Goltz took the trouble of informing us that work was to be resumed. -But the Germans had placed such impediments in the way of inter-urban -relations that all activities were necessarily suspended. In October -he accorded "facilities of communication," as we were informed by -the announcement of the 15th, which meant that "circulation" was no -longer absolutely prohibited, and that he who had the means to obtain -a passport, and could spend a day or two in procuring it, would -thereafter be authorized to travel from Louvain to Malines, or from -Namur to Liége. As these measures, though so full of solicitude for the -general welfare, did not produce all the results that were expected of -them, the communal authorities were advised to refuse relief to the -unemployed (6th November, 1914). Nothing came of that advice! - -To the numerous obstacles already mentioned we must add one other: the -railway-workers and the artisans employed in many of the foundries -and workshops of Belgium were perfectly well aware that their labours -would principally benefit the Germans, so that by returning to their -workshops they would be committing an unpatriotic action. To overcome -this passive resistance the Germans multiplied their proclamations in -the industrial centres. It was wasted effort. - -In the meantime the Governor-General, in the vain hope of galvanizing -the labour organizations, sent to Germany for well-known Socialists, -who, under the pretext of having a chat with the leaders of the trades -unions, were really to inculcate the idea that it was their duty to -urge a resumption of work. The visits of the German Socialists have -been described by M. Dewinne, of Brussels, a militant worker, in the -Parisian journal _L'Humanité_. - -Infatuated as the Germans might be, they could hardly delude themselves -as to the failure of their attempts at subornation. This did not -prevent Baron von Bissing from issuing declarations dealing with the -situation which were truly touching in their sincerity. - - NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE GERMAN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. - - NORMAL SITUATION IN BELGIUM. - - VIENNA, _19th December_.--The Sofia correspondent of the _Neue - Freie Presse_ has had an interview with Field-Marshal von der - Goltz, who declared: "The situation in Belgium is entirely normal. - The Belgian population is acquiring the conviction that the Germans - are anything but cruel." - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - - BERLIN, _15th December_.--To the correspondent of the _Hamburger - Korrespondent_, the new Governor-General in Belgium, General - Baron von Bissing, has made the following declarations: I wish to - maintain order and tranquillity in this country, which has become - the base of operations for our troops. Our army must know that - order prevails behind it, so that it may always give its attention - freely only to what lies before it. I hope also that I shall - succeed, hand in hand with the civil administration, in doing a - great deal for the economic situation. When the Emperor appointed - me Governor-General he charged me, with particular insistence, to - do everything to assist the weak in Belgium, and to encourage them. - - THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT IN BELGIUM. - - -_The Parasitical Exploitation of Belgium admitted by Germany._ - -But, you may ask, had not Germany other than military reasons for -wishing to revive the economic life of Belgium? A semi-official -article in the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_, which was brought -to our cognizance by the _Düsseldorfer General-Anzeiger_ of the 30th -December, 1914, informs us upon this point. The article emanates -from Governmental circles in Brussels, probably from the immediate -_entourage_ of the Governor-General. Its object is to reply to the -complaints formulated in Germany, according to which the authorities -deal too gently with the Belgians. Instead of trying to revive Belgian -industry, it would be better, say the critics, to crush it completely, -in order to suppress future competition: on the other hand, it is -claimed that the contribution of 480 million frs. is insufficient to -reduce us to impotence, and that we ought to have been more severely -"squeezed." The German Government in Belgium defends itself briskly -against the reproach of sentimentality; it asserts that it has never -allowed itself to be guided by an exaggerated mildness (and we are -ready to declare that on this point at least its assertions maybe -credited!). It would surely not be very intelligent, it protests, to -strangle outright a country so ill-directed. Would it not be preferable -to exploit Belgium scientifically, so as to make her yield as much as -possible? The argument amounts to this: do not let us kill the goose -that lays the golden eggs; but of course it is understood, although one -need not express it explicitly, that when it is no longer in condition -to lay, we shall not hesitate to cut its throat. - - -_The Tenfold Tax on Absentees._ - -Many Belgians have left the country. That is easily understood. Those -who were present at the massacres of Visé, Louvain, Dinant, Termonde -... hastened, in their terror, to abandon those haunts of horror. -Those who lived in the towns left intact, such as Brussels and Gand, -but who heard people talk of the massacres and the burnings, had also -only one idea: to fly before the arrival of the Germans. Even those -Belgians who did not leave at the outset eventually grew weary of the -insupportable vexations inflicted on us by the authorities. Others took -flight because they knew themselves to be threatened with imprisonment. -Moreover, many of those who had means had prudently retired to foreign -countries, to the great fury of the Germans; there was no way of -getting at these "bad patriots," as it seems a German-Swiss journal -called them (_K.Z._, 11th February, 1915); no way of forcing them -to pay war-taxes. Moreover, it was these _émigrés_ who should have -kept alive the industries _de luxe_; finally, they were conspiring -together abroad, and rendering services to the Belgian Government at -Havre. If only they could be forced to return! Our enemies accepted -with enthusiasm an unlucky proposal--made by certain communal -administrations and immediately withdrawn by them--that the absent -persons should be subjected to a special tax, equal to ten times the -personal tax. The communal councils which conceived the idea of this -tax immediately realized its illegality, but Baron von Bissing seized -the occasion which this afforded him of persecuting the _émigrés_. He -published, on the 16th January, a special decree on the subject of -the "additional extraordinary tax upon absentees" (_Belg. All._). It -may be remarked that the tax touches only those who possess a certain -competence. - -Here are two facts which show how far life was normal in Belgium in the -spring of 1915, and how far the Belgian workers were delighted to place -themselves at the service of Germany. - - -_Railway Traffic in Belgium._ - -(_a_) An article in the _Düsseldorfer General-Anzeiger_ of the 19th -April, 1915 (morning), asserts that the traffic on the Belgian railways -is beginning to revive; indeed, says the writer, there are thirty-eight -trains daily leaving the Gare du Nord in Brussels. He exaggerates -slightly. Six weeks later, when traffic had become more active, a -table, dated the 30th May, 1915, which appeared in the "Belgian" -newspaper _L'Information_, gave the movements of trains in the Gare du -Nord and Gare du Midi of Brussels for the month of June. We find that -only thirty-four departures are given for the two stations. Thirty-four -trains in June 1915--and in June 1914 there were 292. Compare the -figures. - - -_Trouble with the Artisans of Luttre._ - -(_b_) The insufficiency of the number of trains is in reality one of -the things that most embarrasses the German authorities (see _Frank. -Zeit._, 16th January, 1915, first morning edition). In and about the -railway workshops, for example, on the sidings at Luttre, there are -hundreds of locomotives out of repair and waiting for attention. But -the workers employed in these shops do not intend to work for the -Germans. In vain do the latter protest that engines repaired by the -Belgians shall be employed only for Belgian traffic. What guarantee -have they that the locomotives will not serve to transport German -troops, or munitions intended to kill our brothers? Is it not a matter -of public notoriety that a contract is merely a scrap of paper? - -To enable the workers to resist the solicitations of the Germans the -necessary relief has been distributed for the maintenance of their -families. The Germans know very well that it is this money which -prevents them from subduing the workers to their will. They therefore -proceed with the utmost severity against the persons whose duty it is -to distribute the relief. Early in April 1915 they imprisoned thirty -of the notables of Luttre, Nivelles, and the neighbourhood, whom -they accused of assisting the working staff of the Luttre workshops. -A German official declared that the prisoners had been arrested -neither by the civil authority nor the military, and that they would -not proceed to trial. At the same time the administrations of the -communes neighbouring upon Luttre were forced to display a proclamation -requiring the men to resume work. Among the promises made to those who -should resume work was one that the prisoners should be liberated. -So thirty notables were thrown into prison, and kept there, in order -to force Belgian artisans to work for the Germans! When it was found -that in spite of everything the men would not return to the shops, the -prisoners were sentenced to undergo various punishments, the maximum -term of imprisonment being three months. As for the recalcitrant -workers, many were sent to Germany, where they were treated in the most -inhuman fashion. - - -_Traffic Suppressed at Malines._ - -At the construction shops of Malines the Germans went a different way -to work. There again workers were needed to repair railway material. -Three hundred were called for. As they did not present themselves their -addresses were obtained, and one fine morning soldiers called at their -houses and _manu militari_ led them to the shops. But there the men -folded their arms and persisted in doing nothing. The Germans had to -let them go. - -How to obtain their submission? The Germans threatened to suppress -all traffic in Malines. A singular fashion of punishing workless men -who refuse to betray their country, especially after declaring that -the only "guilty" persons were those who had organized the collective -refusal to work! (_La Belgique_, 9th June, 1915). But, in accordance -with the juridical principle that "the innocent must suffer with the -guilty," our enemies punished the market-gardeners of the Malines -district and prevented them from sending their cabbages and rhubarb and -peas and asparagus to market. - -After the lapse of some days the Governor-General removed the -prohibition. But he did not wish it to seem that he had repented of his -decision, however unreasonable the latter might be, so to keep himself -in countenance he posted up a statement that a sufficient number of -workers had resumed work (placard of 10th June, 1915). However, the -Baron von Bissing cannot have been ignorant of the fact that none of -the strikers of the Malines workshops had returned; the only workers -whom the Germans had been able to recruit were some unemployed persons -from Lierre, Boom, and Duffel, who had never set foot in the shops -before. As they could not be employed in the manufacture of railway -material, they were made to dig trenches in the direction of Wavre-Ste -Catherine and Duffel. - -The workers whom the soldiers led to the shops by force related that -their escort begged them not to resume work, because they would then -be obliged to leave Malines and to go to the Yser, a prospect which -inspired them with the keenest terror. - - -(_b_) _The Germans' Talent for Organization._ - -"The industrial and commercial prosperity" which Belgium is at present -enjoying is, of course, due to the Germans' incontestable spirit of -organization. "This sense of discipline and order, which the foreigner -calls militarism" (_Voss. Zeit._, 12th February, 1915, morning), has -enabled the officers of the reserve to accomplish such wonderful things -that Herr Oswald F. Schütte, correspondent of the _Chicago Daily News_ -(see _K.Z._, 6th May, 1915, first morning edition) can scarcely find -the words to describe them. "We understand," adds the same journalist, -"that the Government at Havre does not look with a favourable eye upon -the success with which the German administration has once more made -life worth living in Belgium." - -They are certainly something to be wondered at, the officers who are -administering our country. Would you have proof? The Belgian officials -of the Bridges and Highways Department refused to obey the Germans, -so that the latter appointed their engineer officers to direct the -work of repairing roads. But the work was naturally carried out by -Belgian contractors. On macadamized roads the breaking of stones, which -formerly cost from 18 to 22 centimes per square metre (about 2d. per -square yard), now costs 60 to 65 centimes. Good business, you will say, -for the contractors and their men. But no!--the difference goes into -the pockets of the officers. - - -_Conflict between Authorities._ - -This method of procedure naturally results in conflicts between the -various administrations. We have already related (p. 157) that the -city of Brussels was condemned to pay a fine of half a million francs -because the civilians and the soldiers were in disagreement. Muddles -of this kind testify to something quite different from a brilliant -talent for organization, which the Germans would have us believe is the -distinguishing mark of their administration. - - -_Suppression of the Bureau of Free Assessment._ - -In order to give the impression that they alone are capable of -re-starting the economic machine in Belgium, the Germans begin by -dislocating the existing machinery. Thus, a group of advocates and -surveyors created a bureau for the gratuitous assessment of the damage -caused by the war to real estate. This body was working to the general -satisfaction, when suddenly, in March 1915, the Germans decided to -take its place. Now observe their methods. The applicant who wishes -the damage suffered by his property to be estimated has to begin by -paying a provisional deposit, after which he finds that the costs of -the assessment have to be paid out of his own pocket. What this really -comes to is this: the Germans, having burned a house and reduced its -owner to poverty, demand that the latter shall pay in advance for the -evaluation of the damage done. - - -_The Belgian Red Cross Committee Suppressed._ - -Another example of the suppression of a body working in a normal -manner. As soon as they occupied Brussels the Germans began to meddle -in the doings of the Directing Committee of the Red Cross Society, -and appointed a delegate to the Society. They then tried to force -the Red Cross to exceed its duties, which were clearly specified -by the international convention known as the _Convention for the -Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the -Field_. Neither in the text of the Convention of 1869, nor in that -of the Convention of 1906, is there any question of other patients -than soldiers wounded during hostilities. Doubtless it is a matter -for praise if the Red Cross of each country should extend its action -to needs existing in time of peace; in Belgium, for example, the Red -Cross has organized ambulances in the International Exhibitions. But -it is none the less true that its essential mission, and the only -mission foreseen by the International Convention, is to ameliorate the -condition of soldiers who are victims of warfare. It was therefore an -abuse of the Red Cross to impose other aims upon it; to compel it, -for example, to organize "the relief and support of women by means -of labour." The Red Cross of Belgium decided, with abundant reason, -that it could not in time of war assume novel functions, nor, above -all, could it set apart for the same sums of money which were largely -derived from private subscriptions entrusted to it for the succour of -the wounded; it therefore refused to involve itself. After lengthy -negotiations the Governor-General suspended the Belgian managing -committee from its functions, and seized the funds. - -We should mention that the Central Administration of the Red Cross, -sitting in Geneva, decided that the Brussels Committee was in the right. - -Attempting to justify their illegal attitude, the German authorities -established a special journal, _La Croix Rouge, Bulletin officiel de la -Croix Rouge de Belgique_, printed in Flemish, French, and German. This -journal continues to pretend that the Belgian Committee was legally -dissolved, as it would not "assist the people in the present melancholy -situation." - -In vain did the Germans endeavour to put the world off the scent -as to their intentions. They knew perfectly well that the National -Committee of Relief and Alimentation patronized and subsidized -without distinction all the benevolent undertakings which applied to -it (p. 176). The real aim of our enemies is to supplant the National -Committee. This committee is a private institution in which they have -no voice, which greatly annoys them; at most they can endeavour to -make it believed that the revictualling of Belgium is effected with -their assistance. But this, as may be supposed, is not enough for them; -their real aim, their unavowed object, is to obtain entire control of -the National Committee, in order to exercise there also their talent -for organization--or, more precisely, their talent for peculation. -The 40,000,000 frs. per month does not sate their appetite. What an -indefinite perspective of fleshpots could they only lay hands on the -revictualling of Belgium! - -The whole affair of the Red Cross was conducted with annoying -duplicity--annoying even to us, who nevertheless were beginning to -grow accustomed to their campaign of lies. For months there were -negotiations between the Belgium Managing Committee and the German -authorities, represented by the Graf von Hatzfeld-Trachenberg. At each -interview the latter brought forth fresh demands on the part of the -Governor-General, but he always added that he was acting reluctantly, -and that in his opinion the demands were unjustified; only, of course, -he had to obey. (This is, by the way, the classic procedure. Whenever a -German commits a dirty action he entrenches himself behind discipline.) -These lame discussions lasted until the 16th April, 1915; upon a final -refusal on the part of the Belgian Committee to exceed its proper -functions, Graf von Hatzfeld-Trachenberg gave orders for the decree of -dissolution to be read. - - -(_c_) _The Belgian Attitude toward the Germans._ - -Our enemies spread the report that the relations between occupants and -inhabitants were greatly improving, and that the Belgians had abandoned -their provocative attitude, which was so unpleasant at the outset of -the war. They also asserted that by the end of October the people -at Antwerp had ceased to display any antipathy towards them (_Köln. -Volksz._, 30th October, 1914, morning edition).[44] But, in truth, they -flattered themselves when they stated that the Belgium people regarded -them with glances full of hatred. Hatred? No; merely glances full of -disdain, when by chance one could not do otherwise than gaze at them; -but, as a rule, the Belgians turn their eyes away, as they turn their -backs upon German music. - -At Liége, in Brussels and Antwerp, and at Malines, when an officer -addresses a Belgian the latter pretends not to hear (_N.R.C._, 20th -October, 1914, morning edition), or simply states that he has not -time to speak to the other; or he replies in Flemish; or else, having -affected to listen to him with all the marks of the most exquisite -politeness, he leaves the German standing still without replying a -word. The ladies more often reply, but it is only to beg the Germans -not to speak to them. The officer who asks his way is almost certain to -be sent in a contrary direction; while he who climbs on the platform of -a tram finds that all the passengers immediately turn their backs upon -him; and this rotation is executed with the regularity and precision -of a reflex movement. The officer who begs a a passer-by to lend him -his cigar that he may obtain a light, sees the other disgustedly -throw away the cigar which an enemy has touched. The child whom an -officer condescends to caress pushes away his hand with an indignant -expression, and makes the ugliest grimace he knows of. In short, they -are the objects of universal detestation. - -Perhaps it will be said that this attitude is peculiar to the towns -which have been little or not at all affected by the war. But no! In -localities which were largely burned down, such as Aerschot, Eppeghem, -Dinant, and Louvain, the population behaves in a manner even more -characteristic. At Dinant the children sing at the tops of their voices -a _Marseillaise_ with new words, expressly anti-German, in which a good -deal is said about pigs. At Louvain some officers who used to amuse -themselves with a phonograph which reproduced the record of the song -_Gloria, Vittoria_, had to give up using it in June 1915, because the -passers-by accompanied the refrains with other words: _Gloria, Italia_. -At Eppeghem and Aerschot the children play at soldiers, with Belgian -police bonnets on their heads, yelling _La Brabançonne_. One would say -the sight of those calcined ruins, far from intimidating the Belgians, -as the butchers had hoped, only whets their rebellious spirits, and -that the certainty of final success has completely effaced, in the soul -of the people, the memory of the terrors experienced at the time of the -burnings and killings. - -Not only is the Belgian population far from fraternizing with them, -as they try to make the world believe, but it neglects no opportunity -of proving that it is animated by very different feelings. It must be -confessed that when we openly wear the Belgian or American colours it -is with a double object: to advertise our attachment to our country, -or our gratitude to America, and also to make the Germans furious. The -little celluloid portraits of the King and Queen which one wears in the -buttonhole serve the same purposes. After the Germans had imprisoned -M. Max in a German prison many people displayed his portrait. This was -extremely disagreeable to our enemies (_Köln. Volksz._, 30th September, -1914, morning edition); but precisely for that reason people persisted -in wearing the little medallion until the German police demanded its -forcible removal. - -When the Governor-General, in the interviews which he granted the -correspondents of the _N.A.Z._ and the _Berliner Tageblatt_, pretended -to regard the wearing of the Belgian or American colours as a piece of -childish mischief, he was simply trying to put them off the scent, for -he of all people had no illusions as to the significance of the ribbons -which the Belgians are wearing in their buttonholes. This significance -was as follows: The Germans pretend (1) that their armies are -victorious and will remain so; (2) that they will be able to dictate -their terms, and will annex Belgium; (3) that this will be easy, as -the Belgians are already abandoning their provocative attitude, and -are beginning to fraternize with their persecutors. For the moment we -cannot reply publicly to lies 1 and 2; as to 3, any Belgian who wears -a little rosette tacitly proclaims that he does not wish to be taken -for a craven, and that his anti-German feelings have lost none of their -keenness. - -Other Germans try to deceive their compatriots as to the feeling of the -Belgians for their oppressors. Here is what Herr Walter Nissen says, -the Bruxelles correspondent of the _Düss. Gen.-Anz._ (23rd July, 1915): - - "Opinion in Belgium is daily becoming more conciliatory. Belgium - may, for the moment, be compared with a woman who is beginning to - love despite herself, and who, through pride and vexation, says - 'No!' as loudly as possible, for fear anyone should see what is - happening to her. But one does see it, despite the ribbons of the - national colours--indeed precisely on that account." - -Is this incurable blindness? Is it an ineradicable spirit of falsehood? -Does Herr Nissen really doubt the sincerity of our anti-German -manifestations? During the months he has lived in our midst he must -have discovered that we do, systematically, everything we can to -displease the Germans, until they issue decrees of prohibition. - -Here is a last trait which can leave no one in doubt as to the feelings -of the Belgians. In March 1915 the German authorities organized a -concert in the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. There were only three -known Belgians present, among them a professor of the University of -Brussels. The University showed its disapproval by sending him to -Coventry. - - -(_d_) _Behaviour of the German Administration._ - -The preceding pages have already informed the reader that the Germans -have not accustomed us to look for either gentleness or sincerity. But -hitherto we have not insisted on their administrative procedure, which -nevertheless deserves examination. - -But first let us picture to ourselves the mental condition of the -Belgians since August 1914. Cut off from all intellectual relations -with foreign countries, we receive independent newspapers only in -secret, at the peril of our liberty, or even of our lives. Every -day, on the other hand, the newspapers, mutilated by the censorship, -printing only the news--often false--which is favourable to the -Germans, are instilling their slow poison into our brains. No -matter: the people still repulse all attempts to foment disunion and -demoralization; they pull their belts a little tighter rather than -go to work for the enemy; they continue, to the last, to display our -colours; in short, they have retained, unshaken and unshakable, their -faith in our just cause and the final victory. - -The German newspapers are full of admiring articles describing the -firmness of mind evinced by the German people, for they, too, consent -to certain privations to ensure the success of their arms. Wonderful! -The German people are unfailingly encouraged by their newspapers, -their pastors and priests, their schoolmasters and professors, and by -lectures and innumerable pamphlets. Everything that might cause their -resolution to falter is carefully concealed from them. They are, -moreover, accustomed to hold no other opinions than those which are -officially presented to them. To falter, under these circumstances, -would be almost incomprehensible. But in our country, on the other -hand, everything is done to exhaust us, to dishearten us. The least -success of the German arms becomes the "final crushing" of the enemy; -the executions of Belgians who have aided their country are immediately -advertised on every hand; and, finally, we are prevented, by every -imaginable means, from spreading good news or preaching confidence. -That in spite of all the Belgian should retain his tranquillity of mind -and even his good humour is almost unbelievable, but it is true. - -Here, then, is a population which is systematically refused the -least item of comforting information, but which, on the other hand, -is treated prodigally to everything of a nature to demoralize it; -a population which, in order not to sink into despair, has to -make an effort every moment of the day; a country in which it is -strictly forbidden to do anything to encourage those who may suffer -from a temporary depression, or to sustain and reassure those who -feel themselves threatened. Is it not obvious that such pitiful -psychologists as the Germans will resort to intimidation to reduce this -population to their mercy? Everything is magnified into an offence, -and all offences are punished by the heaviest penalties; the Germans -even going so far as to threaten with death him who spreads "false -news"--that is to say, who communicates news to his fellow-citizens -which is displeasing to the Germans. - - -_The Appeal to Informers._ - -The placards already cited show amply the diversity of the offences -which may be committed, and the punishments which may be inflicted. But -we must not forget those notices which order the inhabitants, often on -pain of death, to inform against those persons who possess arms; to -denounce those who are _believed_ to be strangers to the commune; and -those _suspected_ of acting in a manner contrary to the orders of the -German authorities. - -Here are some of these notices: - - DETENTION OF ARMS. - - The communal administration forwards the following document:-- - - _Important Warning._ - - It has come to my knowledge that the inhabitants of the country are - still hiding arms and munitions in their houses. - - Those who still have arms in their possession (whether firearms, - bows, cross-bows, arquebuses, or knives and swords of any - description) will not be punished in any way if the arms and - munitions are deposited by the 15th December (noon precisely German - time) at the house of the burgomaster of the commune, to be handed - over to the military commandant. - - After the date indicated all persons found in possession of arms - or munitions will be shot. An account also will be demanded of the - burgomasters concerned, and also of all the inhabitants of the - houses or farms in which arms or munitions are found, as well as - the neighbours of the guilty persons. - - The death penalty will be imposed on all who learn of the existence - of arms or munitions without warning the burgomaster of their - commune, who must warn the military commandant. - - The present decree forms the last appeal to the population to - surrender their arms, and once the 15th December is past the - severest action will be taken. - - The burgomasters are personally responsible for ensuring that this - warning receives the widest publication. - - They are required to deposit with the nearest military authority - not later than the 15th December (at six o'clock in the evening, - German time) the arms and munitions that shall be delivered to them. - - THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. - - THIELT, 5/xii/14. - - (_Le Bien Public, 11th December, 1914._) - - BY ORDER OF THE MILITARY AUTHORITY. - - The inhabitants of Dieghem are strictly forbidden to assemble in - groups. - - Moreover, the inhabitants are required to bring to the Secretariat, - Chaussée d'Haecht 48, those persons whom they believe to be - strangers to the commune, in order to verify their identity. - - THE BURGOMASTER, - G. DE CONNICK. - - (_Posted at Dieghem, October 1914._) - - ON THE ORDER OF THE GERMAN MILITARY AUTHORITY. - - The Commissary of the Arrondissement of Verviers calls the - attention of the communal administrations and the inhabitants of - his jurisdiction to the following regulations:-- - - The severest penalties will be inflicted upon offenders: whosoever - shall damage the roads, telephones, or telegraphs will be HANGED. - The same penalty will be inflicted on every person in whose house - arms, ammunitions, and explosives shall be found. The house in - which these objects are discovered will be destroyed by fire, and - all the men encountered on the premises will be HANGED. - - Rigorous penalties will be inflicted on localities in which roads, - telephones, and telegraphs shall be damaged. - -For their own safety the inhabitants of communes are invited to make -known to the commandants of _étapes_ those persons suspected of -disobeying the present order or of opposing the measures taken. - -On the other hand, those communes which remain tranquil, and in which -this order is strictly obeyed, will enjoy the full protection of the -German Government. - - VON ROSENBERG, - _Colonel commanding the 29th Brigade_. - - VERVIERS, _22nd August, 1914_. - -Those who are _believed_ to be strangers; those who are _suspected_ of -acting contrary to orders ... it is a régime of organized suspicion, -a reign of terror, informing erected into a governmental process. - -The most abominable thing which the Germans have conceived in this -respect is that they encourage the denunciation of militia-men by -their fathers, mothers, wives, or sisters. It is a principle admitted -by all civilized nations--and also, no doubt, by Germany--that the -Courts definitely abstain from evoking a conflict between the paternal -and maternal instinct and the duty owed to justice. It is considered -that it would be revoltingly inhuman to force a father or mother -to bear witness against a son. Sophocles, in the _Antigone_, ranks -this prejudice among "the immutable laws, unwritten, which are from -all eternity." Now, in Belgium, when a young man leaves his family -to rejoin the Belgian army, the German authorities enjoin upon his -parents, his brother, or his sister, the duty of denouncing the absent -man; in other words, his father or his mother--yes, we said his -mother--must deliver up the son because he is doing his duty toward -his country (notice of the 9th April, 1915). And the Germans are not -content with threats. If the Germans forget their promises, at least -they scrupulously carry their threats into execution. At Hasselt they -imprisoned a woman whose son had rejoined the Belgian army (p. 152). At -Namur they have on many occasions punished the parents of soldiers who -had not committed the crime of denouncing them. And not content with -inflicting these disgraceful penalties--disgraceful to those who impose -them--they have forced _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ to give publicity to these -sentences, to the number of ten or more. Here are the details of one -sentence: - - According to § 3, No. 2, of the Imperial decree of the 28th - December, 1893, concerning the extraordinary proceedings of the - Council of War for foreigners, the Governor of the fortified - position and the province of Namur has pronounced a deprivation of - liberty against the following Belgian subjects: the farmer, Félix - Duquet, of Jemeppe, two months; his wife, Victoire Duquet, _née_ - Swain, one month. They had harboured their son, Clement Duquet, - Belgian soldier, who had lost his regiment, for several months, - instead of notifying him to the German authority; by so doing they - acted in contravention of the proclamation of the Government of - Namur, dated 19th September, 1914. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 8-9th July, 1915.) - -Assuredly for the Germans the word "humanity" is void of meaning; they -have replaced it by "Germanity." No doubt they regard maternal love -among the Belgians as being of an essence so inferior that they need -not take it into account. Yet in order not to wound the sensibilities -of their own soldiers, nor those of their "brothers by race," the -Flemings, they omitted any mention of mothers in the German and Flemish -texts of their notice of the 4th April. As we have already stated, -they feel that they need not observe towards the feelings of the -Belgians--and above all of the Walloons--the same consideration as is -shown towards those of the Germans. - - -_German Espionage._ - -Informing cannot exist without espionage. Now we know that the -Germans are past masters in this art. Every one of our towns has -been favoured by a swarm of spies, male and female. In the streets, -on the promenades, in the cafés, in the trams[45]--everywhere one is -conscious of the invisible inspection of secret agents. Woe to him who -utters aloud an opinion unfavourable to Germany, or complains of a too -outrageous placard or announcement, or criticizes a passing officer or -any one connected with Germany, or abuses the German army: immediately -a lady or gentleman hails a German soldier, and the offender is taken -to the _Kommandantur_. And when a Belgian enters the _Kommandantur_ -he does not know when he will come out again; there he awaits, -sometimes for several days, his turn to be interrogated; and after that -imprisonment is certain. Not, of course, that he is always condemned; -it sometimes happens that the offence has not been proved; but even -so, "his hash is settled," for while he has been waiting his turn his -house has been searched, and where is the house that does not contain -some letter from a son or a brother who is a soldier? Prohibited -correspondence! Sentenced! - - -_Agents-provocateurs or "Traps."_ - -A close espionage surrounds those who undertake the carrying of -letters or the introduction of newspapers. In this case the spies -work principally by means of "traps"--_agents-provocateurs_. A -spy introduces himself to the person suspected of dealing with -correspondence; he pretends he has a letter to send or receive. If the -suspect listens to him, a picket of soldiers and policemen arrives -on the following day to make a search. Other spies will speak in the -street to a seller of newspapers; they will ask for a French or English -journal, and scarcely has the vendor taken the forbidden journal from -his pocket than a hand falls upon his collar. - -It is also by means of "traps" that the Germans catch those who enable -our militia to escape from the country. A young man, of the proper age, -goes in search of the suspected person, and by means of false papers -passes himself off for a patriot who wants to take his place at the -front. Arrangements being made, the spy departs; but a skilfully set -trap enables him to catch a whole group of young fellows. It matters -little to our cause, however, since for every one arrested hundreds -cross into Holland every week. Many Belgians devote themselves to this -patriotic task, though they well know that in case of failure they -will be sent into Germany or shot. It should be said that their most -active helpers are the soldiers of the Landsturm, the guardians of -the frontiers, who, according to an established tariff, for the sake -of alcohol or money, close their eyes as our militia-men cross the -frontier. - -One step further along the path of the informer, the spy, and the -"trap," and we come to means whose ignominy is such that even the -Germans themselves are forced to admit their dishonesty. - -Thus, at Liége most of the letter-boxes on the house-doors are closed -by means of nails. Why? At the end of 1914 many citizens of Liége used -to receive _Le Courrier de la Meuse_, a newspaper edited and printed at -Maestricht by Belgian refugees. There was no great mystery about its -distribution; the paper was simply slipped into the letter-box. But -the German agents spied on the vendors, and having done so, searched -the houses at which the newspaper was delivered. The subscriber, of -course, was condemned to pay a fine. Did part of this go to the spy? -It is probable; in any case it was not long before the spies were -importing _Le Courrier de la Meuse_ in order themselves to place it in -the letter-boxes of well-to-do houses. A search conducted immediately -revealed the prohibited article, and, in spite of the indignant -denials of the victim, the fine was inflicted. - -At Ferrières, near Jemelle, worse than this was done. A German priest -pretended that the curé of Ferrières had repeated, before a witness, -a private conversation held some hours earlier. Moreover, he wanted -to garble the conversation. The abbé's action was repugnant in such a -degree that even Baron von Bissing himself was a little uneasy about -the matter, and revoked the punishment awarded to the Belgian. - -While the mission of the spies and _agents-provocateurs_--including -the _abbés-provocateurs_ or ecclesiastical "traps"--was to procure the -condemnation to various penalties of as many Belgians as possible, -other "agents" in the pay of Germany commenced a vast inquiry, in -order to prove, in the face of the evidence itself, the crimes of the -"francs-tireurs." Well!--in spite of all the manoeuvres of spies and -_provocateurs_ and the inquirers themselves, in spite of the personal -rancour which impelled a few rare Belgians to become the accomplices -of the Germans, and to denounce, in a spirit of vengeance, certain of -their fellow-citizens, never did the Germans succeed in mentioning a -single name, not one single name, of a Belgian civilian accused of -having fired upon the German troops. We say expressly "accused," and -not "convicted," to show that nowhere, in village or provincial town, -although petty rivalry is so acute, and although informers, even though -anonymous, would have been welcomed with joy by the Germans, nowhere -was any one found to assert that a Belgian civilian had fired on the -German troops. No, it was so improbable, so manifestly false, that not -even the most miserable of wretches would have dreamed of formulating -such a calumny. - -The Germans wanted to make us believe that anonymous letters were -pouring in upon them, but that they, as upright administrators, refused -to follow up these accusations (Declaration, 4th May, 1915). Obviously -a lie. We know them capable of themselves fabricating these anonymous -accusations, simply to cause the Belgians mental uneasiness, and to -give rise to mutual suspicion. This is yet another attempt to cause -dissension. - -For the rest, they have since then admitted that they have invited -denunciation. Worse than this: denunciation is enough to procure -condemnation; it is not necessary for the offence to be proved. - - NOTICE. - - Cases are increasingly frequent in which letters are sent to - Belgian soldiers at the front by means of intermediaries. - - I remind the public that this is strictly prohibited. Any person - denounced to the German authorities for such action will be - subjected to a severe penalty. - - THE GOVERNOR OF THE FORTIFIED POSITION - AND THE PROVINCE OF NAMUR. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 13th June, 1915.) - -We should never come to an end were we to mention all the tricks and -shifts that enter into their methods of administration. We will confine -ourselves to relating one or two more. - -According to the Hague Convention, the functionaries of an occupied -territory who remain at their posts must declare that they will -undertake nothing, and will refrain from everything, that may be -contrary to the interests of the occupier. Note two essential points: -it is only the _officials_ who are required to sign this agreement, and -they undertake to _refrain_ from anything that may be hurtful to the -occupier. - -Now in January 1915 the German administration of Namur wished to force -the entire male population of the canton of Éghezée between the ages of -eighteen and forty to sign the following declaration:-- - - "I the undersigned promise, conformably with the Hague Convention - of the 18th October, 1907, to continue scrupulously and loyally - the fulfilment of my functions, to undertake nothing against the - interests of the German Empire, and I promise to prevent all that - might be injurious thereto." - -In certain communes the inhabitants, meaning well and imperfectly -informed as to their rights and duties, signed this declaration, which -is an improper one, as it was required of all the inhabitants, and not -only of the officials; moreover, it made the signatories promise to -_prevent_ what was injurious to the Germans, not merely to _refrain_ -from it. Up to a certain point, therefore, all the inhabitants were -obliged to place themselves at the service of the German authorities. -Some burgomasters refused to allow the document to be signed as it -stood. They added, on their own authority, the following sentence:-- - - "With the reservation of being able to respond freely to the appeal - of the Belgian Government if the latter comes to resume possession - of the country at present occupied by the German armies." - -The Germans did not accept this addition; they proposed a new form of -words:-- - - "I the undersigned promise, conformably with the provisions of the - Hague Convention of 18th October, 1907, to continue scrupulously - and faithfully in the performance of my functions, to undertake - nothing against the interests of the German Empire, to refrain from - all that might injure it." - -In many villages the people again refused to sign. Men between 18 and -40 years of age cannot promise to continue in the performance of -functions which they have never fulfilled. What did the Germans do? -They forced all the male inhabitants of the recalcitrant communes to -present themselves daily at Éghezée, the chief town of the canton. -But eventually they realized that it was iniquitous to make these men -lose half their day every day simply because they, the Germans, were -demanding an absolutely illegal thing. So the daily muster at Éghezée -was abandoned. - -The German administration falsely invoked the Hague Convention of -1907 in addressing the peasants, who doubtless did not even know the -Convention by name, and it tried twice over to take advantage of -their good faith. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of the -province of Namur should have become suspicious, so that they would not -willingly put their names to any paper presented by the Germans. In May -it was only after long negotiations and threats that the young men of -Rhisnes and Emines signed their identification cards, which, according -to the Germans, "imposed no engagement on the signatory." We have not -ourselves seen the wording of this card, so we cannot speak as to its -tenor; but it is curious that the Germans should be so insistent upon -the signing of a card having so little significance. - -They also wished to impose, on the civic guard of Rhisnes and Emines, -the engagement that they would no longer bear arms against Germany. -More than half the men refused, and were sent as prisoners of war to -Germany. - - Monday, 3rd May, in the morning, sixty-nine Belgian militia-men - of the communes of Rhisnes and Emines were arrested because they - refused to sign their identification cards, which contained - nothing else than the information as to their persons necessary - to complete such a document. They were taken to the prison of the - fortress. On 6th May they were questioned a second time, and, - having all without exception signed, they were immediately released. - - Tuesday, 4th May, 107 members of the civic guard at Rhisnes were - arrested because they refused to sign the declaration that they - would not bear arms against Germany and her Allies during this war. - In the course of the same day forty-nine signed the declaration and - were released. The other fifty-eight maintained their refusal, and - were transported to Germany as prisoners of war on Tuesday evening. - - Wednesday, the 5th May, eighty members of the civic guard of Emines - and Warisoulx were arrested for the same reason; forty signed the - declaration and were released. The rest were transported to Germany - on the evening of the 6th May as prisoners of war. - - Similarly on the 5th May, in the afternoon, 170 men, part being - members of the civic guard and part militia-men of the communes - of Taviers, Dhuy, St.-Germain, Hemptinne, Villers-lez-Heest, - and Bovesse, were arrested because they refused to sign their - identification cards. The Government hopes that these men will - reflect and hear reason, and that they will submit spontaneously to - this measure, which serves only for purposes of registration, so - that they may be released. - - It is expressly added that the signature of the identification - cards imposes no engagement on the signatory; these cards contain - only information as to identity, and all the Belgian militia-men, - as well as the members of the civic guard, have been several times - informed upon this point. - - (_Communicated._) - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 7th and 8th May, 1915.) - -Let us look into this case. - -In the first place, there never was a civic guard at Rhisnes nor at -Emines, so that it is absolutely fraudulent to give this title to all -the male adult inhabitants; and since they have not been civic guards -they have never borne arms against Germany, and cannot therefore engage -to cease doing so. Here again appears the German duplicity in all its -beauty. The men of Rhisnes and Emines assure us that the paper said -"no longer bear arms against Germany." The Germans have imposed a -communiqué upon _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ which gives another version--"not to -bear arms." - -But in the communiqué provided by the German authorities and published -in _La Belgique_ on the 5th June, our enemies recognize that the -document said "no longer bear arms." However, a German communiqué is -never entirely truthful; and this one forms no exception to the rule. -Conforming to the truth in this respect, it departs from it in another. -It says, in effect, that the men of Rhisnes "regarded themselves as -still belonging to the Belgian Army." What absurdity! They refused to -sign precisely because the Germans wished to make them say that they -did belong to the Army! - -In August and September 1914 the Germans were sending Belgians into -Germany as civil prisoners; in May 1915 they were sending them as -prisoners of war. The difference is important, since the Hague -Convention states that the cost of maintenance of war prisoners falls -upon their country of origin, but that it is not speaking of civil -prisoners. This is why the civilians of Rhisnes and Emines went -to Germany as prisoners of war, as did the curé and the vicar of -Cortemarck (p. 72). - -We have already cited (p. 233) one case of premeditated abuse of a -signature. Here is another: In October 1914 the German authorities of -Mont St.-Guibert (between Ottignies and Trembloux) had the following -placard posted:-- - - NOTICE. - - 1. All the male inhabitants of the commune aged from 18 to 45 - years, rich or poor, must present themselves to-morrow, Tuesday, - morning, the 6th October, at 7 o'clock in the morning (Belgium - time) at the railway booking-office. - - 2. These inhabitants can no longer change their place of residence; - their names have been given to the military authorities. - - Those who do not carry out this order, who seek to escape, will be - made prisoners and will render themselves liable to be shot. The - families of offenders will be taken as prisoners and their property - destroyed. - - 3. English, French, or Russians who are in the locality must be - delivered to the military authorities. The same with Belgians - having belonged to the Army who are deserters or have been - prisoners. Offenders will be punished by death. - - 4. Fire-arms of all kinds which are still in possession of the - inhabitants must be deposited immediately with the commandant - of the railway-station. Those who are discovered to be still in - possession of these arms, after the publication of this notice, - will be shot. - - 5. Assemblies for roll-call will be held from time to time. The day - and hour will be given in advance. - - 6. Umbrellas and sticks are forbidden at the station. Men must not - present themselves in a state of drunkenness. - - Mont St.-Guibert, 5th October, 1914. - The Burgomaster, - E. WAUTIER. - - The Commandant of the Railway-station, - HAMICH, _Sergeant_. - -This placard threatens penalties, even shooting, for the failure to -attend at the railway-station; moreover, the offender's family is of -course held responsible. So far it is commonplace enough. We will say -nothing as to the grade of officer who thus disposes of the lives -of citizens--he is a sergeant; but we know that the humblest German -soldier possesses every right. What does rather surpass the usual level -German administrative procedure is the fact that the burgomaster, whose -name figures at the bottom of the placard, knew nothing of the latter -until it was posted. The sergeant had used his name without deigning -to consult him. - -To give a complete idea of the administrative methods employed by the -Germans against our country, it will be as well rapidly to describe how -they behaved in a certain locality immediately after proceeding against -the "francs-tireurs." Hitherto we have dealt only with places where -they did not have to carry out "reprisals." We will now select Andenne, -on account of the particularly savage character of the "repression" -which drenched this unhappy town with blood and fire. Here are the -facts in their tragic sequence:-- - -The German patrol which penetrated into the town on the 19th August, -1914, went straight to the house of the communal receiver and seized -the funds: 2,232 frs. - -On the following day the bulk of the troops arrived. That evening, -between 6 and 9 p.m., a very sharp fusillade broke out. Immediately the -civilians were accused of having fired, and the troops began to shoot -down the inhabitants and burn the houses. - -On the following morning--the 21st August--all the inhabitants not yet -shot were driven into the Place des Tilleuls. The men were herded on -one side, the women on the other. From time to time Major Scheunemann, -who commanded the operations, had a few men shot, sometimes before the -whole population, sometimes a little apart. During the morning the -soldiers dragged the corpse of the burgomaster, Dr. Camus, into the -Place. As soon as Major Scheunemann learned of the death of the first -magistrate, he appointed as burgomaster M. de Jaer, who was one of -the group of persons waiting their turn to be shot. From that moment -the order was given to kill no more; they contented themselves with -sack and pillage. There were then 300 houses burned at Andenne and at -Seilles, and 300 inhabitants were shot (_11th Report_). - -We will confine ourselves, as regards the events which followed the -burning and the massacre, to reprinting the placard posted at Andenne -during the first ten days of the occupation:-- - - INHABITANTS OF ANDENNE. - - By order of the German military authority occupying the town of - Andenne:-- - - All the men are held as hostages. - - Per shot fired on the German troops, there will be _at least_ two - hostages shot. - - The hostages will be fed by the women, who will carry them the - necessaries close to the bridge at 6 in the evening and 8 in the - morning. - - Women are strictly forbidden to converse with the hostages. - - All the streets and public places will immediately be cleaned by - all the women of the town, on pain of immediate arrest. - - It is strictly forbidden to move about the town after 7 in the - evening and before 7 in the morning, on pain of severe repression. - - The dead will immediately be buried without any formality. - - Young people over 14 and the women must give their assistance in - every case of requisition. - - It is strictly forbidden to show oneself at the windows. - - By order of the German military authority, - The Burgomaster Designate, - E. DE JAER. - - The Secretary, - MONRIQUE. - _Andenne, the 31st August, 1914._ - - PROCLAMATION.[46] - - On the 20th August of this year there was firing from numerous - houses of the town of Andenne on the German troops who were passing - through the town; bombs also were thrown. It is certain that the - first outbreak of firing occurred, according to a certain plan, at - precisely the same time in several streets: in the Rue Brun, the - Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, the Place des Tilleuls, and several other - streets. A number of soldiers have been killed or wounded and war - material damaged. - - After denying the first attacks, there was again firing from many - houses for several hours, and again on the 21st August, at two - o'clock in the afternoon, an under-officer was killed by a shot - from one of the houses in the Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville. - - Those guilty inhabitants who have hitherto been found have been - shot by the Council of War, but it was not possible to find the - persons who arranged the plot. - - We appeal, however, to the honour of the City of Andenne, which - appears in the eyes of the civilized world as a nest of murderers - and bandits. - - Perhaps it is possible to restore the honour of this town; this - is why the inhabitants are invited, in their own interest, to - communicate to the military authority all that may make it possible - to make progress in revealing the plot and its authors. - - He who delivers proofs capable [of revealing, etc.] receives - according to their value a reward of 500-1000 frs. - - The measures which have been taken will or might be sooner - mitigated as soon as inquiry shall have made progress to make known - the guilty. - - THE COMMANDANT OF THE CITY. - - _Andenne, the 22nd August, 1914._ - - _Andenne, Sunday, 23rd August, 1914._ - - OFFICIAL NOTICE. - - Between Saarburg and Metz there has been a great battle. The German - troops have made 21,000 French prisoners. - - Long live His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia and - Margrave of Brandenburg! - - SCHEUNEMANN, - - Major and Chief of Department. - - OFFICIAL NOTICE. - - The revictualling of the population will be effected by the - efforts of the Military Administration, assisted by the Civil - Administration of Andenne constituted by the German Government, as - far as possible. - - 1. In this connection, the sale of provisions and commodities is - strictly forbidden. - - 2. Householders are advised to report at once the quantity of - their provisions. Commodities will be taken for cash or redeemable - voucher. - - 3. It would be in the interest of the population to announce - exactly the quantity of their provisions. - - 4. Provisions not exceeding two days for the family need not be - reported. - - 5. All the available forces of the commune are in the care of the - Administration for the harvest. - - Properties abandoned will be harvested as the rest. - - THE COMMANDANT OF THE TOWN OF ANDENNE. - - _27th August, 1914._ - - PROCLAMATION. - - I have confidence in the Administration and in the population, - that now each will be careful to obey as strictly as possible the - orders of the Kommandantur in order to soften as far as possible - the misfortune caused by the criminal deeds of a few inhabitants. - - This is why I object to all that prevents the free circulation of - the inhabitants. I trust that none of the inhabitants of Andenne - and Seilles will make use of their liberty save for the prosperity - of the commune. - - The Administrations of Andenne and Seilles are working with me day - and night to bring about a settled state of affairs. - - All questions of revictualling and welfare must be addressed - directly to the Administrations of Andenne and Seilles, which have - also the power to require the inhabitants to work. - - The German Army displays the greatest severity and energy if it is - perfidiously attacked by the inhabitants, but it sincerely desires - to use justice and humanity towards the people, if the conduct of - the inhabitants permit. - - Der Kommandant, - SCHULTZE, - Hauptmann. - - _Andenne, 25th August, 1914._ - - TO THE INHABITANTS OF ANDENNE. - - We call the attention of the population to the proclamation which - the Military Commandant has just handed to us on leaving. - - I am leaving this town in the expectation that it will perform, - as during the last few days, and also in the future, all that may - ensure orderly conduct towards the German Army. - - I hand over the new bridge to the town for its use, and require - it to be responsible for its safety and to maintain it in good - condition. - - For the present a small garrison will remain here, which will be - fed and lodged by the town. - - If all energies are permanently directed upon the prosperity of the - town of Andenne and Seilles these localities will soon be cured of - the grave wounds which the war has inflicted upon these communes, - by their own fault. - - SCHULTZE, - Hauptmann. - - _Andenne, 28th August, 1914._ - - We are profiting by this occasion to congratulate and to thank the - inhabitants of Andenne for the admirable manner in which they have - behaved, during these latter days, and we urge them strongly to - assist the Communal Administration to repair as far possible the - great misfortunes which we have experienced. - - The Burgomaster delegated by - the Military Authority, - E. DE JAER. - - The Secretary, - MONRIQUE. - - _Andenne, 28th August, 1914._ - - PROCLAMATION.[47] - - 1. From _Saturday, 29th August, 1914_, midday, all the clocks must - be set to the German time (one hour earlier). - - 2. Assemblies of more than three persons are strictly forbidden - _under penalty of fines_. - - 3. To move about after 8 p.m. the authorization of M. le Commandant - is required. - - 4. Arms must be deposited with the guard _at the Casino, by noon on - the 29th inst_. - - Where arms are still found in the houses after this date, the - householder will be hanged. - -5. The German troops requiring absolute tranquillity, workmen can -return to work at once. Tho least revolt on the part of the inhabitants -will result in the complete burning of the town, and the men will be -hanged. - - SIMONS, - Lieut.-Col. and Commander-in-Chief. - - _Becker_, - _Captain and Commander-in-Chief._ - - -DEAR FELLOW-CITIZENS, - -We are happy to announce to you that the military authority will show -the greatest goodwill towards us if, as we doubt not, the worthy -population of Andenne continues to remain perfectly quiet, to labour -with courage, and to obey authority with docility, _as it has done_ up -to the present, for which we thank it. - -At a military fête, at which the military authority expressly invited -us to be present, all the troops, including the officers--in our -presence, and before many of the notables of Andenne, and Dean Cartiaux -in particular--repeatedly shouted "Hurrah for Andenne!" - -In the name of all of you, much affected, we expressed our thanks. - -Dear friends, have confidence in us; we are working with all our souls -for the safety of Andenne. - -We have assured the military authority that the soldiers might be -perfectly at ease in our midst, that none of us would wish to commit -the least aggression--that, on the contrary, we shall all treat the -Germany Army with _complete loyalty_. We have been responsible for -you. In return, we ask you only one thing: it is, to continue to do -what you have done until to-day, and, if, by some impossible chance, -there should be among us an ill-conditioned person who might be capable -of compromising honest people, point him out to us; for our worthy -fellow-citizens must not be responsible for the crimes of a scoundrel. - -Let the German Army be sure that the communal administration will with -the utmost promptness hand over to it any one guilty of an act of -ill-will, whoever he may be. - -Dear fellow-citizens, patience and courage to support privation. Be -easy in your minds; we are with you. - - The Burgomaster delegated by - the Military Authority, - - DR. LEDOYEN, E. DE JAER, - - Councillor Lahaye. - - The Secretary, - - MONRIQUE, - - _Andenne, 30th August, 1914_. - -PROCLAMATION. - -I am under the impression that the greater portion of the inhabitants -desire tranquillity, therefore I invite them not to leave the town. - -Before employing violent means, I shall make a strict inquiry to -discover the guilty persons in case a revolt should break out. - -I therefore expect of the population of Andenne that it will do -everything to ensure that no German soldier shall be molested otherwise -I shall be forced to act in accordance with the measures of my first -proclamation. - - BECKER, - Captain, L.I.R. 29, and Commandant-in-Chief. - -One word as to these placards. - -_Placard of the 21st August._--The men are all regarded as hostages; -the women have to feed them; they also have to clean up the town. - -_Placard of the 22nd August._--The military authorities declare, on the -22nd of August, that Andenne, where the "attacks of francs-tireurs" -were repressed during the night of the 20th and the morning of the -21st, is already regarded by the whole civilized world as "a nest of -murderers and bandits." It offers a reward of 500 to 1000 frs. to any -one who will denounce the author of the plot. It also promises, to -excite the zeal of the informers, that the severe measures in force -will be mitigated as soon as the leaders are discovered. (No one was -denounced.) - -_1st Placard of the 23rd August._--This announces the great victory -between Sarrebourg and Metz: 21,000 French prisoners were taken. (An -attempt to demoralize the population.) Note that the Wolff Agency -reported only 10,000 prisoners; where did Major Scheunemann find the -other 11,000? - -_2nd Placard of the 23rd August._--The Germans are attending to the -revictualling of Andenne. (In reality the people of Andenne were -starving.) - -_Placard of the 25th August._--The German administration is strict, but -just. (The people of Andenne had noticed the severity.) - -_1st Placard of the 28th August._--Once again the inhabitants are urged -to remain calm, and are congratulated on their good conduct. (The -burgomaster was forced to countersign this proclamation. Had he seen it -first?) - -_2nd Placard of the 28th August._--The German time is made compulsory. -Assemblies of more than three persons are prohibited. If arms are found -in a house their owner will be hanged. At the least disturbance, the -complete burning of the town and the hanging of the men. - -_1st Placard of the 30th August._--The German troops, having pillaged -Andenne and shot down its inhabitants, now shout "Hurrah for Andenne!" -Then a fresh appeal to informers. - -_2nd Placard of the 30th August._--The German authorities now promise -to make an inquiry if there is another revolt. (This inquiry would have -been a novelty.) - - -E.--Ferocity. - -We may be brief, for the cruel character of _Kultur_ is so obvious, and -appears so plainly from the documents cited, that it would be idle to -insist upon it. - -If it were necessary to justify our aversion, we need only remark that -the cruelties recorded were systematically premeditated. Do not the -_Kriegsbrauch im Landkriege_ (_Usages of War on Land according to the -Great General Staff_) state that the observation of these usages is not -"guaranteed by any sanction other than the fear of reprisals," and that -the officer, the child of his age, carried away by the moral tendencies -which affect his country, must protect himself "against exaggerated -humanitarian ideas," and must realize that "the only true humanity -often resides in the unmitigated employment of these severities?" If -such principles are professed by the highest authorities, the German -soldier will not shrink from any degree of violence; for he knows that -wickedness will not merely provide him with amusement; it will also -help to achieve the final aim of warfare. - -So that the officer shall be in no danger of forgetting the spirit in -which he should conceive his relations with the enemy population, he -carries some such aid to memory as the _Tornister-Wörterbuch_. If he -has letters or proclamations to draft, he has recourse to _L'Interprète -Militaire_ of Captain von Scharfenort, professor and librarian at the -Academy of War in Berlin. M. Waxweiler (in _La Belgique Neutre et -Loyale_, p. 265) has already drawn attention to the cruel and odious -character of this _vade-mecum_, so we will not enlarge upon it. It was -after consulting _L'Interprète Militaire_ that a certain placard posted -in Belgium in the August of 1914 was drafted. It gives no details as -to the "lugubrious cruelties"; it applies both to towns and villages; -it speaks of the "mayor" instead of the "burgomaster"; it is neither -dated nor signed; in short, it presents all the characteristics of an -"emergency placard," drafted beforehand. - - PROCLAMATION. - - We are not making war upon citizens, but only on the enemy army. - - In spite of this, the German troops have been attacked in great - number by persons who do not belong to the army. They have - committed _acts of the most lugubrious cruelty_ not only against - combatants, but also against our wounded and our doctors who are - under the protection of the Red Cross. To prevent these brutalities - I order that which follows: - - 1. Any person who does not belong to the army and who is found arms - in hand, will be shot instantly. He will be regarded as outside the - laws of nations. - - 2. All arms, rifles, pistols, Brownings, sabres, daggers, etc., - and all explosive material, must be delivered immediately by the - mayors of every village or town to the commander of the German - troops; if a single weapon is found, no matter in what house, or if - any act has been committed against our troops, our transports, our - telegraph lines, our railways, etc., or if any one gives asylum to - _francs-tireurs_; the guilty persons and the hostages who will be - taken in each village will be shot without pity. Besides this, the - inhabitants of the villages, etc., in question will be driven out. - The villages and towns even will be demolished and burned. If this - happens on the road of communication between two villages or two - towns, the inhabitants of the two villages will be treated in the - same manner. - - I expect the mayors and populations will be able, by their prudent - supervision and conduct, to ensure the safety of our troops as well - as their own. - - In the contrary case, the measures indicated above will come into - force. - - Signed: THE GENERAL COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF. - - (No name.) - -The appeal to brutality comes from above. In 1900 the whole world -shuddered at the advice which Wilhelm II gave the expeditionary corps -setting out for China. "Follow the example of the Huns," cried the -Kaiser. Why, then, do the Germans profess to be annoyed when compared -to-day with the soldiers of Attila--or when their motto is spelt _Gott -mit Huns_? - -A German lieutenant, whose military note-book we have had before us, -does full justice to his companions. After the massacre and burning -of Ottignies on the 20th August, 1914, he wrote as follows (we -translate):-- - - The inhabitants were in the square, under a guard of soldiers. - Several men were condemned by the Council of War and at once put - to death. The women, dressed in black, as in a solemn procession, - then departed. Among those who had just fallen, how many innocent - were shot! The village has been literally sacked: the "blond brute" - has shown himself for what he is. The Huns and the freebooters of - the Middle Ages could not have done better. The houses are burning - now, and when the action of the fire is not enough we raze what - remains standing. - -Very suggestive too is the placard of the 26th April, 1915, in which -Baron von Bissing informs us that according to Mr. Fox, an American -journalist, the Germans have committed no useless "cruelties." Then -there are useful cruelties? Really the Governor-General, who seems to -know his subject, ought to publish a table differentiating the various -qualities of cruelty. - -But a thing that does surprise us is that the virus of cruelty should -already have contaminated civilians--I mean the Catholic members of the -Reichstag. Herr Erzberger, the same who asserted, and who perhaps is -asserting still, that the Belgians invaded Germany on the 2nd August, -wrote what are perhaps the most coldly ferocious words imaginable: -"_Above all, no sentimentality!_" (_N.R.C._, 6th February, 1916, -evening edition). - -Such advice bore fruit, as we shall discover when we come to -examine, in succession, the physical and moral tortures in which -our executioners delight. But first let us cite a few examples of -_aggravations_. By that we mean acts of malice which do not endanger -the life or reason of the victims, but which reveal, perhaps the more -clearly for that, the desire to torment. - - -1. AGGRAVATIONS. - -A general remark occurs to us at once: it is that the Germans have -failed in their object. For instead of exasperating us to the point -of forcing us to commit some imprudence, which they would have been -obliged to repress, they simply made sure of our profound contempt. To -tell the truth, each fresh persecution makes us furious for a day; but -the sense of irony soon regains the upper hand, and then we have only -one anxiety: to make their latest form of vexation ridiculous by all -the means in our power. - -Nothing better shows the contrast between the German mentality and the -Belgian than the manner in which we have obeyed the decree concerning -the German time. - -After only a week's occupation the inhabitants of Andenne were obliged -to set their clocks to the German time. At Namur, too, this was -required from the 31st August. Elsewhere the German time was enforced -only at a much later date, and only in respect of the clocks in cafés. -Many cabaret-keepers merely stopped their clocks; others had fitted a -second small hand, an hour in retard of the first; others wrote beneath -the clock "German Time," or even "This clock is an hour fast." In the -window of a Brussels watchmaker, in the midst of many clocks which -indicated more or less precisely the German time, was one which was -specially labelled "Correct Time"--and that one told, of course, the -Belgian time. In short, every one did what he could to avoid letting -his customers regard the German time as the true time. And really, if -one has adopted, as is the case in Germany and in Belgium, the system -of hourly segments, it is obvious that Belgium ought to form part of -the segment of Western Europe, not part of that of Eastern Europe. It -is, therefore, solely in a spirit of aggravation that Germany forces -her time upon us; and she is fully aware of this, as her public -notices are always careful to speak of "German time," not of "Central -European time." - - -_Treatment inflicted upon Belgian Ladies._ - -What do you think of the additional suffering inflicted on ladies -condemned to several weeks' imprisonment for having conveyed letters -from Belgian soldiers to the parents of those soldiers, or for speaking -a little too boldly before an officer, or for some other crime of a -like nature? It is a delicate idea to shut them up in common with half -a score of other prisoners, in a room containing no convenience but a -pail furnished with a cover. They are lucky if the company does not -include some very dubious characters. - - * * * * * - -We need not insist: these are aggravations, not serious at bottom, but -their irritating nature can only be fully appreciated when one suffers -them daily, or hears them described by friends or relatives who have -been their victims. - -After the examples of collective and impersonal malfeasance dictated by -some high officer desirous of justifying the fair fame of _Kultur_, we -will take those cases in which the personality of the author clearly -reveals itself, and, let us say at once, in which this personality -instantly excites the disgust and indignation of all merely civilized -persons. - -The Germans reached Capelle-au-Bois on the 30th August. But on the -31st they were repulsed by Belgian troops. On the 4th September they -returned in force and forced back the Belgians; not without difficulty, -however, for they had many killed, of whom nineteen were buried at -Capelle-au-Bois. With the Belgian troops as they withdrew went all the -inhabitants of the village, leaving behind them only a few helpless -old people. In this all but empty village, where no one was left to -offer them the least resistance, the Germans hastened to kill several -inhabitants--four, it is believed. Then, under the orders of Captain -von Puttkammer, the strong-boxes were broken open, the objects of value -packed and sent to Germany, and the wines carried to the bank of the -canal and into the houses occupied by the officers. On the evening -of the 4th September the troops set fire to the village. Thanks to -incendiary pastilles and benzine pumps, the fire spread rapidly; 235 -houses were burned of the three hundred which formed the heart of the -village. So far all was as usual; but here is the characteristic fact. -The better to enjoy the spectacle the troops spent the evening on the -bank of the canal; there they organized a little orgie, over eight -hundred empty bottles being afterwards discovered. - -At the same period the Germans established a few miles further to the -west, at Londerzeel, pillaged and then burned the house of the notary, -M. Van Hover. They had tried in vain to open the safe, so, furious -at their failure, they poured benzine into it and set fire to it, -procuring at least the satisfaction of knowing that all the papers -would be reduced to ashes. - -What are we to think of the officer who, lodging in the house of a curé -in the province of Antwerp, found it amusing to tear pages from the -books which formed his host's library, or to gum them together, so that -in seeking to separate them the owner himself would tear them? Note -that it was no clown who devised this kindly pastime, for he took care -to choose, in the Latin books, the pages bearing the most important -passages.[48] - - -_Filthy Amusements._ - -Others preferred to defile things. When in August and September 1914 we -were told that the Germans were amusing themselves by depositing ordure -in their beds we refused to believe in such perversion. But a walk -through Eppeghem, Sempst, and Weerde was enough to enlighten us. Not -only had they emptied all the houses, rich or poor; not only had they -taken the trouble to smash into quite small pieces all the glass and -crockery they could not carry away; not only, in the grocers' shops, -had they delighted themselves by mixing snuff with the butter, and -tacks with the cloves, and pepper with the flour, but all the bedding -bore the malodorous traces of their visit. - -Let it not be imagined that this mania of beastliness is peculiar to -the common soldiers. The officers who spent the night of the 19th -August, 1915, at Cortenburg, between Louvain and Brussels, were -infected by the same _Kultur_. In a certain house they carefully laid -the table in the dining-room, without forgetting the serviettes, -and then deposited a souvenir on every plate. In another house -in Cortenburg they chose, as a receptacle, the tall hat of the -householder. In the château of Malderen (Brabant), having taken all -that pleased them and broken the rest into small pieces, they opened a -card-table, deposited their excrement there, and carefully closed it -again. - -Another manifestation of the scatological mania: Many hundreds of -German Army surgeons met in congress during the Easter holidays of -1915, in Brussels. On the last day of the congress, Wednesday, the 7th -April, a banquet was held, on the premises of the Palais de Justice. -On the Thursday morning it was discovered that the surgeons had left -souvenirs behind them; they had evacuated the surplus of food and -liquor consumed by the three natural orifices, and had chosen for their -purpose the most beautiful halls of the Palais. Frankly, we should not -have expected this from the doctors; it is true, however, that they -were German military doctors. - -A man amuses himself as he can--or, to put it more plainly, according -to his mentality. After all, these beastly habits, disgusting as they -are, are not those whose results are most disagreeable. - -There are others who seek violent contrasts. Thus, at Houtem, while -the church was burning, on the 13th September, 1914, a military band -was playing its liveliest selections at a few yards' distance. At -Monceau-sur-Sambre, on the 22nd August, officers were playing the piano -in the château of the demoiselles Bourriez, on the Trazegnies road, -when the soldiers had already lit the upper floors. At Louvain, on the -25th August, 1914, in a café near the railway-station, soldiers set -fire to the upper floor without warning the proprietor, and remained -below, where they kept a mechanical piano going. They were thus able to -enjoy the despairing expressions of the inmates when they discovered -that they could no longer hope to save anything. - - -2. PHYSICAL TORTURES. - -We shall not here refer to the innumerable cases of torture cited -in the Reports of the Commission of Inquiry, nor those reported in -Nothomb's _La Belgique Martyre_. We will confine ourselves to facts of -which we have personal knowledge. The Germans will, of course, seek to -deny them. So it is as well to begin by a declaration of their own. -_Vorwärts_, on the 23rd August, 1914 (the very day on which the chief -atrocities were committed in the Dinant district), protested against -the proposal made by a German officer, not to kill francs-tireurs -outright, but to wound them mortally and leave them to die slowly in -agony, while forbidding any one to go to their assistance. What to our -mind is even graver than the proposition itself is the fact that the -_Deutsches Offizierblatt_ accepted it as quite a natural thing. - - It is clear that where they are proved, the cruelties committed by - our enemies must be denounced, and that everything must be done to - prevent their repetition. However, we must not allow the recital - of these cruelties to force us to resort to a sort of policy of - retaliation, or lead us to wash out what others have done with - innocent blood. - - What are we to say when we find an organ like the _Deutsches - Offizierblatt_ expressing its sympathy for the following - proposition: The "brutes" captured as francs-tireurs should not be - shot outright, but should be fired upon and left to their fate, all - succour being prevented? What again are we to say when it is added - that the destruction, in reprisal, of whole localities even does - not represent "a sufficient vengeance for the bones of a single - Pomeranian grenadier assassinated"? These are the imaginings of - bloodthirsty fanatics, and we are ashamed to perceive that men - capable of speaking thus exist in our nation. Such expressions, - even if they are not carried into action, are truly of a nature to - place our struggle in an unfavourable light all the world over. - - (_Vorwärts_, 23rd August, 1914.) - - -_The Fate of the Valkenaers Family._ - -One of the most horrible tragedies of this war was the massacre of -the Valkenaers family, at Thildonck, on the 26th August, 1914, while -Louvain was burning. Because they had not prevented the Belgian -soldiers from utilizing their farms as points of support, the members -of the two Valkenaers households were shot down in cold blood. Of these -fourteen unfortunate people three were grievously wounded and seven -killed. The better to amuse themselves, the Germans forced the elder of -the young girls to wave a sort of flag. - -During the preceding night (that of the 25th August), in Louvain, they -had savagely mangled the corpse of a young woman. - -On the afternoon of the 25th, being still in the immediate -neighbourhood, at Bueken, they had seized the curé and cut off his nose -and ears before giving him the _coup de grâce_ (p. 238). At the same -time began the torture of the curé of Pont-Brûlé, to end only on the -26th. - -At Elewijt, on the 27th, they amused themselves by amputating the hands -of four men--the three brothers Van der Aa and François Salu. - -A little further to the east the first German troops who had passed -through Schaffen, near Diest, on the 13th or 14th August, had there -tortured the blacksmith Broeden. All day long he had laboured, shoeing -the horses of the enemy's cavalry. Early in the evening he repaired to -the church, with the sacristan, with the object of saving some precious -articles which had not been placed in security. He was surprised by the -soldiery and seized. Successively the Germans broke his wrists, his -arms, and his legs; perhaps he suffered yet other tortures. When he was -practically lifeless the soldiers asked him whether he thought that he -would in future be capable of undertaking any kind of labour. On his -replying, in an almost inaudible voice, that he did not, they declared -that in that case he ought not to continue to live. Immediately they -threw him, head first, into a ditch dug for the purpose; then the ditch -was filled, leaving his feet protruding. - - * * * * * - -In other parts of the country also the most varied tortures. At -Spontin, near Dinant, on the 23rd August, 1914, they pierced the curé -and the burgomaster with bayonet-wounds until death ensued; but first -they had bound each man with a strong cord, drawn violently tight round -the waist by the combined efforts of two soldiers. It must be supposed -that the officer who presided over the "severities" at Spontin had -quite a special affection for cords, for having taken alive some 120 -inhabitants of the place (the rest were killed, shot down while they -were trying to escape), he had them all tied together by the wrists and -conveyed them towards Dorinn; but many were shot before reaching that -village. - -On the same day, in Dinant prison, a soldier strangled a baby in the -arms of its mother because it was crying too loud. - -At Sorinnes, still in the Dinant district, and on the same day, Jules -and Albert Houzieaux were burned alive. - -At Aiseau, on the 21st August, the Germans shut two men into a house, -to which they set fire. But the unexpected arrival of a shell -prevented them from enjoying the sufferings of their victims. - -At Hofstade chance favoured them better; they threw Victor de Coster, -whom they had just stripped, into the furnace provided by his own -house; his servant shared his fate. - -We must suppose that the Germans take great pleasure in the contortions -of the hanged. Herr Heymel had to content himself with admiring the -corpse of a priest swinging in a tree; and his friend, Herr Klemm, -was careful to devote, to the memory of this comforting spectacle, a -drawing, published in _Kunst und Künstler_ (January 1915). Herr Heymel -expresses his great satisfaction before this spectacle; but what -pleasure he would have experienced could he have witnessed the hanging -of the men whom the Germans boast of having hanged to the trees of -the Herve district; or could he have assisted to hang that inhabitant -of Èvelette, whom the soldiers put to death at Andenne, on the 20th; -or the cabaret-keeper who was strung up to a lantern before the -Louvain railway-station, on the night of the 26th; but our fastidious -_littérateur_ would have tasted the keenest delight at Arlon, when an -old man was put to death; he remained hanging for hours, with his feet -just grazing the soil (p. 351). - -The Germans, perhaps, will say--supposing they think they ought to -excuse themselves--that these executions were carried out as a result -of the attacks of francs-tireurs, or after the mutilation of the German -wounded by Belgian civilians. But it will be impossible for them to -allege these lies as circumstances extenuating the inhuman treatment -which they inflicted upon Belgian soldiers at the time of their first -attacks on the forts of Liége, on the night of the 4th August; that -is, a few hours after the commencement of hostilities. Not only did -they maltreat in every imaginable manner their Belgian prisoners, but -certain German soldiers pushed _Kultur_ so far as to refuse water to -poor wounded fellows dying of thirst; more, they even gave themselves -the atrocious pleasure of spilling on the ground the water contained in -the wounded men's own flasks, and this before their eyes. - - -3. MORAL TORTURES. - -The physical tortures which the Germans have inflicted upon us cannot -rival their methods of moral torture. In these they have achieved -refinements worthy of the inventive genius of an Edgar Allan Poë. - - -_Moral Torture before Execution._ - -To force those about to be shot to dig their own graves, as they did at -Tavigny,[49] is quite a commonplace method. In the Fonds de Leffe, on -the 23rd August, 1914 (p. 360), they perfected their mode of operation. -They had called up eight men of Dinant to bury the victims as they -were shot (there was so much work to do that it had to be entrusted to -experienced hands). In the evening each of the gravediggers dug his own -grave; four were shot, and buried by their colleagues; just as these -were about to suffer the same fate an officer "pardoned" them: not out -of humanity (that would have been too decent), but simply because their -services would be required during the following days. - -At Dinant, during the bloody days of the 23rd and 24th August, they -invented many other moral tortures. On the morning of the 23rd they -shot, in a meadow of the Fonds de Leffe, a group of thirteen men. But -instead of leading them all together before the firing platoon, they -cunningly prolonged their pleasure; the thirteen unfortunates were -tied, in succession, to the same tree, and shot down one by one. - -The whole of the 23rd was consecrated, in the Fonds de Leffe, to -killing the men in small batches of half a dozen; these were shot -either before their wives and children, or at a short distance, but -within earshot, so that the family should lose none of the groans of -the dying. - -When, later on, the women and children were shut up in a windmill, -having first been marched in front of the corpses, the Germans allowed -themselves the distraction of lighting fires before the windows from -time to time, in order to make the women believe that they were about -to be burned alive with their children, and to delight in their anguish. - -While men were being shot in the Fonds de Leffe, horrible massacres -were being committed at Leffe and at Dinant, at only a few minutes' -distance. Here, too, men were shot before their families--for example, -Victor Poncelet and Charles Naus--and the survivors were forced to -pass through the midst of the corpses. The officers, too, devised more -complicated diversions; for instance, allowing a group of women and -children to escape into the mountains, in order to shoot them down from -a distance. - -A moral torture commonly employed is that which consists in making -people believe that they are going to be killed. All the inhabitants -of Sorinnes were placed before machine-guns, and a German chaplain, -speaking French, ceremoniously shook each man by the hand. At Dinant -two or three hundred persons were lined up against a wall; then a -pastor recited the prayers for the dead (perhaps the chaplain of -Sorinnes had found another opportunity for his pleasantry), and an -empty machine-gun was pointed at them. An officer laughed as though his -sides would split while he threatened, with his revolver, some fifteen -women shut up in the convent of Prémontré, at Leffe. - -Pretended executions and threats of execution were everywhere in common -usage. At Wépion, near Namur, on the 23rd August, 1914 (the day of the -Dinant horrors), the Germans packed the women into boats, and told them -to row into the middle of the Meuse. They took aim at them several -times; then, having sufficiently amused themselves, they allowed them -to return to the bank. - -On the 28th September, 1914, a group of civil prisoners from the north -of Brabant were going towards the railway-station, whence they left for -Germany. The procession was preceded by a military band, which played -funeral marches, so that they were convinced that they were being led -to execution. - -Two citizens of Brussels, taking a walk on Sunday, the 30th August, -ventured as far as Koningsloo, in the suburbs. They were seized by -German sentinels, and imprisoned at the post. From time to time an -under-officer approached them, held his revolver under their noses, -and grimaced at them: "Ah, ah, walk's over, walk's done!" (_Fini, -promenade!_). One of the prisoners asked the guard if they were -really going to be shot; in which case they would wish to make certain -arrangements. But the soldier reassured them: "Don't be afraid," he -said, "it's only a game of our officer's; he does it every day to amuse -himself." And sure enough, towards evening the two prisoners were set -free without further ceremony. - -Sectional execution--execution by small groups--under the eyes of those -awaiting their fate, was applied on a large scale at Arlon. On the 26th -August, 123 (or 118, or 127) inhabitants of Rossignol and neighbouring -localities were taken thither, and were killed in groups of ten or -twelve. Madame Hurieaux was reserved for the last; she saw her husband -and all her companions in misfortune perish first; and she died crying -"Vive la Belgique! Vive la France!" - -It will be of interest to reproduce here the narrative of a medical -student who was present at the executions which took place at Arlon. -It may be taken as a sample, so to speak, of the German procedure: -massacre and incendiarism, with no previous inquiry; the most varied -moral and physical tortures; capricious condemnation or liberation of -prisoners; pillage of the communal funds, etc. - - At the beginning of August I left Y----, where my parents live, to - go to the village of X----, lying to the north of my native town. - - Two days later the French arrived, making towards the north of - Luxemburg. There were movements of troops in different directions, - and soon one could see that battles would be fought in the - neighbourhood. - - I thought I could make myself useful by opening a small ambulance, - which I did. - - I was lodging with one of my aunts, who has a son of my own age. - - One day an engagement took place between the French and the German - troops, and a wounded German soldier was brought into my little - ambulance; his name was Kohn. - - I gave him first aid; I apologized for not being able to do more, - and I told him that towards evening it might be possible to carry - him to Arlon, where he would receive all necessary care. - - I returned to my aunt's house; I found her in tears; they had just - taken away her son, my cousin Jules, on the pretext that he had - fired on them. It was a piece of stupidity, for there was nothing - in the whole house but one revolver, and I was carrying that on me. - I had had it on me all the time I was at the ambulance. I hastened - to hide it under a chest, and I decided to go and demand my cousin - of the Germans. I speak their language a little, and I was so - convinced of my cousin's innocence that I imagined a few words of - explanation would make them give him up. - - I soon found him, tied to a tree, beside other prisoners. - - I began to parley with a German officer. - - He replied that there was nothing to do for the moment, that the - prisoners would be sent to Arlon, and that he was convinced that if - I followed them I should be able, at Arlon, to obtain justice for - my cousin. - - We set out for Arlon; I was beside the prisoners. At a determined - spot we were handed over to other soldiers. I was greatly - astonished, at a given moment, to see that I had become a prisoner - myself; I was no longer accompanying my cousin, to save him; I was - sharing his fate. - - We arrived at Arlon; we were lined up against a wall. There were - with us, notably, a woman, with two young children of nine and ten, - an old villager with his son, and other people whom I did not know. - - An officer on horseback approached us. He was, it seemed a judge. - He turned to the soldiers and asked, pointing to each of us: "Did - that one fire?" And the soldiers always replied in the affirmative. - - Now it should be noted that these soldiers had seen nothing, and - could have seen nothing, for they were not those who seized the - prisoners in the village in which they were arrested. - - The head-dress of the troops was entirely different; the first had - helmets, and the second caps. - - When the officer had finished pointing at us, we were informed that - we were all condemned to death. - - An old man was seized; I myself was seized; and we were pushed to - one side, to be shot. - - The old man's son rushed towards him and tried to drag him away - from the soldiers. The result was that the son was seized, to be - shot with the father. - - This is how things happened: - - The two were put against a wall; a platoon of soldiers commanded by - an officer took up their position in front of them. - - The officer commanded all their movements with a deliberation - calculated to increase the torture of the victims. - - "Load!"... Then a pause. "Take aim!"... Then a pause. "Fire!"... - - The two unhappy men fell to the ground, groaning. - - The officer went up to them, recognized that they were not dead, - and again gave orders to fire, with the same deliberation and the - same method. This time the father ceased to move; it took a third - volley to finish the son. - - We were then all led to a guard-house. - - There we remained for three days. We were given nothing to eat. We - fasted from the morning we were taken; it was only on the following - day, or the day after that, that we received a little water. - - In that room we were literally tortured. - - We were forced to stand upright; an old man was groaning he was - so thirsty that his tongue protruded from his lips and the flies - settled on it. As he could not stand any longer, the Germans passed - a cord round his neck and attached it to a ring-bolt in the wall, - so that he was supported only on his toes. The cord stretched and - the wretched man fell now to this side, now to that. The soldiers - made him stand upright again by striking his face with the butts of - their rifles. - - At one time his trousers fell down and we saw he was wounded in the - thigh, by bayonet-thrusts. Later he became insane. In his delirium - he cried: "Prepare food for the cows."[50] It was a horrible scene. - - At another time the woman was taken out, with her two little - children, and all three were shot against the wall of the Palais - de Justice at Arlon. The soldiers asserted that they had "found a - German soldier's purse" in this woman's house. - - The time passed in the most atrocious moral anguish and physical - suffering. We had lost all notion of time. The soldiers insulted - us, spat upon us, made signs that our throats would be cut, that we - were going to be shot. They took a pleasure in drinking in front of - us. - - At a certain moment an officer of superior rank entered the room. - He came up to me and asked: "Why are you here?" - - I replied: "They accuse us of having fired on the troops." - Immediately he turned his back upon me, but I cried, with energy: - "Yes, and far from having fired on them, I looked after them. If - you want the proof of this, ask the soldier called Kohn who must be - in the hospital here at Arlon." - - I then told him of Kohn. He went to the hospital, and returned some - time later; he had found the soldier Kohn, who confirmed my story. - - An officer on horseback (the judge) came to the door of the - guard-room: we were sent out, my cousin and I, and without even - questioning us he said, "You are acquitted." I protested, saying: - "There are still five or six people there of my village who are no - more guilty than we are." - - They were sent out, and the judge told them, as he told me, without - any further inquiry, "You are acquitted." - - As for the unhappy old man, I will tell you later how he escaped. - He returned to his village; he is crippled. - - * * * * * - - I remained at Arlon until the end of August, at the house of one of - my relatives, whose business brought him daily into contact with - the Belgian authorities and the German army. I was thus able to - obtain a good deal of precise information. - - * * * * * - - The Germans entered Arlon on the 12th August. They came from - Mersch, in the Grand-Duchy. Several days earlier, all the weapons - the inhabitants possessed had been deposited at the Hôtel de Ville. - The people of Arlon knew from the newspapers what atrocities the - Germans had committed in the neighbourhood of Liége, at Visé, - Herve, Battice, Warsage, etc., and they were far from meditating - any disturbance. - - On entering the town the Uhlans began to break in the doors with - the butts of their rifles. - - On the following day Commandant von der Esch, commandant of the - town, had a notice posted up, which I have copied _verbatim_. - - PROCLAMATION. - - Luminous signals have been made to-night between Freylange and the - lower part of this town; one of our patrols has been attacked; our - telephone wires have been cut. To punish the population guilty of - these acts of ill-will, I order for to-day at 3 o'clock the burning - of the village of Freylange and the sack of 100 houses in the west - of Arlon. I also condemn the town to pay a war contribution of - 100,000 frs., which must be paid over before 6 p.m., or I shall - have the hostages shot. - - VON DER ESCH. - - * * * * * - - While the communal administration of Arlon was deliberating on - the subject of the war contribution, the burning of Freylange and - the sack of 100 houses of Arlon was carried out according to the - programme. - - After the 100,000 frs. had been paid to the Germans, they summoned - to the general headquarters, established in the Hôtel de Ville of - the northern portion of Arlon, a police agent, named Lempreur, and - instructed him to proceed to arrest those who had fired on the - German troops. He came back to say that he had found no one. "Ah!" - they told him, "you are going about it unwillingly! Very good; you - shall pay for the others." And without listening to his pleading, - without allowing him to see his wife or children again, he was - placed with his back to a door and a firing platoon shot him down. - - I saw the door at the Hôtel de Ville; it was riddled with bullets. - - A few days later another army division replaced the first. - Immediately the town was condemned to pay a fresh war contribution: - a million francs. - - The town could get together only 238,000 frs. It was let off the - remainder. - - * * * * * - - From the day when I was set at liberty we used almost daily to hear - of executions in Arlon; they were of prisoners, brought just as we - were, from the neighbouring villages, notably from Rossignol and - Tintigny, who were shot in small parties. - - One of these executions took place in the courtyard of the Church - of St. Donat. The Dean succeeded in obtaining pardon for two of the - condemned. - - The most important execution was that of 123 (others say 127) - inhabitants of Rossignol and its immediate surroundings, who were - shot on 26th August. They were taken near the viaduct which passes - over the Arlon railway-station (towards the connecting station). - They were killed in small groups of ten or twelve. Those who were - not dead were finished with the bayonet. Each group had to climb - over the surrounding corpses. They kept to the last a lady of - Rossignol, Mme. Hurieaux, who thus had to see her husband and the - greater part of the inhabitants of her village killed before her - eyes. She died crying "Vive la Belgique! Vive la France!" - - Here is one little detail which I was able to verify. When - the receiver and examiner of Customs of Arlon learned of the - approaching arrival of the Germans they removed all the money - from the safe, leaving only copper coin to the value of about a - franc. The Germans immediately proceeded to break open the safe, - but succeeded only after two days' work. Infuriated by this - discomfiture, they used the safe as a commode. - -But whatever the moral sufferings inflicted on those who were executed, -the tortures which the Germans applied to those against whom no -accusation was brought were a hundred times more atrocious. Think of -the martyrdom of Mme. Cambier, of Nimy, who was forced to tread on her -son's brains; and the sufferings of the innumerable men and women of -whom the Germans made a living shield, at Anseremme, Mons, Tournai, and -Charleroi (p. 195). As to Charleroi, here is a detail not recorded by -Herr Heymel. The prisoners collected at Jumet and Odelissert were tied -in couples by the wrists, to prevent them from trying to escape when -the French should fire on them. Moreover, they had to walk with their -hands raised. When, by reason of fatigue, they dropped their arms, the -soldiers struck them with the butts of their rifles. We know a man who -was thus placed before the German troops, who saw one of his relatives -killed at his side, and two of the latter's sons. He himself received -three bullets, one in the right wrist, one in the left arm, and the -third under the chin. He escaped, but is lamed for life. - -Imagine also the tortures suffered by the civil prisoners who, in -defiance of all justice, were sent to Germany. Hunger, thirst, -threats, and insults; packed into cattle-trucks, they had no room -to lie down, or even to sit. Above all, they had no news of their -families. On the 4th September, 1914, more than 100 inhabitants of -Lebbeke, near Termonde, were placed as a screen in front of the German -troops marching against Termonde. In the evening, those who had not -been shot were added to others just captured, and all together, in all -some 300, were sent into Germany. At the moment when these unhappy -folk were leaving Lebbeke the Germans set fire to some of the houses, -and kindly informed the prisoners that the whole village was about to -be burned. Moreover, they said, the women and children would in part -be killed, and the rest driven off in the direction of Termonde and -Gand. Imagine, if you can, the sufferings endured by these unfortunate -people for the two months during which they remained without news of -their homes, in the conviction that their families were massacred or -wandering wretchedly across the devastated country. While by means of -these cruel lies, whose horrible effect was systematically calculated, -they filled with despair the hearts of those who were departing, the -soldiers amused themselves also by wringing the hearts of the poor -women--mothers, wives, sisters, daughters--who remained in the village. -For they, too, were for long weeks without news from the prisoners, and -the abominable manner in which the German troops, drunk with carnage, -had assassinated, on the day of exodus, twelve of their fellow-citizens -(_9th Report_), permitted them to entertain the most frightful -suppositions. - -Make no mistake: the case of Lebbeke is far from being exceptional. All -the civil prisoners were treated with the same barbarity, a barbarity -utterly unjustified, since, in the judgment of Baron von Bissing, no -complaint had been formulated against the civil prisoners who have been -sent back to their homes. But all have not returned. In June 1915, for -example, most of the prisoners from Visé were still in Germany. As for -those taken from Rossignol and so many other localities in Luxemburg, -they will never return, alas! They have been shot without pretext. - -Another horrible torture consists in the suppression of communications -between the Belgian soldiers and their parents. Since mid-October 1914 -all connections have been severed between the Belgian army which is -fighting on the Yser and the Belgians remaining in Belgium. Those who -seek to establish communication between the Belgian soldiers and their -relatives are spied out and sentenced. - - Against Jules-Arthur de Cuypere, bachelor, domiciled in the last - instance at Liége, a deprivation of liberty of five months has - been pronounced, because, contrary to the known regulations, he - took charge, during a number of journeys to the Dutch frontier and - into Holland, of a large number of letters from Belgian soldiers - in France and interned Belgian prisoners in Holland; and delivered - these letters, addressed to different members of families of Namur - and the environs, at their addresses, by carrying them thither. At - the same time he rendered himself guilty by crossing the frontier. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 5-6th July, 1915.) - -Since the spring of 1915 the posts have been operating between -Belgium and Holland, so that those few privileged persons who have -a correspondent in Holland might thus indirectly obtain news if the -Germans had authorized correspondence through an intermediary. But they -have strictly forbidden it (pp. 22-3). They could easily organize a -service enabling soldiers to write to their relations: "I am going on -all right ... I am wounded ..." and enabling the relations to reply, -so that the soldiers' families would be reassured; while now the only -news arrives by precarious methods, and often goes astray. But what -our enemies desire is to make the poor relatives suffer as much as -possible. We do not believe that such a form of torture has ever in -any previous war been inflicted on a whole population. It is untrue, -it seems, that Bismarck was the first to use the words which have been -attributed to him: "In territories occupied by our victorious troops -the inhabitants must be left nothing but eyes to weep with." But he -quoted them with an approval that made them his own. Now they have come -true. - -Here is quite another kind of moral torture. The Germans are fond -of leading small groups of Belgian prisoners through the streets of -Brussels at moments when the latter are as busy as possible: for -instance, on Sunday afternoons. One can imagine the humiliation of the -poor soldiers exposed to the curiosity of the crowd; but it delights -their guardians. It was evidently the desire to enjoy, simultaneously, -the misery of the prisoners and the impotent anger of the spectators -which led the Germans, at the time of their entry into Louvain on the -19th August, and into Brussels on the 20th, to place a few Belgian -countrymen, with their hands tied behind their backs, at the head -of their columns. In ancient Rome captives used to walk before the -triumphal car of the conqueror. Do not the Germans realize how utterly -this practice is contrary to the humane principles enjoined by Article -4 of the Hague Convention? We must suppose that they do not; for not -only do they not abandon the practice, but they make use of it to coin -money. - - CONDEMNATION OF THE TOWN OF ROULERS. - - AMSTERDAM, _29th May_ (Havre Agency).--The town of Roulers - is condemned to pay a fresh fine of 1½ millions, because the - population cheered Belgian prisoners passing through the town. - - (_L'Ami de l'Ordre._) - -Impossible, it will be said, to invent tortures yet more diabolic. But -no, when it is a question of doing evil, _Kultur_ can surpass itself. - -Imagine the mentality of the person who sent to M. Brostens, of -Antwerp, the identity-disc of his son, who was taken prisoner. And -imagine the inward joy of the sender in picturing the parents' despair -on receiving the medal! - - REFINED CRUELTY. - - When they make prisoners they sometimes detach the - identification-discs from the men and send them, unaccompanied by - comment, to the parents, to make them believe that their son is - dead. - - This is what has just happened to M. Brostens, Lieutenant of - Customs, of Antwerp. Having received, a few days ago, his son's - regimental number, he went into mourning. So yesterday morning, - what was not his amazement to see his son return, who, having - been made prisoner at the beginning of the war, had succeeded in - escaping. - - (_Le Matin_, Antwerp, 14th September, 1914.) - -Here, perhaps, the culprit was an uncultivated soldier. But what are we -to think of the mentality of Baron von der Goltz, when he informs us by -placard that a record is kept in a register of all aggressions against -the German army, and that the localities in which such attacks have -taken place may expect to receive their punishment? - - GENERAL GOVERNMENT OF BELGIUM. - - It has recently happened, in the regions which are not at present - occupied by the German troops in more or less force, that convoys - of wagons or patrols have been attacked, by surprise, by the - inhabitants. - - I draw the attention of the public to the fact that a register is - kept of the towns and communes in whose vicinity such attacks have - occurred, and that they may expect their punishment as soon as the - troops are passing through their neighbourhood. - - The Governor-General in Belgium, - BARON VON DER GOLTZ, - _General-Field-Marshal_. - -When one learns on what ultra-trivial hints the German troops have -based their condemnation of the inhabitants, one may conclude that not -a commune will escape repression. It was evidently this generalized -terror which the Governor wished to inspire. He, too, wished to have -the pleasure of inflicting moral torture. - - * * * * * - -To give point to the contrast between the mentality of our oppressors -and our own, between their _Kultur_ and our civilization, we should -like to reproduce a letter in which a young girl, living in Gand, -invited Belgian women to enter the hospitals for the purpose of -assisting the wounded, Germans as well as our own, to write to their -families. Committees of this kind were immediately constituted, notably -in Brussels. - - BELGIAN COMPASSION. - - M. Paul Fredericq, Professor at the University of Gand, writes to - the _Soir_:-- - - "A young girl of Gand has had a touching inspiration. - - "She wished Belgian women who can write English and German, - forgetting international hatred, and listening only to the voice - of compassion, to attend at the ambulances and hospitals, in order - to place themselves at the disposal of wounded foreigners, without - distinction, and to write, at their dictation, letters intended to - reassure their relatives. - - "This truly Christian work of charity would put an end to the - anguish of so many mothers, who know that their sons are engaged on - the Belgian battlefields. - - "I am certain that this appeal to the good hearts of our girls and - women will not have been made in vain." - - While the Germans are butchering our sons and wives, this is what - Belgian hearts are thinking of. - - (_Le Peuple_, 10th August, 1914.) - -Finally, to close with, here is a numerical example which, better than -any reasoning, gives you the _Kultur_ of the German Army to the life:-- - -On the morning of Sunday, the 23rd August, 1914, the population of -Fonds de Leffe (a suburb of Dinant) comprised 251 men and boys, -including some fifteen inhabitants of neighbouring communes whom the -Germans had dragged away with them. By the evening of the following day -243 had been put to death: none of those taken was spared; the eight -who escaped the massacre had succeeded in fleeing. "Happily"--we were -told by a woman whose father, husband, and four brothers-in-law were -massacred--"happily many of the men had left for the army and were -fighting on the Yser. A strange war, in which the soldiers are less -exposed than the children, the old folks, and the sick who are left at -home!" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[32] Apparently our author had never heard timber burn before.--(TRANS.) - -[33] As the Chancellor must have known, if the civil population _had_ -been called to arms it would have been a perfectly legal measure. But -the Germans, who claim the right to do what is forbidden to others, -would forbid others to do even those things that are lawful.--(TRANS.) - -[34] See the _Tägliche Rundschau_ supplement, 24th September, 1914; and -_Hamburger Fremdenblatt_, weekly supplement, 4th October, 1914. - -[35] Epistle to Romans viii. 31. - -[36] The bill-stickers of Brussels take a malign pleasure in refraining -from pasting other matter over the burgomaster's denial. In July 1915, -eleven months after it was posted, one could still read the famous -denial in several parts of Brussels. - -[37] Nothing was known of the torture inflicted on the curé of -Bueken until, at the request of the Dutch Government, the body of -Father Vincentius Sombroek was exhumed, at the end of September 1914 -(_N.R.C._, 1st October, evening). The body of M. De Clerck was found at -the same time, and it was then seen that he had been mutilated. This -was known to his parishioners, but they had never dared to speak of it. -What other horrors shall we learn of when tongues are again unloosed? - -[38] Rom. xii. 12, 13. - -[39] Oratio in Dominica infra Octavam Epiphaniae. - -[40] Rom. xii. 12, 13. - -[41] Prayer for the Sunday in the Octave of Epiphany. - -[42] _Etappen_, a provisioned halting-place for troops.--(TRANS.) - -[43] The words in brackets are ours. - -[44] Other witnesses, however, more sincere, admitted in May 1915 that -the attitude of the people of Antwerp had remained just as hostile as -at the outset (see the article by Dr. Julius Burghold, in _K.Z._ for -the 29th May, 1915, 1 p.m. edition). - -[45] In Brussels the tramways had issued, up to the 15th July, 1915, -1,032 gratuitous permits to German spies. - -[46] The French of this proclamation is so bad that literal translation -is impossible, but I have kept as close to the original as is -consistent with intelligibility.--(TRANS.) - -[47] The passages italicized were underlined in pencil on the placard -posted at Andenne. - -[48] We shall give names at a later date. - -[49] At least, they boast of having done so. - -[50] I was told later that this old man was a sand merchant of -Chatillon, and was in a state of senile dementia. He was well known to -the people of Arlon. - - - - -INDEX - - - Absentees, tenfold tax on, 298-9 - - Accusations, German, of Belgian cruelty, why made, 36; - absurdity of, 36-7; - progress of, 38-49; - against the Belgian Government, 89-92 - - Administration, German, of Belgium, 295-338 - - Aerschot, return of prisoners to, 95; - German burgomaster of, 140-1; - massacre at, 166 - - Agadir Crisis, 27 - - Agents-Provocateurs, 317-20 - - Aggravations, 336-41 - - Agreements, attempt to enforce illegal, 320-4 - - Air Raids, German, 122-4, 259-60, _see_ Dirigibles - - Albert, King, 178; - his patron saint's day, 268-9; - portraits of, 269-71; - his birthday, 272; - German abuse of, 282-3 - - America, Germany desires to influence, 38; - sends help, 173; - Belgium's gratitude towards, 178 - - Andenne, massacre at, 164, 326-33 - - André, M. François, speech by, 139-40 - - Anseremme, men sent to Germany, 119; - Germans hide behind women at, 119-20 - - Antwerp, siege of, 51, 144; - bombardment of, 123-4, 128-9; - the city fired, 148; - sorties from, 163; - flight from, 166 - - Arlon, massacre at, 349; - narrative of an eye-witness, 349-54 - - Arms, surrender of, 90, 207 - - Army, Belgian, the "enemy," 272-3; - correspondence with, 356-7 - - Army, German, _see_ German soldiers, Prisoners, Wounded, Officers - - Assessment Bureau, suppressed, 304 - - Asquith, Mr., speaks in Dublin, 53 - - Atrocities, pretended Belgian (98-108); - refuted by _Vorwärts_, 102-3; - by German wounded, 104-5, 106-8 - - Atrocities, German, 63, (70-88); - responsibility for, 70; - formula for excusing, 74-5; - method of, 91-2; - repetition of, 164-5 - - August 4th, Anniversary of, 276-9 - - August 6th, Anniversary of, 279-80 - - - Baer, on "military necessity," 82 - - Bas-Luxembourg, massacres in, 71 - - _Belge Neutre et Loyale, La_, by E. Waxweiler, 37, 49, 75, 189, 200 - - Belgian Army, _see_ Army - - Belgian Government, proposals made to, 50-1; - accusations brought against, 89-92; - preventive measures taken by, 108-11; - people incited against, 289-94 - - Belgium, invaded, 30-2; - her attitude in defence of her neutrality, 33; - invasion of, 34; - pacific - character of, 53; - disinterested behaviour of, 61-2; - offered a bribe, 61, 140; - famine in, 164; - present administration of, 295-333; - _see_ Invasion - - Bernstoff, Count, 32, 124 - - Bethmann-Hollweg, his "scrap of paper" speech, and denial of same, 31; - the "strategic necessities" speech, 31-2, 34; - admits injustice of invasion, 63, 140; - refers to "gouged-out eyes," 207; - libellous declaration by, 209, 263-4, 281-2 - - Bismarck, 9, 31; - boasts of Ems telegram, 218 - - Bissing, Baron von, 23; - incites to massacre, 70, 83, 139; - cynicism and audacity of his lies, 188, 238, 336 - - Blinded soldiers, legend of, 99-100, 102-3 - - Blindness, deliberate, of German "intellectuals," 204, 209 - - Blöm, Captain, on theory of terrorization, 89, 164, 197 - - Boiling oil, legend of, 99-100 - - Bombardment, of coast, 121-2; - of open towns, 123-4; - of monuments, 124-8 - - _Brabançonne_, the, prohibited, 273-4 - - Brabant, return of prisoners to, 96 - - Bredt, on Belgian art and character, 69 - - Brussels, supposed "francs-tireurs" in, 81; - return of prisoners to, 94; - pretended outrages on Germans in, 107-8; - the truth, 110-11; - the city fined, 147; - contributions imposed upon, 156-8; - Palais de Justice in, 162; - Belgian colours prohibited in, 268; - shops closed as demonstration, 275 - - Brutality, the Kaiser calls for, 335 - - Bueken, the curé of, tortured and murdered, 238 - - Buisseret-Steenbecque, Count, 49 - - Bülow, General von, responsible for massacres, 71 - - - Cæsar, sells Belgians into captivity, 93 - - Camps, prisoners', 92, 94 - - Capelle-au-Bois, atrocities at, 338-9 - - _Carte de ménage_, the, 172 - - Catholic priests, German, servility of, 216-17 - - Censorship, the German, 14-16, 204; - censored papers, 258-9; - examples of censorship, 259-60 - - Chamberlain, Houston Stewart, shameful libel by, 237 - - Chancellor, the German, _see_ Bethmann-Hollweg - - Charleroi, atrocities at, 75; - German story of, 100, 118; - Alfred Heymel's account of, 195-7, 230, 354 - - Churches, German hatred and destruction of, 73-4 - - "Circulation," prohibited, 169; - allowed, 296 - - Civil population, attitude of, 89-90; - accused of guerilla warfare, 91-2; - more civilians killed than soldiers by Sept. 14, 131; - lying accusations made against, 188-90 - - Civil Prisoners, _see_ Prisoners - - Clergy, German hatred of, 72; - murdered and tortured, 72-3, 238, 343 - - Cockerill workshops, 55-6 - - Coercive measures taken by Germans, 115-17 - - Collective penalties, illegal, 143-9 - - Colours, Belgian, prohibited, 265-7; - wearing of the, 309 - - Communal trading, exploitation, etc., 170-1 - - Communes, property of, requisitioned, 163-4 - - Commission for Relief, the American, 173 - - Committee of Relief, the National, 173 - - Conrad, Pastor, author of libel, 103 - - Contributions, illegal, 154-6; - imposed on cities, 156; - on Brussels, 156-8 - - Cooper-Hewitt lamp, claimed as German, 181 - - Correspondence, regulations as to, 22-3; - with the Army, 356-7 - - Credulity, German, 207-9 - - Critical spirit, German surrender of the, 202-5 - - Cruelty, necessity of, 82-3; - is it effectual? 195; - supposed Belgian, _see_ Atrocities - - Cugnon, lying placard at, 233 - - Cynicism, German, 191-3 - - - Dead, German, transport of, 231-2 - - Declaration of war, 50; - ignored by German newspapers, 52 - - Demonstrations, prohibition of, 274-80 - - Destitution, statistics of, 178 - - Destrée, M. Jules, 50 - - _Deutsch-Französischer-Soldaten-Sprachführer_, 143 - - Dinant, return of prisoners to, 95-6; - massacres at, 98, 164, 166, 194, 347, 360 - - Dirigibles, at Deynze, 123; - Antwerp, 124; - imaginary tale of raid on Liége, 225-6, 229-30; - Germans lose one and pretend it is French, 230-1 - - Discussion, liberty of free, abolished, 205 - - Disdain of others, German, 184 - - Disunion, incitements to, 282-9 - - Drunkenness, in German Army, 80-2, 134 - - Dryander, Dr. O., servile complacency of, 213-15 - - Ducarne Report, the, 43-4 - - Dum-dum bullets, 113; - the Kaiser accuses Belgians of using, 208 - - Duplicity, German, 29 - - - Economic depression in Belgium, 166 - - Egoism of German character, 182 - - Emblems, wearing of, prohibited, 268 - - Ems telegram, the, 131; - Bismarck boasts of, 218 - - Engagements, violation of, 262-4 - - England, as the guarantor of Belgian neutrality, 39, 41-3; - Germany attempts to obtain promise of neutrality from, 264; - Belgium incited against, 294-5 - - Eppeghem, fined, 148-9, 189 - - _Eroberung Belgiëns, Die_, propagandist publication, 252-3 - - Erzberger, Herr, objects to sentimentality, 336 - - Escaille, M. de l', 47-9 - - Espionage, German, 54-6, 316-20 - - Evere, air-raid at, 260 - - Executions, insufficiency of inquiry before, 74-6 - - - Factories, destruction of, 168 - - Falsifications, German, of documents, 41-9 - - Famine in Belgium, causes of, 166-7, 169 - - Ferocity, instances of German, 333 - - Filthy tricks and amusements, 340-1 - - Fines, illegal and absurd, 146-9, 232 - - Flag, Belgian, prohibited, 265-8, 277 - - Flemish tongue, favoured, 285-7 - - Fleming-Walloon problem exploited, 284-9 - - Flight of Belgians before invasion, 166 - - Fonds de Leffe, massacre at, 360 - - Forest, hostages taken at, 150 - - France, Germany accuses, 31-3; - were her suspicions genuine? 33; - pacific mood of, 35; - accused of entering Belgium in July, 36-7; - sudden attack on checked, 61 - - Francorchamps, atrocities at, 75; - plundering of, 132 - - "Francs-tireurs," the German pretence of (63-80); - were there any? 64-5; - an obsession, 66-70; - Germany's invention of, 89; - method of "repression," 86-7; - the Great General Staff prepares the Army for, 98-9; - fines for attacks by, 147-9; - pretext for massacre and pillage, 165; - German lies concerning, 188-90, 196, 207; - organization of "attacks," 236; - proposal to torture, 342 - - Frankenberg, pretended murder of, 107-8 - - Freemasons appealed to, 202 - - - Gand, coercion at, 116; - Belgian girl's proposal, 359-60 - - Gas, poisonous, use of, 112-13, 198-9 - - German Administration in Belgium, 295-333 - - German character, classical authors on, 281 - - German language, attempt to enforce, 272 - - German mentality, 56-8, 67, 179-360 - - German Prisoners, letters of, 56-8 - - Germans, Belgian antipathy to undiminished, 307-11 - - Germany, Belgian distrust of, 27-8; - - Gerard, Mr., 111 - - Godet, M. Philippe, 47 - - Goltz, Baron von der, 23, 144, 149, 188, 199, 264-5, 296, 358 - - Gottberg, Herr, narrative of, 68 - - Graphic Lies, 218-24 - - Great General Staff, the German, murderous tactics of, 98-9; - methodical care of, 236-7 - - Greindl Report, falsification of, 41-3 - - - Haecht, massacre at, 163 - - Hague Convention, violations of the, 12, 111-78 - - Hainaut, incendiarism in, 85; - Provincial Council convened, 139 - - Hate, Hymn of, 294 - - Harden, Maximilian, 183, 200 - - Hedin, Dr. Sven, deluded by Germans, 77-8, 165, 221 - - Herve, massacre at, 63 - - Heymann, Robert, lying narrative of attack on Jesuits, 225-8 - - Heymel, Alfred, on the Battle of Charleroi, 195-6, 345 - - Hindenburg, 83, 206 - - Holland, refugees in, 166 - - Honour, Belgian, German price of, 61, 140 - - Hoover, Mr. Herbert, 174, 178 - - Hostages, taking of, 149-51, 195-6, 327 - - Hostilities, precede declaration of war, 51 - - Houtem, atrocities at, 189 - - Humanitarian sentiments, claimed by German Army, 83 - - Huns, the Kaiser invokes the, 335 - - Huy, atrocities at, 77, 81 - - - Identification cards, 322-3 - - Incendiarism, methods of, 84-5; - a cover to pillage, 132; - organization of, 236 - - Incendiary material, 84-5 - - Information, extraction of, 141-2 - - Informers, appeal to, 313-16 - - Innocent, to suffer with or in place of guilty, 84, 143-9, 199 - - Inscriptions, protection, 87-8 - - Insults, German, reason of, 36 - - Intellectual life in Belgium, 12 - - Intellectuals, German, wilful blindness of, 209-10; - the "Ninety-three," 211-12 - - International law, suppressed by war, 183 - - _Interprète Militaire, L'_, 334 - - Invasion, of Belgium, reasons for the, 34-5; - danger of recognized, 40-1; - the Greindl Report, 41-3, 58; - reason for, 63 - - Ivy leaf, wearing of, 268 - - - Jagow, Herr von, sends ultimatum, 30, 34 - - Jesuit Convent, lying tale of, 225-8 - - _Journal de la Guerre_, German propagandist journal, 247-8 - - Jungbluth Report, the, 43-4 - - - King of Belgium, the, _see_ Albert, King - - Kitchener's Army, German account of, 187 - - Koch, the apotheosis of, 180-1 - - Koester and Noske, authors of _Kriegsfahrten_, 59, 132, 162, 221, 262 - - _Kölnische Volkszeitung_, suspended, 203 - - _Kriegsbrauch im Landkriege_, 137, 141, 159, 333 - - - _La Guerre_, German propagandist journal, 248-9 - - Ladies, treatment of, 338 - - Laeken, orgies at, 81 - - _L'Ami de l'Ordre_, propagandist journal, 254-5 - - Latin authors, on German race, 281 - - Law of Nations, violation of the, 12 - - _Le Bien Public_, propagandist journal, 255-6 - - Leaflets, propagandist, 251-2 - - League of German Scientists and Artists, 251 - - Lebbeke, atrocities at, 68, 119, 354-5 - - Leffe, massacre at, 347 - - Leffe, Fonds de, massacre at, 347-8, 360 - - Legation, British, documents found in the, 45-6 - - Leman, General, 198, 238 - - Liége, German lies concerning forts of, 50; - occupation of, lies concerning, 38-60; - warned against Belgian news, 187; - marvellous tale of Jesuit convent near, 225-8; - keeps anniversary of August 6th, 279-80 - - Lies, concerning the situation in Belgium, 188; - concerning "francs-tireurs," 188-90, 217-282; - photographic, 218-20, 222-4; - written, 224-31 - - Lissauer, Ernst, author of the "Hymn of Hate," 294 - - Living shields, Belgians used as, 117-22, 263, 334-5 - - Lloyd George, speaks at City Temple, 35 - - Loot, _see_ Pillage - - Louvain, atrocities in, 87; - protective inscriptions, 88; - return of prisoners to, 95-6; - massacre in, 164; - lies concerning, 220-1 - - _Lügenfeldzug_, 60 - - Luttre, strike at, 300-1 - - _Lusitania_, sinking of the, 194 - - - Machinery, requisitioned, 158-9 - - Magnet, M. Charles, appeals to Freemasons for inquiry, 202-3 - - Malines, bombardment of cathedral, 126-8; - traffic in suppressed, 301-2 - - Manuals, military, 45 - - _Marseillaise_, the, shopkeepers fined for selling, 146, 273-4 - - Max, M., imprisoned and released, 10; - and the Governor of Belgium, 156-9; - his denial of a lying placard, 233-5, 265; - portrait worn, 309 - - Massacre, the two great periods of, 86-7, 131, 164-5; - _see_ Atrocities, Reprisals, etc. - - Massacres, pretended, of German civilians, 106-8 - - Mentality, German, 179-360 - - Mentality of a German officer, 78-80 - - Mercier, Cardinal, 202, 239-46 - - Meuse, pillage on the banks of the, 197-8 - - Middelkerke, Belgians detained at, 120-1 - - Might before Right, 183-4 - - Militarism, 182-4 - - Military employment of Belgians, 113-14 - - Militia, Belgian, escape of, 152-3 - - Mons, pillage at, 133 - - Monuments, destruction of, 124-8, 130-1 - - Murders, German, 63-80 - - Music, censored, 16, 146, 273-4 - - - National anniversary, the 274-6 - - National Committee of Relief, 172-8; - food, etc., distributed by, 175-7 - - Neutral opinion, necessity of influencing, 36, 38, 46-7 - - Neutrality, Belgian, violation of, 12, 27-62; - justification of, 31-2; - Germany accuses France of violating, 31-2; - England guarantees, 39-40 - - News published by the German Government, 185 - - News, secret propagation of, 20-1, 204-5 - - Newspapers forced to appear by the German Government, 13; - censored, 15; - authorized German newspapers, 16; - official, 17; - Dutch, 18-19; - introduced surreptitiously, 19-20; - secret, 21 - - _Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant_, correspondence in, 103-5 - - "Ninety-three Intellectuals," the, 11, 211-12 - - Nissen, Herr Momme, on German virtues, 181; - pretends the Belgian attitude conciliatory, 310 - - _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_, 38 - - - Observation-posts, pretended, 128-9, 130 - - Officers, German, lie to their men, 235-6 - - Organization, peculiarities of German, 303 - - Ostend, Belgians detained in, 120-1 - - Ottignies, account of atrocities at, by German officer, 335-6 - - - Pasteur, ignored by Germans, 180-1 - - Pastoral Letter, Mgr. Mercier's, 240-6 - - Pastors, Protestant, servility of, 213-16 - - Photographs and picture-postcards, 193-4; - "faked" photographs, etc., 218-20; - showing Germans before Paris, etc., 238-9 - - Pillage, 131; - officers join in, 132-4; - methodical nature of, 136-7; - prohibited by _Kriegsbrauch_, 137, 166; - systematic, 197; - on the Meuse, 197-8 - - Placards, German, 22 - - Plague, lying report of, in Paris, 236 - - Poison-gas, _see_ Gas - - Poincaré, President, 220 - - Pope, the, surrenders Peter's Pence, 177 - - Portraits of Royal Family, 269-71, 309 - - Postcards, _see_ Photographs - - Preventive measures, _see_ Reprisals, Terrorization - - Pride, German, 179 - - Priests, _see_ Clergy - - Prisoners, civil, treatment of, 92-5; - return of, 95-6; - admittedly innocent, 96-8, 324; - torture of, 354-5 - - Prisoners, German, letters of, 56-8, 104-6 - - Proclamations, some absurd, 185-8 - - Professors, manifesto of the, 3, 125, 212-13 - - Propaganda, perfection of German, 11; - organization of, 246-7; - bureaux in Germany, 247-53; - abroad, 253-7 - - Provincial Councils convened, 138 - - - Queen of Belgium, the, 11; - German abuse of, 283-4 - - - Railway journeys, 24 - - Railways, stoppage of, 168-9, 300 - - Rape, 131 - - Raw material, requisitioned, 158-9, 167-8 - - Red Cross, Belgian, suppressed, 105-6, 304-7 - - Refugees, Belgian, 166 - - Reims, bombardment of Cathedral, 124-6 - - Relief, measures of, 171; - food, etc., distributed, 175-7 - - Relief, National and American Committees, 172-8 - - Repression, measures of, 152-3; - at Andenne, 326-33 - - "Reprisals," against "francs-tireurs," 63-80; - excuse for, 74; - frivolity of, 75; - _see_ Atrocities - - Requisitions, illegal, 158-61; - in kind and service, 159-60, 166; - of forage, 167; - of provisions intended for relief, 174 - - Royal Family, portraits of, 269-71 - - Ruysbroeck, coercion at, 117 - - - Sabbe, M. Maurice, denies German libel, 287-9 - - Sacrilege, 133 - - School inspection, 280-2 - - "Scrap of paper," the, 31 - - Shelters, temporary, 170 - - Sibret, atrocities at, 76 - - Socialists, German, docility of, 206-7; - visit Belgium, 262, 296 - - Sorel, E., 39 - - Sorinnes, atrocities at, 347-8 - - Spontin, torture and murder of priest and burgomaster at, 344 - - Spitteler, Herr Karl, 46 - - Stamps, theft of, 135 - - State property, treatment of, 161-2 - - Submarine campaign, 194-5 - - Sweveghem, coercion at, 116-17 - - - Tamines, atrocities at, 135-6, 164 - - Tavigny, atrocities at, 346-7 - - Taxation, illegal, 137-41, 166, 168; - of absentees, 298-9 - - Telegraph and telephone wires, fines, etc., for damages to, 145-9 - - Termonde, incendiarism at, 73, 85, 164, 167, 221 - - Terrorization, 64; - uses of, 83; - Blöm on theory of, 84; - the theory of the German Staff, 98-9; - in practice, 164 - - Tervueren, prisoners from, 93 - - Theft, _see_ Pillage - - Time, aggravation in respect of, 337-8 - - _Tornisterwörterbuch_, 141-3, 334 - - Torture, inflicted on priest, 238; - recommended, 342; - another priest tortured, 343; - other cases, 343-6; - moral and physical, 346-60 - - Trade, stagnation of, 168-9 - - Traffic, suppression of, 168-9 - - Treaty of London, 39 - - - Ultimatum, the, 30 - - Uncensored newspapers, 261-2 - - Unemployment, 168-70; - patriotic reasons for, 296 - - Untruthfulness, German, 217-82 - - Useful cruelties, 336 - - - Villalobar, Marquis of, 173 - - Violation of Belgian neutrality, _see_ Neutrality, Belgium, Invasion - - Violence, claimed as legitimate, 84, 263 - - Visé, massacre at, 64 - - _Vorwärts_, protests against German lies, 102-3, 184; - suspended, 203, 237; - protests against incitement to torture, 342 - - - War, _see_ Ultimatum, Invasion, etc. - - War Booty, 132, 135, 197, 249-50 - - War Tax, monstrous, 139-40 - - Waxweiler, M. Emile, 37, 49, 75, 189, 200 - - Weber, pretended murder of, 107-8 - - Wépion, atrocities at, 75 - - Werchter, atrocities at, 164 - - White flag, abuse of, 118 - - Whitlock, Mr. Brand, 10, 110-11, 173, 178 - - Wiart, M. Carton de, 61-2 - - Wilhelm II, his "well-intentioned proposal," 35; - his three successive proposals, 50-1; - his telegram to President Wilson, 54, 89; - tacitly admits innocence of civilians, 97, 180, 189, 191, 207; - text of his telegram, 208, 264, 335 - - Wilson, President, Kaiser's telegram to, 34, 208 - - Wounded, German, letters from, 104-5; - Houston Chamberlain on Belgian treatment of, 237; - _see_ Atrocities, pretended Belgian - - - Zobeltitz, refers to museum specimens - as proving Belgium's preparation for war, 207 - - -_Printed in Great Britain by_ - -UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, THE GRESHAM PRESS, WOKING AND LONDON - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Obvious errors of punctuation and diacritical markings were corrected.0 - -Inconsistent hyphenation was made consistent. - -P. 5: Contributions and Requsitions -> Contributions and Requisitions. - -P. 34: German troops entered Belguim -> German troops entered Belgium. - -P. 46: sacrified on the altar of Kultur -> sacrificed on the altar of -Kultur. - -P. 60: pepetrates this trickery -> perpetrates this trickery. - -P. 64: It would be impossible as this moment -> It would be impossible -at this moment. - -P. 157: degree of obstinancy -> degree of obstinacy. - -Latin letter on pp. 242-3: - Militess onim -> Milites enim. - dignitate nestrae -> dignitati nostrae. - di eadem matutina -> die eadem matutina. - aminarum pastor -> animarum pastor. - potius aminarum -> potius animarum. - decenatus evenerunt -> decanatus evenerunt. - -P. 298: German Goverment -> German Government. - -P. 354: proceded to break open -> proceeded to break open. - -Index entry for Propaganda, bureaux in Germany changed from 274-53 to -247-53. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BELGIANS UNDER THE GERMAN EAGLE*** - - -******* This file should be named 51716-8.txt or 51716-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/7/1/51716 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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