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.