Belgium -- History -- German occupation, 1914-1918
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!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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