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:--