"Malines, a working-class town, without resources, has had a fine of 20,000 marks inflicted on it because the burgomaster did not inform the military authority of a journey which the Cardinal, deprived of the use of his motor car, had been obliged to make on foot. In fact, upon the flimsiest pretexts heavy fines are inflicted on communes. The commune of Puers was subjected to a fine of 3,000 marks because a telegraph wire was broken, although the inquiry showed that it had given way through wear." In addition to such arbitrary, sporadic exactions, in December, 1914, the Germans demanded 40,000,000 francs ($8,000,000) a month to be paid by the Belgian Provinces jointly. Concerning this enormous imposition Cardinal Mercier says, in the _Appeal to Truth_: "The essential condition of the legality of a contribution of this kind, according to the Hague Convention, is that it should bear _relation to the resources of the country_, article 52. [Sidenote: Cardinal Mercier's comments.] "Now, in December, 1914, Belgium was devastated. Contributions of war imposed on the towns and innumerable requisitions in kind had exhausted her. The greater part of the factories were idle, and in those, which were still at work, raw materials were, contrary to all law, being freely commandeered. "It was on this impoverished Belgium, living on foreign charity, that a contribution of nearly 500,000,000 francs was imposed." [Sidenote: The crushing fine is increased.] The German authorities were not satisfied with this impoverishing levy. In November, 1915, one month before the expiration of the twelve-month period fixed for the levy, they decreed that this contribution of 40,000,000 francs a month should be paid for an indefinite period. In November, 1916, they increased the levy to 50,000,000 francs a month, in May, 1917, to 60,000,000 francs a month. In addition, the German authorities have continued to levy fines upon towns and villages for acts committed in their neighborhood, although they had no proof that these acts had been committed by any inhabitant of the city or village thus fined. (Compare taking of hostages, noted above.) The German military rulers have also made the families responsible for acts committed by or charged against members as is shown in the following examples, which are quoted from the _Appeal to Truth_, cited above. [Sidenote: Family made responsible.] "The Belgian Government has sent orders to rejoin the army to the militiamen of several classes. * * * All those who receive these orders are strictly forbidden to act upon them. * * * _In case of disobedience the family of the militiaman will be held equally responsible._" "A warning of the Governor General, dated January 26th, 1915, renders the _members of the family_ responsible if a Belgian fit for military service, between the ages of 16 and 40, goes to Holland." The Commander in Chief of the German army in Belgium posted a proclamation declaring: