The German troops, both in Belgium and France, are proved to have been guilty of persistent looting. In the majority of cases the looting took place from houses, but there is also evidence that German soldiers, and even officers, robbed their prisoners, both civil and military, of sums of money and other portable possessions. It was apparently well known throughout the German Army that towns and villages would be burned whenever it appeared that any civilians had fired upon the German troops, and there is reason to suspect that this known intention of the German military authorities in some cases explains the sequence of events which led up to the burning and sacking of a town or village. The soldiers, knowing that they would have an opportunity of plunder if the place was condemned, had a motive for arranging some incident which would provide the necessary excuse for condemnation. More than one witness alleges that shots coming from the window of a house were fired by German soldiers, who had forced their way into the house for the purpose of thus creating an alarm. [Sidenote: 15] _Aerschot._--Throughout the day the town was looted by the soldiers. [Sidenote: 8] _Visé._--Antiques and china were removed from the houses before their destruction by officers who guarded the plunder, revolver in hand. [Sidenote: A 171] Translated extract from diary of Stephan Luther: "We live like God in France." [Sidenote: A 181] Translated extracts from the field notebook of an officer in the 178th Regiment, XIIth (Saxon) Corps: "August 17th.--In the afternoon I had a look at the little chateau belonging to one of the King's Secretaries (not at home). Our men had behaved like regular vandals. They had looted the cellar first.... Everything was topsy-turvy--magnificent furniture, silk, and even china.... I am sure they must have taken away a heap of useless stuff simply for the pleasure of looting." * * * * * [Sidenote: A 182] "September 3rd.--Still at Rethel, ... the houses are charming inside. The middle class in France has magnificent furniture.... Every bit of furniture broken, mirrors smashed. The Vandals themselves could not have done more damage. This place is a disgrace to our army." "I could not resist taking a little memento myself here and there." Article 47 of the Second International Peace Conference (Convention concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land), held at the Hague in 1907, reads as follows:-- _Pillage is expressly forbidden._ FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE. [Sidenote: 37] "The Committee have come to a definite conclusion upon each of the heads under which the evidence has been classified. "=It is proved=:-- "(=i=) =That there were in many parts of Belgium deliberate and systematically organised massacres of the civil population, accompanied by many isolated murders and other outrages.=