It was rare to find an Austrian officer who had not taken part in pillage. A special train left each week for Austria and Germany filled with stolen goods. Private belongings of deported and interned civilians taken 1915-1918. from them Serbia.. Bulgarians.. Rapport de la Commission Interalliée, p. 20. 15.-EXACTION OF ILLEGITIMATE OR OF EXORBITANT CONTRIBUTIONS AND REQUISITIONS SERBIAL BELGIUM Besides local levies, the German authorities by successive de- 1914-1918. crees extorted from Belgium a series of contributions totalling 2,390,000,000 fr., in cash. This sum represents 2,000,000 fr. per Belgium (various places).. German authorities. Wavre (Belgium) alone had to contribute 3,000,000 fr., payable by Aug. 22, 1914. Wavre. September 1, on a false pretext. The Burgomaster was ordered to hand over 2,000,000 fr. in gold, under the threat: "The town of Wavre will be set on fire and destroyed unless payment is duly made. No exceptions will be made, and the innocent will suffer with the guilty" FRANCE Eighty-three communes were forced to issue notes to the value of 60,000 fr. per day for the maintenance of Germans; the total issue in the district was 1,600,000 fr. A levy of 138,450 fr. was imposed, which was obvoiusly beyond An order given stated that: "The circulation of communal notes Memorandum drawn up by the Belgian Delegation. German military authori- 6th Report of Belgian Commission of ties Enquiry, No. 6. German military authori- 8th Report of French Commission of ties Enquiry, No. 202. Officer in command. Date unspeci- Nesle (Somme). fied German military authorities " No. 235 GREECE Abusive requisition of victuals. 1916-1917. Eastern Macedonia.. Bulgarian authorities.. Greek Memorandum, p. 5. Contributions on pretext that they were to be used for philan- 1916-1917.. thropic purposes. POLAND By means of requisitions,2 of so-called "free purchases," and of 1915-1918... expropriation, an institution known as the "Kriegsrohstoffstelle" drained the country systematically and completely of all raw materials and manufactured articles. It thus reduced the population to poverty, and increased the death rate very considerably Ruin of Bessarabia (formerly a very rich province) by methodical Unspecified.. Bessarabia. Great economic exploitation; population reduced to misery. Contributions levied as fines. Contributions levied as "voluntary gifts". In some places no receipts given; in others, the sums indicated on them were less than those obtained. The Austrians seized all the provisions and supplies they could find, not leaving even the minimum indispensable for the native population. They seized every article made of or containing copper 16. DEBASEMENT OF THE CURRENCY, AND ISSUE OF SPURIOUS CURRENCY. POLAND Order issued forbidding any transactions in roubles, on pain of 5 Issued a new rouble, at a vlue of 2 marks, whilst the real rate was 24 marks. Russian rouble declared equal to 1 mark-a measure that put the March, 1918. SERBIA Depreciated Serbian currency artificially. Serbian population 1915-1918. had to exchange all Serbian money for Bulgarian banknotes, and the official rate of exchange was 2 dinars for 1 lev. After a time Serbian banknotes were declared to be valueless The Austrian authorities decreed that Serbian banknotes were to - to be accepted, even in private transactions, only at 50 per cent. of their nominal value 66 Various districts. Minsk. Serbia generally. 1915-1918. 1 Various examples are also given under other heads, c. g., Nos. 10, 13, 18, 29. Bulgarians (ordered by Rapport de la Commission Interalliée, the authorities). p. 28 (and Annexes au Rapport). Families held responsible for the escape of Belgians liable to mili- Jan. 26, 1915.. Belgium... tary service. Authors. Reference. German military authorities. Grey Book, p. 503. France was systematically laid waste for no military reason, es- 1917. Before the German evacuation, the town of Chauny (population March 3-18, Chauny (Aisne). The districts of Flavy-le-Martel and Ourscamps are models of de- A strictly secret order from the German authorities reads as fol- Feb. - March| Flavy-le-Martel (Aisne).. 917. February to Ourscamps (Oise). German troops. 9th Report of French Commission of Enquiry, p. 29. Arson. Agricultural Implements carried off or destroyed. et Moselle) Such implements were frequently carried off or destroyed, as, for Mar. 1917. example, in the districts mentioned opposite GREECE Great number of Greek houses devastated and many Greek villages destroyed by Bulgarians 1916-1918.. Serres, Drama, Cavalla, and Bulgarian authorities. ITALY On the Italian front the Austro-Hungarian Army perpetrated Various dates Italian front. general and systematic acts of devastation and pillage POLAND A town unlawfully bombarded and then set on fire by means of petrol. The most prosperous part was completely looted and then destroyed 1914. Kalisz. ROUMANIA A province ruined. Unspecified.. Bessarabia. Methodical destruction of buildings, especially those relating to Unspecified.. Various places.. Destruction of bridges, railways, depôts, works of art. After the con Various places. vi. clusion of Houses and villages entirely rased to the ground, on pretext of 1915-1918. The Austrians, at the time of their first invasion, destroyed nu- 1914. merous villages and set fire to houses |