To assure transport and communications, the Belgian treasury had to
advance a total of 8,000 million francs. As already pointed out to the
Tribunal, the seizure by the occupation authorities covered even the
river fleet to the extent that the transport plan restricted the use of
rail to the operation troops.
According to Article 53 of the Hague Convention, the occupying army has
the right to seize means of transport and communications provided that
it returns them and pays indemnity. That army, however, does not possess
the right to make the occupied country pay the costs of transport put at
the army’s disposal. That is, however, what Germany did in Belgium.