Wherever the Germans have perpetrated some atrocious crime they have
used the same threadbare excuse--the shooting of German soldiers by
civilians. Civilians fired on German soldiers at Visé, therefore Visé
was razed to the ground. The fourteen-year-old son of the Burgomaster
of Aerschot killed a German officer, therefore the whole city of
Aerschot had to be destroyed. Similarly, it was to avenge the murder of
German soldiers that Louvain was burned. It is the civilian population
of Louvain who must ultimately be held responsible.
On the face of it, the German version is an incredible invention.
Louvain was in the occupation of German troops. _All the arms had
been handed in days before by the civil population._ The authorities
had posted placards recommending tranquility to the population, and
warning them that any individual act of hostility would bring down
instant vengeance. Those placards could still be read on the walls
on the day of the destruction of Louvain. Under those circumstances,
is it credible that a few peaceful citizens should have brought down
destruction by their own deliberate act, which they knew would be met
with instant and ruthless retribution?
But even assuming that individual Belgians had been guilty of firing
on the German troops, supposing a civilian exasperated by the
monstrous treatment described in the narrative of Mr. Van Ernem, the
Town Treasurer. When the Belgian troops were repulsed by the enemy's
crushing numbers, and the Germans had put their big guns in position
on all the heights dominating the town, the Germans sent a deputation
to the Burgomaster, who agreed to receive the officers to hear their
proposals and conditions for occupying the town.
The German General with his état-major then came to the town hall to
confer with the Burgomaster, councillors, and myself as treasurer of
the town.
These were the stipulated conditions.
First: That the town should fully provide for the invaders, in
consideration of which no war contributions would be exacted.
Secondly: The soldiers not billeted in private houses were to pay cash
for all goods obtained; also, they were not to molest the inhabitants
under any circumstances.
These stiplations, agreed to on both sides, were most scrupulously kept
by the Belgians, but not by the Germans. On certain days, for example,
the Germans would exact 67,000 pounds of meat, and would let 20,000
pounds of it rot, although the population were suffering from hunger.
On Monday, August 24, toward 10 P. M., the Burgomaster--a respectable
merchant, sixty-two years of age--was arrested in his bed, where he was
lying ill. He was forced to rise and marched to the railway station,
where it was demanded of him that he should provide immediately 250
warm meals and as many mattresses for the soldiers, under penalty of
being shot. With admirable dispatch the inhabitants rushed to comply
with the German demand. In their solicitude and pity for their aged
chief, and their anxiety to save his life, they gave their own beds and
their last drops of wine.
The Germans acted without the slightest consideration or regard for the
faithful promises of their état-major. The troops rushed into private
houses, making forcible entrances, and taking from old and young,
many of the latter already orphans, whatever they fancied, paying
for nothing except with paper money to be presented to the "caisse
communal" at the end of the war.
The promise of exemption from contribution to a war levy was violated,
like every other contract. Failing to find enough money in the
treasury, the Germans in authority ordered the immediate payment of
100,000 francs.
This large sum could not be gathered from the inhabitants, and nearly
all the banks had on the first warning of the approach of the enemy
succeeded in transferring their funds to the National Bank.
Finally, after much bickering, the officer in command of the German
troops agreed to accept 3,000 fr., to be paid the next day. But with
the next morning came a further demand for 5,000 fr. The Burgomaster
vigorously protested against this new exaction; but nevertheless I,
as treasurer of the town, was held responsible for collecting 5,000
fr. With the greatest difficulty, I succeeded in procuring 3,080 fr.,
and after considerable bickering this sum was accepted by the enemy,
and the horrors of reprisals were delayed. The population, conscious
of the terrible risk which they ran, submitted with calm resignation
to the inevitable. As a functionary of the city, I can vouch for the
absolutely dignified and passive attitude of the whole population
of Louvain. They understood perfectly well their grave individual
responsibility, and that any break of their promises would be instantly
met by crushing action.
The position of affairs was minutely explained to the inhabitants in
several printed proclamations, and they were personally warned by our
venerable Burgomaster. Good order was so rigorously maintained that the
German authorities praised the exemplary conduct of the inhabitants.
This attitude was all the more laudable because the invaders,
immediately upon entering the city, liberated nine of their compatriots
who had been incarcerated before the war for murder, theft, and other
felonies.