FRANCE At Vraignes and Nesle the Germans seized provisions sent by the Spanish-American relief funds everything of any value. 144 lorries with a special detachment arrived and carried off Sept. 1, 1914.. Lassigny (Oise).. These special detachments acted in the same way in numerous districts German troops. Date unspeci- Vraignes, Tertry, and Nesle fied (Somme) " GREECE Great number of Greek houses plundered by Bulgarians... 600 Greek villages plundered by the Turks in Thrace and Asia Minor ITALY Looting on a large scale, in many cases pointing to systematic organisation by officers Bulgarian authorities (sev " Conegliano. Theft of numerous paintings... Unspecified.. Tolmezzo Sector Castle near Castellavazzo. Austrian officer. " p. 207. p. 207. p. 208. A constant practice of the military and civil authorities alike, 1915-1918.. according to an arranged system Serbia.. p. 31. p. 31. Bulgarian authority. Austrian and German authorities Rapport du Dr. Reiss. Rapport de la Commission d'enquête serbe, p. 5. Frequently followed internments and arrests of Serbs. Those who were killed were usually despoiled of their goods. Furniture and other effects of houses taken away, and cattle from farms Generally done during searches, ordered under the pretext of Onevacuating territory, pillage on a large scale, after ordering the Blackmail resorted to. Blackmailed two peasants (26,000 dinars).. 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. 1915-1918. 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 German military authori- 6th Report of Belgian Commission of ties Enquiry, No. 6. 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 1915-1918. 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 years' imprisonment, a fine of 100,000 marks, and confiscation. Issue of 862 millions of new coin under the name of "Polish marks," current only in that part of Russian Poland ruled by the Governor-General of Warsaw. All requisitions were paid for by this means Issued a new rouble, at a vlue of 2 marks, whilst the real rate was 24 marks. April 14, 1917. Poland.. April, 1917... 1916. Russian rouble declared equal to 1 mark-a measure that put the March, 1918. population at the mercy of German agents and speculators 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 Serbia generally. a time Serbian banknotes were declared to be valueless The Austrian authorities decreed that Serbian banknotes were to 1915-1918. to be accepted, even in private transactions, only at 50 per cent, of their nominal value " 1 Various examples are also given under other heads, e. g., Nos. 10, 13, 18, 29. Bulgarians (ordered by Rapport de la Commission Interalliée, the authorities). p. 28 (and Annexes au Rapport). Austrian and German au- Rapport du Dr. Reiss. Rapport de thorities. la Commission d'enquête serbe. 2 See also under No. 16. Families held responsible for the escape of Belgians liable to mili- Jan. 26, 1915.. Belgium... Authors. Reference. German military authori- Grey Book, p. 503. France was systematically laid waste for no military reason, es- August 1914.. Jamoigne.. August 1914. Semel.. 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).. :; Arson. There is documentary proof of the existence of special incendiary Agricultural Implements carried off or destroyed. 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 1916-1918. villages destroyed by Bulgarians Nos. 135 et seq. Nos. 254 et seq. ITALY On the Italian front the Austro-Hungarian Army perpetrated Various dates Italian front. 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. Austrian troops. Catellani's Report, pp. 99, 100, 101, 122, German military author- Memorandum of Polish Delegation, ities. pp. 1, 2. Methodical destruction of buildings, especially those relating to Unspecified.. Various places. judicial institutions Destruction of bridges, railways, depôts, works of art. German military author- Memorandum of the Roumanian Deleities German troops. gation, x. SERBIA Houses and villages entirely rased to the ground, on pretext of military reasons or suppression of insurrection, and sometimes even without any pretext at all 1915-1918. The Austrians, at the time of their first invasion, destroyed numerous villages and set fire to houses 1914. |