Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

- 240-
legal requirements. As the militmy authorities issued ordinances, locals were kept informed
by yet more posters. 42
On 1 September 1914, the Garrison COlmnander in Maastricht infonned Buhlman
(responsible for military authority in the south) of measures he had taken to secure
neutrality and public order in Limburg's capita1. 43 He circulated posters around the city,
infonning locals that: a "state of siege" applied; all civilian weapons had to be handed over
to the authorities; refugees must be registered;44 all "unnecessary" groupings of people were
forbidden; and all cafes must be closed by 10 pm. As an example of some bizarre
bureaucratic logic, no ordinance posters could be pasted on or near shop windows as this
could create precisely the "unnecessary" grouping of people that the Garrison Commander
explicitly outlawed.
To make certain that troops understood their tasks in the "state of war" and
"siege", High Command explained the jurisdiction in the militmy newspaper. 45 The
Soldatencourant explained on 1 September 1914 that the "state of siege" had nothing to do
with an actual siege, and that the country did not have to be at war for the government to
make use of the legislation. Rather, the emergency decree
merely indicates a legal situation, in which [local] government is placed
principally in the hands of the military administration, while that administration
is given an exceptional power of authority.46
Nothing changed greatly in the daily routine of soldiers situated in a "state of war" or
"siege", except that they could receive orders to police regulations imposed on local
residents by their commanders.
THE CONVENIENCE OF THE "STATE OF SIEGE"
The "state of siege" declaration of 29 August 1914 indicates that the government
was already committed to giving the mmed forces extraordinary powers to prevent potential
42 "State of siege" and "war" posters can be found in: SMG/DC, "Handschrift nr: 39" 9311; ARA, "Archieven van de
Generale Star' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 97, 98, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 246; ARA, "Archiefvan de Afde1ing
Documentatie van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek" entry no. 2.04.53.14, inventory no. 10.
43 Garrison Commander in Maastricht to Commander of the Field Army, 1 September 1914, in ARA, "Achief van het
Hoofdkwartier Veldleger" entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 148.
44 Limburg experienced an influx of Belgian, German and Austro-Hungarian refugees as soon as Germany invaded
Belgium in August 1914, for which, see: Chapter 5, pp. 187 - 188.
45 "Staat van beleg" Soldatencollrant. no. 7, 1 September 1914, p. 4.
46 "Zij geeft slechts een rechtstoestand aan, waarbij het bestuur in hoofdzaak in handen van de militaire overheid
wordt ge1egd, terwijl aan die overheid een exceptioneele machtsbevoegdheid wordt verleend" (Ibid.).