WHO ARE THE HUNS?

CHAPTER XIV.
173-
The German Administration in Belgium. Reproachesas
to Starvation, etc.
The "Miinchener Neueste Nachrichten" reports semiofficially
from the Hague as follows:
"With regard to the accusations made by the Belgian
minister at the Hague the day after the fall of Antwerp, to the
effect that Germany in violation of Article 43 of the Fourth
Hague Convention, was exposing the population of this occupied
country to the danger of starvation, I am apprised as follows,
from an official source. It is affirmed that the German Government
had already communicated to the Dutch Government,
in its note of the 15th August, that it would in no wise hinder
the export of provisions from Holland to the civil population
of Belgium, but would even facilitate this by having in readiness
trains of cars.
The Dutch Government, in its Note of the 17th August,,
expressed to the German envoy its sympathy with this plan,
but communicated further in its Note of the 3rd of October
that the Belgian Government was of the opinion that the
export of provisions would have to come from Germany and
not from Holland. The Dutch Government further communicated
the fact that the English and French Governments were
opposed to the plan of exporting provisions, since hereby Holland
would obviously give up its neutrality, and that Germany
would in this manner receive more food for its own troops.
This is the edifying manner in which "the starvation
policy" is waged against Germany, under the abuse of the
*term "neutrality." It was intended to force Germany herself
to provide food for the civil population of the occupied portion
of Belgian territory. This territory was occupied in accordance
with the rules of war, based upon Articles 42 and 56 of the
Hague Convention. Naturally there is here no question of a
violation of the neutrality of Holland. In the whole agreement
regarding the rights and duties of neutral powers and persons.
in the case of a war by land, there is no decision that could,
be thus interpreted.