THE LAST STRAW

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2387, 17 February 1915, Page 6

THE LAST STRAW

Nothing could be more illustrative of the callousness.of German war methods than the particulars of a dispute which has taken place between the French Mayor of Lille and the German military governor of the town. Since Lille has been in German occupation it lias not only had to pay a staggering; war tax, but has been further compelled to provide food and lodging for hordes of German troops in the town. Meanwhile, the French population of Lille is practically starving.' In view of these facts, the Mayor, in a letter to General von. Heindrich, the military governor, said that Lille had already.paid 3,400,000f. as a war tax, and lie asked to be absolved from a further 3,000,000f., es]>ecially in view of the fact that the feeding of the German troops had already cost the town 1,500,000f., that 1200 houses were in ruins, and that the bombardment of the town had cost over 300,000,000f. In reply, General von Heindrich said that, in view of the quiet behaviour of the Lillo population, he would allow the payment of the remainder of the war tax to be postponed for a week; but as England had forbidden the import of corn ho could not re-' cognise any obligation on the part of the Germans to feed the population. A further letter from the Mayor to General von Heindrich laid still greater stress on the utter impossibility of supplying tlio German troops with bread, since no corn was obtainable. Consequently, in a later letter the Mayor, on tho suggestion of the German military authorities, appealed to the Swiss President to help the population of Lillo, as Switzerland helped the population of Strassburg in 1870, by sending food.