A few words as to the documents utilized.
As the Germans occupied our country they took pains to isolate us from the rest of the world. They immediately suppressed all our journals, as these naturally refused to submit to their censorship. At the same time the Germans forced certain journals to reappear; notably L'Ami de l'Ordre, at Namur, and Le Bien Public, at Gand. The first of these journals took care frankly to inform its readers that the military authorities were forcing it to continue publication.
As for foreign newspapers, their introduction was forbidden under heavy penalties.
Prohibition of Newspapers and Verbal Communications.[2]
Official Notice.
Although the District Commandant[3] is continually causing authentic news of the military operations to be published, the foreign newspapers are intentionally publishing false news.
It is brought to the knowledge of the public that it is therefore strictly forbidden to any one whomsoever to introduce into Spa and the surrounding district newspapers other than German, without the previous authorization of the District Commandant.
Offenders will be punished according to the laws of war.
The same penalties will be applied to those who have verbally spread false news.
The District Commandant,
Aske, Colonel.Spa, 22nd September, 1914.
(Placard posted at Spa.)Notice.
I call the attention of the population of Belgium to the fact that the sale and distribution of newspapers and of all news reproduced by letterpress or in any other manner which is not expressly authorized by the German censorship is strictly prohibited. Every offender will be immediately arrested and punished by a long term of imprisonment.
The Governor-General in Belgium,
Baron von der Goltz,
Field-Marshal.Brussels, 4th November, 1914.
(Posted in Brussels.)
Military Court.
In pursuance of 18, 2 of the Imperial decree of 28th December 1899, the following persons have been punished:—
(a) The coal-merchant Jules Pousseur, of Jambes, with 2 months' imprisonment and a fine of 100 marks, or 20 days' additional imprisonment.
(b) His daughter, Camille Pousseur, with 2 months' imprisonment, because they frequently bought foreign newspapers and articles from newspapers whose sale is prohibited; and further because the daughter copied and collected, with the knowledge and permission of her father, poems and articles hostile to Germany, containing, for the most part, vulgar and obscene insults in respect of the Emperor, the Confederate Princes, and the German Army; and because she further, as one may fully realize from the careful manner in which the numerous copies were made, communicated the originals to others, and finally because Jules Pousseur admits that he has for some time been engaged in forwarding letters, which is forbidden.
The terms of imprisonment will run from the first day of detention. The copies and other writings will be retained.
L'Ami de l'Ordre, 4th April, 1915.
(a) The coal-merchant Jules Pousseur, of Jambes, with 2 months' imprisonment and a fine of 100 marks, or 20 days' additional imprisonment.
(b) His daughter, Camille Pousseur, with 2 months' imprisonment, because they frequently bought foreign newspapers and articles from newspapers whose sale is prohibited; and further because the daughter copied and collected, with the knowledge and permission of her father, poems and articles hostile to Germany, containing, for the most part, vulgar and obscene insults in respect of the Emperor, the Confederate Princes, and the German Army; and because she further, as one may fully realize from the careful manner in which the numerous copies were made, communicated the originals to others, and finally because Jules Pousseur admits that he has for some time been engaged in forwarding letters, which is forbidden.
The German Censorship.