The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-07-25
|bE[G|ANS ESCAPING
FROM COUNTRY
Going to England to Work
in Factories or Fight
ANNEX ALTON FEARED
Think All Belgians Of Military Age
Will Be Drafted Into German
Army and Made to Fight
Against Countrymen
ANNEXATION FEARED

Paris. July 1o.-fcorrespondence OF
1.-The Associated Press.)--Scarcely a boat
leaves Holland for England these days
without it's contingent OF Belgians of
military age who have evaded the reg
Nistration of all male Belgians capable
Iof bearing arms now required by the
German authorities in Belgium. Many
of them are on their way to England
Ito work In the munitions factories
while those who at the beginning CT
the war were called to the colors and
on account of the speed with which
the invasion of Belgium was accom-
plished were unable to respond to the
call, are en- route to join the Belgian
army in Flanders
Among the former there are various
Ngroups wearing bits of colored tape in
their buttonholes or pinned to their
Iclothing; some purple, some green
some yellow. by the representatives of
1.-THE British munitions firms who are to
Diemploy them may recognize their mch
or their women, as the case may be-
flor many of these future workers in
1.-The manufacture of armament are
women.
Are Fearful Still
Those who are going for soldiers arc
Ikenerally younger men, in their early
Ixwenties for the most part They have
Illved through much, and are sobered
Hand saddened by what has passed in
fNheir country since last August. They
Italk together in little groups in low
INVOICES, glancing over their shoulders
constantly, unable. to rid themselves
I pf the fear of what continual surveII-
lance to which they have so long been
subject.
Their talk just now is all of the pro-
posed annexation of Belgium by Ger :
many which they are convinced is i'm
minent. They claim that this is a new
progressive measure on the part of the
Belgium once annexed
d and became thereby an integral part
of the German empire, all Belgians of
military age will be called upon to
|gserve in the German army, and on re-
ifusal to do so will be treated as Ger
imam deserters. For this reason, they
say. every Belgian of military age now
remaining in the stricken country is
tmaking desperate efforts to escape be-
fore the expected annexation can ne
|dproclaimed.
On each boat also may be found gem
ierally one or more prisoners of war
who has escaped from one of the Ger
lHiaH pTiSOH cdfupS, Oh which a rev are
}lnct far from the Dutch border Most
|1of these are French. whose language
|(belng the same as that Of most Bel
|teians renders their flight through Bel
|jgium less difficult. But occasionally
there are Englishmen, left behind in
|ithe first retreat from Belgium and re-
I4maining in hiding ever since, or es-
capped directly from a military prison
/ Once in awhile there Is a Russian. The
Associated Press correspondent made
the journey with two such escaped
Russians. whose story of their flight
seemed almost impossible of belief. yet
was borne out by the detail with which
lit was filled. respecting the country
over which they had made their way
Two Escaped Russians
Both were still In the full uniform
Iof Russian private soldiers which they
had neither been able to change nor
Ito disguise during their flight. With
their trousers thrust into high boots
land the conspicuous round. khaki hats
lperched on the side of their heads, they
h were unmistakable as far as they
Icruld be seen. They spoke nothing but
ClRnssian. Yet they told the Associated
\ lPress correspondent that, when out
with a party of other prisoners work
ling in the fields. they learned from
some of their fellows who understood
LA little German that they were being
but a few miles from the
LjDutch frontiers They decided to es-
\ Icape If possible. They discussed theii
II plans under the very noses of theiI
y guards, 1andsturm men who could mol