Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-16
NEuTaALs WATCH vvAa slRpMGM
Island on Netherlands in Position q
Nots Flights Ct Germans.

IolA00 IN NOS0oeSo00o ~ po0ee1o0 q
Nots Flights ct csrmana.
Correspondence Of Aasociated Presa.l
Rottumeroog. NetheTlands. Juno 4
AT no other place In Europe 10 there
better opportunity than on this island
of observing the beginning and the end
OF the German airship and aeroplane
expeditions which have recently be-
come so frequent to the English coast.
Rottumeroog is the last and most east
erly of the long string OF low-lyinS
sandy islands skirting the north coast
of Holland and then continuing along
the German coast. From its lookout
station, in charge OF the Dutch mill
tary authorities, may be seen day after
day flights of German "Tauben" or
Doves as the flying machines are
called. coming out OF or going into the
mouth of the Emes and from Borkum.
the first fortress Of Heligoland or
Wilhelmsha Sometimes a Zeppe-
lin, or perhaps a squadron of these
dreadnaughts OF the air. Will skirt the
coast high up in the clouds just out
side Of Dutch territorial waters. bent
on attacking British war and merchant
ships il opportunity offers in the North
Sea.
There are, however, not many peo-
pie to observe the passage OF the air
fiotillas, for, outside the detachment OF
Dutch troops stationed here for the
period of the war for the purpose Of
protecting Dutch soil from violation by
any of the belligerents, the only in
habitants of the islands are the coast
guard and his family. visitors-and
especially foreigners-are not welcome
and. in fact, have been forbidden to
land since the establishment of mar
tial law in the Dutch coastal regions.
AT rare intervals during the day the
privileged observer may see torpedo
boat destroyer steaming along in the
offing at great speed. II may be q
British or a German vessel. but which,
ever II is II does not sIacken its pace
for submarines are always about. AZ
ter dark the fact that German war
craft usually small vessels are near
by is evident from the twinkling at
frequent intervals Of signals from their
mastheads. From Borkum. too. at
night a few lights shine out, while
along the coast Of the Dutch provinces
of Groningen lighthouses keep up their
warning flashes without cessation.
Rottumeroog. which is reached from
the Dutch mainland by motorboat. was
at one time rather thickly populated,
and in the Middle Ages many of the
merchants of Groningen built ware
houses on the island 1t was. too fuT
long period. the haunt of pirates,
among them the notorious Tristan no.
bleu1an Douwe van Gins and Barthold
van Mentheda. 1t served also as a
place of refuge for C7anricarde Of Scot
land when ne fed from the British
Isles with King James. CIanricarde
even built a castle here. which was
destroyed in 1907 during great food.
Sea-birds usually avail themselves OF
the island as q breeding place and
many hundreds Of thousands OF their
eggs arc sent annually to the mainland
for consumption. This year. however.
many Of the birds have deserted tho
place having been frightened away by
the booming Of cannon At target prac-
tice on the island Of Borkum or by the
unaccustoned sight Of the aerial war
machines with <hs uncanny vhir Of
their propellers.