Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-06
PEACEFUL DUTCH
BYSTANDERS IN
GREAT CONFLICT
DUTCH SOLDIERS UNDER ARMS
STAND AT INTERVALS ON
FRONTIER GUARD.
THOUGH NOT WARNING, DUTCH ARE
LIVING THROUGH SOME OF
WARS EXCITEMENT.

c,rr.suond.nr. Of the Associated Press.l
bergen on Zooom, Netherlands, May D.
butch soldiers under arms staiiu at
intervals along the Dutch belgian iron
Tier near here. keen observers oi the
movements of the Germans IN devastated
Belgium. for Holland j. determined she
will not permit without fighting The eht-
RI of foreign troops from whatever sidc
they may come.
The Dutchmrn, themselves not al war,
live through al least some al the excite-
mcnt of actual fighting. for IN The sui
ness rcigning over the peaceful airicul
tural districts about here they can hear
from time la time the rear al cannon
from he direction of /cebruggc. Also
they are often witnesses al the chase
bv German troops of young Belslalls
making y dash for the frontier IN an ell
ort To get to Holland and hence across
the Channel 10 England Ia Joint the
Belgian army in Flanders.
The German Scntric> Just over the rIN-
cr separating th" two countries never
cease their v~igilant outlook for these
Young fellows aud the precautions they
have taken Ia prevent them crossing. the
line are very stern. bushes have been
cut down aud obstacles in the way of "A
clear view If the landscape have been
removed On the bare ground barbed
se entanglcm-ntS have been erected To
Il depth 81 many yards.
YET the Young BelgianS dare every
thing. They crawl beneath the wire in
the night and with luck manage in many
eases Ia get through at the expense Of
torn clothing and flesh. Then. however.
there A. the open space before the from
tier Ia negotiate. This j. closely guard
cd by German landStrum troops. but the
BeleianS often try 10 cover II IN "A DIES
pcratc lash under the fire of the sen
tries Numbers of them succeed. for the
Germans take good care not 10 fire in the
direction Of the frontier. aS they would
thus run he risk of shooting the Dutch
scntinrlS on the other Sidr otthc line
and in this way committing i breach If
neutrality.
Once within the Dutch territory the
Belgian youths are free. As they are not
vet soldiers, they annut be intcrncd and
most of them make their way Ia Il part
for shipment across the Channel.
The Dutch troops on other partitions of
the frontier have also to keep Il sharp
lockout for smugglcrS of contraband
from their own territory into Germany.
These SmuggierS. owing To the rich prof
It's IN ease Of success, are very daring
aud tricky. and they do not hesitate to
use violence against their own country
men. -
Ga>ulrne aud horses IA the most prof
liable to the >mugglcrS. The former
brings AZ least treble its price ia times
OF peace.
Sound horses Of any age fetch extra
ordinary high prices from the Germans.
ANYTHING up To Sj00 being paid lor draft
horses.
All roads leading To the frontiers are
close to rtafic. Directly on the border
line N wide intervals stand single sen
tries with their loaded rifles %rr>tin. hc
meath their arms. About .Un wards fur
Their back u 4 second line uf >%cntinrl~
AMI behind these some distance in the
rear are pickctS ~ i dozen men with Il
non commissioner officer
The SmugglerS naturally keep 10 side
paths or 90 across cn'ntrv. IN case the,
should he seen by the pickctS they are
~ once arrested aud their loads confiS
Gated Often. however. ~ night they
succeed IN passing through The gaps hc
tween the pickciS Then thcir progress
e"omcS more difficult and their pres
cnce il often discovered hv the inner line
81 S%cntrieS who fire il the Smu.ulcrs. as
sometimes happens. make 4 dash 10
reach the German lines. Occasionally
the chase i 4 lively one and gives rise
7" q rapid fuSSiladc. which il MANY "a
ses proves fatal t. the >mueelrrS.