The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-10-31
And Cuts Railway Platforms in
Two at Some Points on
Dutch Frontier.
tsY AsseeiArEp eRtss,

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 30.-The barn
wire boundary between. Holland and
her neighbors, Germany and Belgium,
presents a remarkable picture at some
points. where 1t bisects farm houses,
towns, or even cuts straight across
the platform Of frontier railway sta
tons.
There is one place where the stree,
is divided up the middle so that Dutch
and German shops face each oLEe.
across barriers of barb wire. On tie
further side Of the street runs street
railway, which is in Germany. sep.
arated from the tracks by a high wire
fence. there runs down the middle OF
the street a strip twelve feet wi1e
which is neutral ground. Then comes
another fence, and the narrow bit OF
road and pavement beyond 1t are in
Holland. At each street corner are
narrow openings to allow passage
from one country to the other, ser.
tries Of each country standing careful
guard on either side. 1t Is the main
street Of busy town. and the ordin-
AIRY town life flows back and forth,
while little Dutch street boys taik
to the German street boys through the
meshes. Down this street at the be-
ginning OF the war the Dutch popu-
lation watched for four days AMI
nights the German army marching
southwark into Belgium.
All the villages on the frontier lead
a confusedly bisected existence, belt
of barb wires as 1t were, separating
their heads from their feet. In these
places the work OF the Dutch sentries
is mainly to search the people who
pass, lest they carry in or out illicit
merchandise. The German guards are
mostly concerned with keeping look.
out for deserters or able bodied Bel
CLANS who seek to escape from Ger.
man rule. At a few points the Ger
man side Of the barb wire fence is
further protected by wires carrying
electric current and searchlights play
up and down the line during the night.
In the towns which are bisected
by the boundary line, there are two
or three contrasts which strike the
observer Immediately. All the SOL
diers on one side Of the line are in
one type Of uniform, while in tho
other half Of the town there are just
as many soldiers, but OF course in a
different type Of dress. The sentry
boxes on one side are red. whitc and
blue, on the other side they are red
white and black.
| Part of the town Of Baarle- Hertoa
lis Belgian, but 1t is saved from Ger
man occupation owing to. the fact that
1T is entirely surrounded by Dutch
Eterritory-a little Belgian island in
\ the middle Of Holland. There is no
need Of sentries here, and there Is no
wire to mark the visible frontier which
runs through the middle Of the main
streets. From here to the real from.
tier one travels over q we'll paved
roadway which Is Dutch, while the
ditch at the side is Belgian. At the
railway station, which is Baarle In
Holland, and Wielde in Germany, the
frontier runs straight through the
ticket Office and out across the plat
\ forms on either side. A line Of col
ored thing in the floor marks the
boundary; and the words ''Nederland.
H and 'tBelgiQue" are set into the con.
crete on either side. On both plat.
forms the sentries of the two coun-
tries face each other at distance Of
La yard or so apart. 4
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