The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-05-21
KEEP SENTRY BUSY
Smugglers and Fugitives Run
GantIet on Holland
Many Shot, but Germans Hesitate TO
Fire Over Line for Fear of Neu-
traIity violation-Lacerated
in Wire Maze.

| Bergen-op-Zoom, Holland. - Dutch
soldiers under arms stand ct intervals
along the Dutch-Belgian frontier near
here, keen observers of the movements
OF the Germans in devastated Belgium.
| The Dutchmen, themselves not at war.
live through at least some of the ex
element of actual fighting, for in the
stiffness reigning over the peaceful
| agricultural districts about here they
can hear from lime to time the roar OF
| cannon from the direction of Zee.
brugge. Also they are often witnesses
of the chase by German troops of
young Belgians making dash for the
frontier in an effort to get to Holland
and thence across the channel to Flan-
ders to join the Belgian army in
Flanders.
Tho German sentries just over the
river separating the two countries
never cease their vigilant lookout for
these young fellows and have taken
many precautions to prevent their
crossing the line. Bushes have been
cut down and obstacles in the way o.
a clear view of the landscape have
ments have been erected for many
yards.
Yet the young Belgians dare every
thing. They crawl beneath the wire
in the night and with luck manage IN
many cases to get through at the 6
pense of torn clothing and flesh. Then
however. there is the open space be
fore the frontier to pass. This is close
ly guarded by German landsturm
troops, but the Belgians often try to
cover it in desperate dash under the
fire of the sentries. Many of them
succeed, for the Germans take gooc
care not to fire in the direction of th>
frontier, as they would thus run the
risk of shooting the Dutch sentinels on
the other side Of the line and in this
way committing breach of neutrality
Once within Dutch territory the Bel
gian youths are free. AS they are not
yet soldiers, they cannot be informed
and most of them make their way to
a port for shipment across the channel
The Dutch troops on other parts OF
| the frontier have to keep a sharp look
| out for smugglers of contraband from
their own territory into Germany
| These smugglers, because of the rich
profits in case of success, are DARN.
and risky and do not hesitate to use
violence against their own country.
men.
Gasoline and horses are the most
profitable to the smugglers. The fer
mer brings at least treble its former
price. Sound horses of any age fetch
extraordinary prices from the Ger
mans, anything up TO $500 being paid
for draft horses.
All roads leading to the frontier ar
closed to traffic. Directly on the boz
der line at wide intervals stand singl,
sentries with their loaded rifles RESTING
beneath their arms. About 200 yards
farther back is second line of senti-
nels and behind these some distance
in the rear are pickets of dozen men
each with a noncommissioned officer
The smugglers naturally keep to
side paths or go across country. In
case they should be seen by the pick
cts they are at once arrested and their
loads confiscated.
Often. however. at night they sue
coed in passing through the gaps be
tween the pickets. Then their prog.
ress becomes more difficult and their
presence is often discovered by the
forward lines of sentries, who fire T.
the smugglers. as sometimes happens
make dash to reach the German
lines.