The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-07-02
SMUGGLING N WAR.
Business, Not Romance, Marks
the Contraband Trade.
Chiefs Of the Runners In Holland Are
Well Dressed and Their Dens Are
Modern offiees-Guard
Methods Closely.


gler waiting for dark night to run
his lugger ashore in cove and then
bury his bales and barrels in the sand
has disappeared, but the trade still
fiourlshes and probably brings morel
profit than ever, especially just now In
Holland. The modern smuggler here,
however, is interested chiefly in get
ting contraband out of the country
rather than bringing it in.
A call at an up-to-date smuggler's
den, of which several exist in the cen
ter Of Rotterdam, probably would re-
veal middle-aged German dressed
in we'll cut business suit at a desk,
in front Of him small heaps Of spices,
grain Of various species, oilcake and
raw rubber, and sample bottles Of
burning and lubricating oils. From
time to time the smuggler chief takes
the telephone receiver down and calls
number, and bargains in terse
phrases over the price Of job lots of
the articles, samples OF which lie be-
fore him, sent for his approval by mer-
chants and dealers who held stocks
more or less extensive before the new
and strict government regulations call
ing for an inventory were issued.
Then follow other telephone calls on
shippers or their shippers. The SNUG
gler chief is trying to arrange for the
transport of his illicit exports across
the border line into Germany or Bel
GUM. Freights for this trade are
high, and the smuggler's efforts are
directed toward beating down the ship
per to as low figure as possible, but
the shipper holds out, for he knows
struggled goods bring high rates when
safely brought to their destination.
Torture would not force the snug
glers to disclose the methods by which
they manage to forward the contra
band beyond the closely guarded from
tier. 1t is limited, however, that many
railroad cars ostensibly conveying
freight from Holland to Denmark and
from Denmark to Holland are mys-
teriously uncoupled and disappear
while passing over the intervening
German territory. Dutch fishing boats,
too, often are seized off the coast by
German patrol boats and taken into
German ports, whence they are re-
leased after their cargoes have been
unloaded, to the evident satisfaction
of the shippers.
Dozens of Rhine lighters pass daily
up and down the river whose course
runs through Germany and Holland,
and occasionally one is held up be-
cause Of the presence Of illicit cargo;
but it is possible that for each one
stopped several others pass muster
with forbidden goods on board and are
received with welcome by the German
authorities. From numerous points
along the frontier, closely guarded
though it is by Dutch troops, come re-
ports of cattle and horses being driven
across into German territory, where
the lines of sentinels are thin or woods
prevent clear view.
The gains to be obtained by the run
ming of contraband are so tempting
that the efforts of the authorities have
been rendered futile. Practically half
the Dutch troops now modified are
engaged in guarding the frontiers, not
against foreigners but against Dutch
men trying to pass contraband. It is
difficult, however, to guard every yard
Of the border line and If the attention
of a sentry can be distracted for only
a few minutes this gives the willy
smuggler his chance to get across with
his goods