South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-01
Correspondent on Board
Dutch Ship Tells How
Germans Seized Vessel


was 10 honor the only Americans
aboard or whether the Germans try
on the dog first.
By this time the Belgians and
| French began to show signs Of weak
ening Soon there were tears and
traces OF panic. There we're two Bel
gians aboard, however. who refused TO
/ be dOwnhearted. They were two
strikingly handsome Belgian girls one
refugee from Antwerp. the other
from Louvain.
An Antwerpiau. whose house had
! been brought down about his ears by
a German a. insisted upon greeting
each passing German officer with d
happy viva in Belgique!"
Germans Are Courteous.
The LOuvain lady chose 10 faunt
a little silk American flag and cried
/ viva Ia America" and neither viva"
failed TO bring a smile and a salute
from the Germans. in fact the Ger
mans were a courteous, happy lot.
| out grnning captor had now left his
station of vantage beneath the range
finder and coming down to the edge
Of the pier, saluted the two Amer
leans and with a joyous adieu betook
himself and his submarine to con-
tiuue the work OF blOckading England.
The two days in the cramped quar-
tiers OF the Batavier were by no means
unpleasant L departed with a grudge
against only one German, and that
| was a marine, whose sentry go was
the length Of the roof over my cabin
All night he tramped up and down
and at each turn about cracked his
heels together and stamped two hob
nailed boots into the deck as If TO
put down the cause of the allies for
ever
Here was German discipline with
u vengeance. Leaving Zeebrugge on
/ Saturday afternoon the shades were
| lowered IN the train on the side to-
ward the Notifications. We saw little
but the bay until we'll into the rolling
| Belgian acres of German planted
wheat and potatoes.
Germans Attentive. Dutch Hospitable
The officer assigned TO conduct the
train TO the frontier shared the COM
partment with Wallace and myself, an
honor which was somewhat tempered
"a little later, when / heard our COM
panlon explain TO a brother officer at
I Bruges that he was Interested in a
camera which he knew to be reposing
somewhere in our hand luggage. But
| If the Germans were attentive to US
Americans the Dutch were hospitable
far beyond all expectations.
This can be attributed in part to
our Dutch friends aboard the Batavier
who noted with no little suspicion
that after Capt. Fischer had informed
our Dutch captain of the disposition
OF two ships he had summoned Wal
lace and me ashore and explained we
would be taken TO Holland and given
pass to aid us in the sudden emerg-
ency while still on German soil.
AT TerneuZen, curiouSly enough,
next morning we two Americans found
ourselves the synosure of every mill
itary eye in the place. Sauntering
down the street we thought led TO
the railway station we were suddenly
stopped by a soldier on sentry duty
from whom we were about TO inquire
our exact wherea bouts. First he lev
eled a bayOnet at us. Apparently de-
Gliding to change the tactics he reach
ed into his sentry box and pulled a
rope At the other end of the rope
somewhere in fair Ternuzen there
must have been a bell or gong, for
soldiers appeared everywhere and in
brief moment we were surrounded
by crowd of three or four hundred
troops and civilians.
Chimes Call to Service.
Chimes in q nearby church tOlled
the last call to service. but maidens
and matrons in white head dress and
hoop skirts stopped with prayer books
in their hands to witness the spectacle
OF our supposed discontinue. Next
the chief OF police appeared and being
in no wise impressed by our pass
ports, marched us off to the barracks.
There we were to see the commander
Of the garrison. On the way with
TerneuZen trooping behind. he ex-
planned that every Dutch officer was
required to speak French and Eng
lish.
After a half hour at the barracks