El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-15
HOLLAND GUARDS
BORDER CLOSELY.
WITH army NEAR
At Peace, the Dutch Are De-
termined to Keep War
ring Factions Out.
BELGIAN YOUTHS
TAKE CHANCES

BERGEN OP- ZOON. Netherlands.
X Nay 15.-Dutch soldiers under
arms stand at intervals along the
Dutch Belgian frontier near here,
keen observers Of the movements Of the
Germans in devastated Belgium, for
Holland is determined she viii not per-
NIT. without fighting, the entry Of
foreign troops from whatever side
they may come
The Dutchmen. themselves not at
war. live through at least some Of the
excitement of actual fighting. for in the
stiffness reigning over the peaceful
agricultural districts about here they
can hear from time 10 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 a dash for the from
tier in an effort to get to Holland and
thence across the channel to England
to Join the Belgian army in Flanders.
The German sentries just over the
river separating the two countries
never cease their vigilant lookout for
these young fellows and the precau-
tons they have taken to prevent them
crossing the line are very stern Bushes
have been cut down and obstacles in
the way of a clear view Of the land
scape have been removed On the bare
ground barbed wire entanglements
have been erected to a depth OF many
yards
BeIgirns Dare Everything.
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 eX-
pense of torn clothing and flesh
Then, however, there is the open space
before the frontier TO negotiate. This
is closely guarded by German land
sturm troops, but the Bel~ians often
~ 70 IN oh
der the fire OF the sentries. Numbers
of them succeed, for the Germans take
good care not TO fire in the direction OF
the frontier. as they would thus run
the risk of shooting the Dutch SEN
unels on the other side Of the line and
in this way committing a breach Of
neutrality.
Once within Dutch territory the Bel
gian- youths are free As they are not
yet soldiers. they cannot be interned
and most of them make their way TO a
port for shipment across the channel
Must Watch For SmuEEIers.
The Dutch troops on other portions Of
the frontier have also TO keep a sharp
from their own territory into Germany.
These smugglers, owing to the rich
profits in case Of success, are very
daring and tricky, and they do not
hesitate TO use violence against their
own countrymen.
Gasoline and horses are the most
profitable to the smugglers- The for /
mer brings at least treble its price in I
times Of peace
Sound horses Of any age fetch extra .
ordinary high prices from the Ger /
mans, anything up to $500 being paid 4
for draft horses
All Roads Closed.
All roads leading to the frontiers are /
closed to traffic. Directly on the Dor
der line at wide intervals stand single .
sentries with their loaded rifles rest
ing beneath their arms. About 200 .
yards further back is a second line OF
sentinels and behind these some dis
lance in the rear are pickets Of
dozen men with a nOncommissiOned Z
officer
The smugglers naturally keep to side /
paths or go across country. In case
they should be seen by the picketS
they are at once arrested and their
loads confiscated. Often. however, at @
night they succeed in passing through
the gaps between the pickets. Then
their progress becomes more difficult
and their presence is often discovered
by the inner line Of sentries who fire
II the smugglers, as sometimes hap
pens, make a dash to reach the Ger
nan lines. Occasionally the chase is a
lively one and gives rise to a rapid
-usilade, which in many cases proves
fatal to the smugglers.