Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-18
.BELC|ANs OF military
ACE START FOR ENGLAND
Many to Work In Munitions Fac
tories and Others to Join Their
Army in Flanders.
sADDENED BY EXPERIENCES
Those Who Are Leaving Holland Are
the Men Who Have Evaded Reg
istration OF All Males Capable OF
Bearing Arms.

PARIS. July 17.--Scarccly boat
leaves Holland for England these days
without its contingent of Belgians OF
military age who have evaded the reg
istration of all male Beigians capable
Of bearing arms now required by the
German authorities in Belgium. Many
OF them are on their way to England
to work In the munitions factories.
while those who at the beginning or
the war were called to the colors and
on account Of the speed with which the
invasion Of Belgium was accomplished
we're unable to respond TO the call, are
Ell route to Join the Belgian army In
Flanders.
Among the former there are various
groups wearing bits of colored tape In
their buttonholes or pinned to their
clothing. some purple, some green
some yellow. by which the representa-
;ivcs Of the British munitions hrms
who are to employ them may recognize
their men or their women. as the case
may be-for many Of these foture
workers in the manufacture OF arma-
ment women.
Those who arc going for soldiers are
generally younger men-in their early
twcnties for the most part. They nave
lived through much. and are sooered
and saddened by what has passed in
their country since last August. They
talk together In little groups. in low
voices. glancing over their shoulders
Tho fear OF that continual surveillance
to which they have so long been sub
ject.
Their talk just now is all OF the
proposed annexation OF Belgium pE
germany. which they are convinced Is
Imminent They claim that this is
new repressive measure on the part OF
the invaders-that Belgium once an.
nexed and became thereby an integral
part Of the German empire, all BEL.
gians OF military age Will be ca!led
upon TO serve in the German army.
and on refusal to do so Will be treated
a. German deserters. For this reason
they say. every Belgian Of military age
now remaining in the stricken country
is making desperate efforts 10 escape
before the expected annexation can be
proclai ned.
STORY OF FLIGHT
ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE
On each boat. also, may be found
generally one more prisoners OF
war who has escaped from one OF the
German prison camps, OF which i""
are not far from the Dutch border.
Most of these are French, whose Ian
guaEe being the same as that OF most
n.lcians renders their nicht through
belgium less diHicult. But occasional.
~ there arc Englishmen. lett behihn
in the first retreat from BelEium' ana
remaining in hiding ever since, or
..caped directly from a military pris-
on once In a while there is RUS
sian The Associated Press CORE
spondcnt made the journey with Two
such escaped Russians. whose story
o. their flight seemed almost lmpos
sibls o. belief, yet was borne out by
the detail with which u Mas niied'
resoectins the country over which they
mad made their way.
Pott we're still in the full uniform
Of Russian private soldiers, which they
.hl n q
disguise during their flight. WITT their
trousers thrust into high boots, ana
tho conspicuous round, khaki hats
uerchcd on the side OF their heads. theE
we're unmistakahle as far as the. could
D.. sc>n They spoke nothing but Rus
sian Yet they told the Associated
Press correspondent that. when on!
with party Of other prisoners WORK
iny in the fields, they learned from
some Of their fellows who understood
little German that tnsy we're oe.hs
employed hut few miles from the
Dutch frontiers. They decided TO es-
cane If possible. They discussed their
plans under the very noses of their
guards. Landsturm men. who could not
understand what was being said. The
remaining Russians agreed TO help
them. and when evening fell and the
prisoners were returned 60 their camp.
these two were covered with hay
by their companions and left in the
field Presumably they were not
missed for they got off safely, making
their way by night and hiding in hay
stacks by day. AT first they went
without food entirely. but finally APP
preached a peasant woman who was
milking in a field. and she gave then:
some milk without the exchange of
word plainly ignorant OF what they
were-doubtlesS thinking them German
soldiers In one of the many new uni
forms adopted by the Germans since
the beginning of the war.
The third night they crossed the
Dutch frontier without seeing a sentry.
Ultimately, with immense difficulties
engendered by their ignorance of any
speech familiar 10 the Netherlanders.
they succeeded in reaching The Hague.
where they were taken in charge by
the Russian legation and furnished
with the necessary funds for Il return
TO the realm of the Gear