The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-05-13
DUTCH WATCH
GERMANS IN
BEL 81 j N
HOLLAND WILL NOT PERMIT
WITHOUT FIGHTING ENTRY OF
FOREIGN TROOPS FROM EITHER
SIDE.

Bergen-op- -Zoom Netherlands May
13. Correspondence of The Associated
Press Dutch soldiers under arms
stand at intervals along the Dutch.
Belgian frontier near here, keen OBJ
servers Of the movements OF the Ger.
mans in devastated Belgium, for Hol-
land is determined she will not per
NIT without fighting the entry OF Tor.
eign 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 peace
full agricultural districts about here,
they can hear from time to time the
roar of cannon from the direction OF
Zeebrugge Also, they are often wit
nesses of the chase by German troops
of young Belgians making a dash for
the frontier in an effort to get to Hol-
land 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 new
cease their vigiant lookout for these
young fellows and the precautions
they have taken to prevent them cross.
ing the line are very stern. Bushes
have been cut down and obstacles in
the way OF clear view of the land.
scape have been removed. On the
bare ground barbed wire entangle-
ments have been erected to a depth
of 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 eX-
| pense of torn clothing and flesh. Then,
| however, there is the open space be-
| fore the frontier to negotiate. This is
! closely guarded by German landsturm
/ troops. but the Belgians often try to
cover it in a desperate dash under the
fire of the sentries. Numbers of them
| succeed, for the Germans take good
care not TO fire in the dire ction of the
| 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 a breach of neu-
| trality.
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
port for shipment across the chan
| mel.
The Dutch troops on other portions
OF the frontier have also to keep a
sharp lookout for smugglers of contra
| band from their own territory into Ger
many. 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.
Gasolene and horses are the most
( profitable to the smugglers. The for
mer brings at least treble its price in
times OF peace.
Sound horses Of any age fetch eX-
traordinary high prices from the Ger
mans, anything up to $500 being paid
for draft horses.
All roads leading to the frontiers
are closed to traffic Directly on the
/ border line at wide intervals stand
| single sentries with their loaded rifles
resting beneath their arms About
/ POO yards further back is a second line
of scntinels and behind these some
! distance in the rear are piCkets of a
dozen men with a on.commissioned
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 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
if the smugglers, as sometimes hap.
pens, make a dash to reach the Ger
man lines. Occasionally the chase is
a lively one and gives rise to a rapid
fusiade, which in many cases proves
fatal to the smugglers.