Gilpin observer., 1916-05-18

there poured across the border q
swarm of refugees of a different sort,
the precursors of many others in the
day that followed-what was left Of
women and children of Wise, who had
seen 200 Of their men shot down in
the streets, and scores of others made
prisoner and started on their way to
Germany.
Maastricht heard the roar of the
battle at Liege. when the Germans.
trying to rush the hills without ade-
quate artillery support, were driven
back with the loss of 10000 or 10000
men, according to local estimates, and
when for two or three days an excited
world thought that the terrible Ger
man army had been stopped Just over
the threshold. And then one morn
ing every window in the Dutch border
city ratified with the deep roar OF q
new kind of gun. firing at Liege from
just south of the frontier line. The
new howitzers had arrived, and the
Liege forts were blown to pieces one
by one.
10000 Refugees In City.
Ten thousand refugees were In
Maastricht before Liege fell-1O, 900
strangers in town of less than 4O,-
900. Most Of them had money, and,
as hotels and pensions were over
flowed, the natives drove thriving
business for while taking in board
ers. But eventually most of the Bel
gians moved on to Rotterdam. or Am.
sterdam, or The Hague. or England,
and those few who remained, running
out of money, went to work in the fac
tories that were just coming back to
life and were absorbed in the routine
Of the town. They left behind them
stories of German atrocities that have
affected sentiment in Maastricht to q
degree that may be indicated by the
experience of casual American Wis
itor who, in all innocence, asked for
German fried potatoes, and very near
ly had to defend himself from person.
al violence at the hands of squad
of infuriated walters. who insisted that
Holland potatoes were the only kind
that could, would. or should be eaten.
and that there was something damn
ing about the desire to have anything
German.
For months after the capture Of
Liege passage across the frontier was
fairly easy matter. Then the Dutch
Government, which has prohibited the
export of many articles and is much
exercised to prevent smuggling. began
to tighten its frontier guard, and the
Germans began series Of measures
designed to keep the Belgians in Bel
gium. and everybody else out. Today
farmers and tradesmen living near the
frontier can get passes across 1t. II
favorably known to the authorities.
But without definite and approved busi-
ness no man, no matter who he may
be. is allowed to pass the barriers.
Take taxicab with a trilingual
driver armed with pass permitting
you to approach the frontier and drive
out along the road northwest Of
Maastricht. Through the mists of the
wet. gray afternoon you can see cff
to the left the hills along the Meuse.
and presently, little more than a mile
out Of the city, you come to a long,
straight stretch of road bordered by
tall trees which ia blocked in the dis
tance by bank of earth straight
across the thoroughfare. Your cab
halts at the barrier. and from a shabby
brick house at cne side of the road
emerge customs inspector In muddy
tweeds and half a dozen blue-clad SOL
diers. Another soldier in an i'm
provised sentry box Of straw thatch
on a frame of saplings. is on guard
across the road, and before you are
two embankments, one starting at
either side Of the roadway and both
stretching more than half way across.
with only room for a single vehicle to
pass between them.
Must Go No Farther.
Here you must halt; unless you are
peasant with q basket of eggs or
a.. official Of the Belgian relief com.
mission you can go no farther. Fifty
yards down the road is another double
embankment, and beyond that a
wooden sentry box painted black.
white. and red.
Here is the German empire. or. rath.