The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-20

or three months of war and although many of them either manage to get hold of civilian clothes beforehand or secure them on this side of the frontier in which case they usually escape arrest, there are at present between 30 and 4C German deserters actually interned in this country, a number of whom have been in that position for many months
 HAVE FALLEN OFF
 During the great Ypres offensive of the Germans in an early stage of the war, when their losses were so heavy, the number of deserters was reported to be very considerable. Since then such arrivals have been less frequent, but they still continue. The causes that lead to desertion are many and varied. In one case the horror Of the trench war fare and slaughter so grips a man that he takes the desperate step. Perhaps a regiment sent back for rest and recuper- ation after such an experience receives the order to return to the fighting line, and for some of the men suffering from the moral and physical strain the pros pect proves too much; they grasp at an opportunity to escape. In another in- stance the deserter attributes his act to bad treatment on the part of the of- ficers, the sort of thing to which German socialist deputies have recently been QEdNlltS dblGHllOn. rO1G u6S6Fb6f ndS re- lated that he was one of a family of five brothers, of whom all but he had been killed or wounded, and. urged there to by his family, he had taken to flight. One young officer was wounded and in- valided home, and when the order to re- turn reached him it so preyed on his mind and nerves that he deserted. Oc- casionally a French-speaking native of German Alsace-Lorraine makes a dash fnr frnodou1 oY1d q in, r1cfo from here to join the French army.
 DISSIPATION IS DANGEROUS
 Desertion is as dangerous, perhaps, if not more dangerous in most cases, than service in the trenches. Some men have arrived on Dutch soil by swimming across the River Seheldt from the Belgian to the Dutch bank. Not seldom would be deserters have beez caught, and there can be little doubt of their fate for those acquainted with military discipline.
 For sometime the agitation in favor of liberating German deserters actually in- termed at Bergen, in North Holland, had no result. Its promoters enlarged on the mental torture which these men were suffering, with the prospect before them added to the ordinary discomforts of in- ternment Then finally the matter was brought up in the Dutch Parliament. and eicited the declaration from the war minister that those who could show they were really deserters would not be delivered up with the others when peace came.
 Petitions on the subject still continue, however, the latest setting forth that this internment is not in accord with strict neutrality in that every action which is not prescribed by law or treaty and which has the appearance of covert intervention in behalf of a belliger- ent is not neutral, and further because a deserter is only answerable to and ity."
 Such recent petition-which men, toned incidentally that means were promised for eventual emigration to America-was signed by some thousands of Dutch citizens. including 8 number of fairly prominent people but it is still very doubtful whether the war office will change it's mind on the matter once it has been made up.