The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-09
|HERO|C STOR|ESARE
 TOLD OF BELGIANS
 DURING OCCUPATION
How Men Gave Lives to Carry on Work of the Underground" Or
 ganization
By Associated Press.

Brussels, February S.-Stories 0. heroism, patriotism and devotion of Belgians during the German occupa- tion are continually coming to the surface of the miasmal pool of in- trigue, treachery and selfishness which the Germans left behind in Belgium
 How two men gave up their lives and two went to prison for period which would have lasted 20 years had the Ger mans been victorious, that the men .'higher up" might live and continue managing the underground organiza. ton which was sending valuable in. formation out of the occupied country, has now been related to the Asso- ciated Press correspondent by the man whose life was saved by their sacri. flee.
 Adolphe Buyl liberal member of the Belgian Parliament, alderman of the Commune of Ie1les in the city of Brus. sels, is the man for whom two men died and who for four years conduct ed the organization and lived continually in the fear of execution by Germans
 Late in 1914 the Germans had nos organized the Dutch frontier with that murderous efficiency which sent tc their graves many young Belgians at tempting to cross into Holland BuyI had access to the seals of the munich pality and every evening in various out of the way cafes 20, 30, sometimes as many as 50 young men would as- semble, reaching the place singly and by devious ways, The seal of the mr. nj inc different man every night. Passports and Identification blanks were there. and the young men would emerge from the cafes supplied with proper, or rather, improper idcntifcat tiop and make their way into Holland and thence join the Belgian army battling on the Yser. More than 1000 men were sent out between October, 1914, and February, 1915.
 Then the Germans became aware of the leak and the frontier was hermet-. lcally, electrically sealed, and the work became more dangerous and difficult Guides had to be provided-generan smugglers of gasoline and other com- modlties across the Dutch border-w.lu for a consideration averaging 50 francs for each man, would pilot them across the frontier. Rubber gloves and wire cutters were necessary tools Of their trade and many a German sentry was found by his relief with knife deeply sunk in his throat and lying alongside break In the wire fence
 At no time were there less than 100 men engaged in the work. They in- cluded railroad station masters, cross ing tenders, mail carriers, cafe keep CTS and many others in humble walks of life. all volunteers desirous of serving their country even at the ris} of being stood against the wall and shot, and as a matter of fact, many Of them were. But at no time did more than two or three men engaged in the work know that Buyl was the man higher up.' 3 The first member of the organize tfon to be taken by the Germans was Philippe Bauca, whose arrest was sim uitaneous with that of Edith CaveI }the English nurse whose execution by FGermans sent a thrill of horror throughout the world. Baucq was shot on October 12 1915. with the brave English nurse. Miss Cave1l, however. was never charged by the Germans , with espionage. but with aiding Bel gians and others to escape from Bel gium.
 Baucq was succeeded as Buyrs right