South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-22
BY FREDERICK MAXWELL.
Uast Of a series Of srticles)


The work OF getting escaped pris-
7ners through the German lines
VAS not always so difficult as one
might imagine. and not even attend
I'd with such risks as ] have de-
scribed I'm previous articles. In
spite OF the rigours OF the German
occupation movements in Belgium
and France were comparatively easy
because or the wholehearted good
VIII OF the people and their readi-
ness 20 cooperate with fugitives in
evading the Germans.
The real danger lay IN attempt
ing 10 cross the enemy lines at the
points where every foot OF soil was
covered by trenches and manned by
troops keenly alert for the slightest
movement Had IT been necessary
for us 20 get prisoners past these
points 10 could not have been on
anything like the scale on which we
worked successfully. and the loss Of
life would have been much heavier
than IL was Fortunately We were
not obliged 10 take this risk for we
had two subterranean roads by
which we could pass escaped pris-
oners under the German lines. and
even on occasions these were used
for passing spies.
one Of these underground roads
was in the ArgOnne ] knew little
about IT, for 1 never had occasion to
use IT, but I have seen AT Belgian
tfr,l. IN
plan of the passage. and have seen
official testimony 10 its existence and
value
Enter Through Mine Shaft
The secret roadway with which I
was familiar was the one around
Lille. Access to this was gained by
means Of a mine shaft sunk some
eight miles 10 the northwest Of Lille,
and then we passed along coal
workings for about two miles when
we reached other workings. through
which one passed TO a point just
outside Lens. which was near
enough 10 the British lines % make
j., safe 10 use. Later. when the Brit
ish captured his pithead or Stag
heap the exit from the mines was
within the British lines. and our
task became correspondingly easy.
The secret Of this underground
passage was first revealed TO me by
Mr.. Jourdain the Belgian inspector
of mines. He told me that the ex-
iStence Of the connecting gallery
giving access TO the Lens coal fields
was known only TO a very few peo-
Pile and could hardly be known to
the Germans. He produced plans OF
the workings which ne had ex-
plcrcd himself during the period fol-
lowing big colliery disaster there
iu 1911
We made our first descent not by
the main shaft in the Lille region
which was closely guarded by the
Germans. but by an abandoned shaft
Iartly hidden by the Stag and waste
that had been deposited there.
IL Miles Underground.
The total distance travelled under
around by this road was about "a
miles and IL was not very pleas
ant journey. for part OF II had to
be made on hands and knees. There
was also great risk from gas. with
which the Germans Systematically
filled part OF the workings after
their first use OF poison gas in the
Flanders lighting. ] have known
men 20 shrink from making this
journey underground. and declare
that they preferred to take their
chance OF breaking through the Ger
man lines above ground
1 recall one case that OF a Young
officer who had proved himself a
hero in some OF the most terrible
fighting or the war. heroism that
was rewarded by the y. G.. and other
decorations. This officers had been
captured by the enemy in Flanders
in the early part Of 1917. and made
his escape I'm May OF that year. 1
VndertocK 10 see him back to the
British lines. and we started 10 go
through the mine galleries We
had rot gone very far when my
companion protested
Il cannot stand this. ne said
Burr1wing through the earth like
this is not "a mans job. IL is a
worm :. l am going up 20 take my
chance. l would rather break