OVER THE FENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 233, 11 March 1915, Page 2

OVER THE FENCE.

SCENES AT A DUTCH FRONTIER BARRICADE. (liy James Dunn, in the Drl I .' Mail)>. Rotterdam'. Ho had a red beard and a squint in the right eye. In peace time he kept a third-rate cafe in Ludwigshafen; now ]»! is a private in the Landsturm, and' liia lighting weight is about 16: stone-,. Biting at the stump of a Dutch cigar, ho frowned upon a Belgian boy, who, fascinated by the squint, was dropping loaves of white bread on the- greasy cobblestones of the Germanised village of Esschen. "White bread is precious, my son," he remarked darkly, "and if the corrii mandant should see you it will; mean a whipping." | In his fright the boy dropped another j loaf, and. with a reproachful shake of the head Redbeard, looking' equally at me and a Dutch corporal standing a few yards away, commented on the carelessness of small boys, the scarcity of white bread, and the * fine quality of Dutch cigars. Taking the hint, the Dutch corporal passed a cigar over the rough ba;; rier, and the two soldiers, chatting an] smoking idly, watched the efforts of Belgians seeking to enter Holland ajid Dutchmen trying to enter Belgium. A broken-nosed Prussian, with uncompromising partiality, kept the representatives of both countries within their own boundaries. This barrier of wofod and barbed wire thrown across th 6 country road between two villages was the dividing line of peace and war. Leaning against a German sentry box I had the thrilling reflection that to advance one yard would be the first step of a sure journev to a German gaol. As it was I could ! smile in security at the grotesque appearance of tlie L&ndsturm men and the swaggering conceit of the Prussian of- ] fleers. Never have I seen anything less warlike than" these fat, comfortable, elderly soldiers of Germany's third line |of offence and defence. Th theiv iltI fitting uniforms and their heavy beards I they looked like superannuated members of a" comic opera chorus. Mentally I compared them with the youthful vigor and)phvsical fitness of our own Tommic<s. and I realised that not by "mere numbers arc victories gained. There was not a man under forty, and sever;)! would never see fifty again. The young Dutch guard on the other side of the barrier treated them with the deference due to age and listened respectfully to their critical comparisons of Pilscntr (light) and "dunkel" (dark) beer. A COUNTRY IN CHAINS. So much was ( comedy; the rest was pathos and tragedy—the pathos of a people shrinking under a tyrant hand, and the tragedy of a country in chains. A few months ago the people of Esschen went about their business freely, the men working in the fields or at the counter, the women chatting at th; doorsteps after the day's work, the children playing in the narrow street. Now men are at the mercy of a signature on a scrap of paper; they must do as they are told, go where they are ordered. Woinrn ehat but rarely, for the German soldiers have long ears, and an impulsive word may mean a heavy fine, and th? ' fears of the parents "are seen in the faces of the children. The Belcians are not allowed to worship their Maker except at the whim of their German masters. The bells of the little church within easy stone's throw of the frontier 1 were calling the faithful to Benediction » and with their books .and beads the ! I faithful carried the pass of the German commandant; while the cure walked ' with bent head and heavy steps into the church that was once his own. Freedom went from Esschcn when the Germans came from Antwerp. The old Landsturm men look harmless enough, but none the less thev are part of the Prussian machine which is grinding Belgium from the frontier to the sea. Even as I stood at the barrier the German headquarters staff from Antwero drove into the village on a tour of inspection. Witli the first appearance of the, long grey coats and at the first sound of the deep, harsh voices the comedy of the Landsturm as a stage play disappears. Here was Prussia arrogant, overbearing, vindictive. Scowling _at the silent crowd, the highlyplaced officers received the reports of the local and after emphasising the importance of a close Watch on the frontier ordered the guards to be doubled and the issue of passes to be restricted. the Landsturm men looked relieved when the last Prussian motor-car turned the corner of the street. Cigars wore re-liglited, the old men relaxed their muscles, stiffened by long standing at attention, and the Dutch sentries smiled cynically at the doubled guard. THE BORN BULLY. But now he of the broken nose w r as in his element. Obviously |a born bul'.v, he seemed to take a malicious delight in carrying out his orders for closer restriction. A patient little woman, wearing a native head-dress, wished to pass the barrier, and humbly presented her pass. Here was the bully's opportunity. The pass was in perfect order, but he treated the woman as a gaoler treats a rebellious prisoner. He cross-examin-I ed her, shouted at her, threatened he until she shrank away in fear, and finally, when she was allowed to pass, she hesitated before leaving the safety of. Holland's soil and the friendly sympathy of the Dutch soldiers. Such is the German way in Belgium. I would have given much to have had that broken-nosed bully on our side of the fence. In addition to the 150 Landsturm and Landwehr at Esschen were 6ft Uhlans, who were resting themselves and their horses after strenuous work in Flanders. Not so communicative as tin bearded veterans of the Landsturm. these men knew more of the trials and terrors of war. Thev were the only people in Esschen who knew of the realities of war; to the rest it was merely a matter of stories told and orders obeyed. While the Landsturm guard smoked cigars, drunk beer and delighted as children delight in tiie sparkling'gaiety of the big Christmas tree, the Uhlans took little part in tlw seasonable eliatter; thev were thinking of comrades left behind in the ditch.*"* and marshes in the land of the nevor silent guns. THOUGHTS OF HOME. While the broken-nosed Prussian bullied and the Bavarian Landsturn marched ponderously behind the barrier, there came through the open door of the parish church voices' of the faithful singing "0 Salutaris Hostia!" The Bavarian soldiers, who are. of th" ancient faith, listened wistfully to the familiar tune. The night before thev had been singing "0 Tannenhaum" ; .n honor of the Christmas tree, and their thoughts were of home and children. A : little Belgian girl ran up to the barrier ' and peeped at the Dutch bread van. < The squint-eyed soldier from Ludwigshafen smiled and made as if to put her head, but a stern glance from the broken-nosed Prussian stayed his hand, and with a self-conscious cough the ex-:-afe keeper continued his ' awkward 1 trump. f Several hours I stood at the right ' side of the fence watching German 5 ■nethods, and German discipline. .lust 1 i. clumsy barrier of wood anil wire sept irated per.ee from war. On one side ; Prussian arrogance; on the other Dutch JidifTeroncc, but the indifference was 1

I backed up with loaded rifles and long, i wicked-looking, double-edged bayonets. [Apparently believing me to be- an | American tourist, the sqiiijit-eyed Land!sturm private invited me to inspect the [wonders of the Christmas trees. But : I looked at the broken-nosed Prussian ;tt'id to remain on the right side' of the fence.,