SMUGGLING UNLIMITED

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 49, 26 February 1921, Page 12

SMUGGLING UNLIMITED

VAST ARMIES BUSY IN GERMANY

AMAZING SCENES ON FRONTIER.

Smuggling^,in Germany has developed from an art into an industry,. from the skilled trickery of an adept tew into the mechanical toil of a laborious many. Competent observers have calculated that on one section alone of tho German-Dutch frontier there are at least 10,000 professional smugglers; that is to say, people whose Bole occupation is transporting goods which have evaded Customs duty. One eye-witness thus describes the amazing scene near Ka-ldenkirchen, the last Gorman railway station facing Venlo on tho Dutch side.

"When a train arrives at this, formerly littlo frequented, 'station., largo numbers of men, women, and children storm through tho exits and stream away toi wards the frontier, me.oting, en route, equal masses returning. with smuggled goods. . : „ "This goes on as well, by night as by day, and, it is almost as if tho railway traffic is organised in the interests of tho ■smugglers. • "On the Dutch side of the frontier sit the sellers in long rows, many of them in booths which they have put up to protect them from the weather. At evening the whole horizon is red with camp fires. MOUNDS' OF MARKS. "In the uncertain light ono gets glimpses on the other sido-oi. the close ranks of German buyers. The Dutchmen evidently have no fear of State bankruptcy in Germany, because in, exchange for their wares they take the German marks in unlimited .quantities<-so-great that, after the transactions are completed, they often have to stamp down with their feet, into the baskets brought for the purpose, the masses of pager money.". At frontioi: places not seryed- by the railways tho smugglers form themselves into bands for mutual evasion and protection. Several" of these groups constitute regular military formations, with scouts ahead, 'infantry" carrying the smuggled wares, rearguards, bicycle patrols, and even, in some cases, well-organised signalling and information corps. A sort of irregular warfare is always, in progress between the Customs officials and tho enterprising "traders." So excellent, however, is the latter's organisation, and so comparatively fow the num^ bers of their opponents, that the authorities seldom get, and can never keep for any time, the upper hand. The/smugglers have their spies in the enomy's camp, and generally seem to know ahead of,an intended coup, so that a t "round-up" at one point generally means that the smugglers have conoen trated on that part of the "front" from whiph the enemy has had to draw -the necessary reinforcements for his "offensive."' ; ■ They were, however, oaught napping a httlo while ago, when a train just about to leave one frontier station was surrounded. ' All the passengers were turned out, assembled, and those wh(? had illicit goods told to go into an indicated smaller room (says Leonard Spray, in the Daily Chronicle). Though not a single person obeyed the instruction, it was evident that the whole thousand people had smuggled wares in their possession. Of these they tried to get rid on the spot. Pockets were opened and clothes un. buttoned. Coffee beans rattled down in thousands, and hundreds of packets of tobacco and cigarettes were flung aside. Gradually mountains of smuggled goods evolvijd, as it were, from nowhere. The floor was covered a foot deep with ooffeo and cigarettes. ° Enormous quantities were destroyed, the disappointed purposely trampling them under foot in their rage. The "business men" returned to their avocation next day. At one point on the Westphalian fron. tier, where a regular market had been established, it ■ required four months' operations, and the assistance of 600 military police, before the Customs officials' had stamped out what had become the most important local industry—smuggling 1 - By water, as .well a3 by land, is th» "business" flourishing. 'As in our own "good old times," kegs of brandy are transferred at dead of night on the .high seas and landed af the mouth of the Ems or on tho coasts of Schleswig-Hol" stein,- hidden under the nets or lowered sails of innocent-looking fishing boats.

The other day a system of sound, signalling by Steamers' syrens Was do. tooted, and it is even allegecl that a lighthouse was discovered blinking a warning!. Ail tliis is quite apnrt from tho enor. mous amount of illicit trading going on inside Germany. ■ - .Every ounce of tobacco and ever? packet of cigarettes Sold iri Germany ii supposed to pay a special domestic tax, and to boar a Government wrapper.

■ Quite recently it was found that ons firm alone had evaded 'this-tax to tho. extent nominally of £200.000.

In October tho authorities in one district alone of Saxony laid hands upon goods to tho value' of £500,000, which had besn bought and. sold outside tha Government regulations. This process is known in Germany as "Schiobing." The derisive epithet now in favdurits «se on tho platform, liritt in the pragj, ef the ortHes of ths ssistinjj regime it "Tha Sohieber Republic 1"