Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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removed persons could not return for three months. The period of expulsion doubled if
offenders were caught again, and they remained liable for conviction in the civilian courts. 58
By November 1918, the military had banished thousands of suspected and known
smugglers out of the "state of siege".59 But the measure was not always effective. Above
all, it was difficult to police. Although local police, the Koninklijke Marechaussee and
troops monitoring traffic had lists of names, descriptions and sometimes photographs, it
was extremely difficult to check the movement of people. 60 Likewise, while "state of siege"
jurisdiction only applied to particular localities, a smuggler banished from one area, could
continue operating in a neighbouring one. 6l
Child smugglers also raised considerable concern. Often parents used their
children as carriers on the assumption that a child would not be punished as severely as an
adult. Because the state could not legally remove dependents from their parents, children
were exempted from removal out of the "state of siege" until 1917. 62 Instead, the courts
dealt more promptly with juvenile offenders and imposed age-appropriate punishments,
including disciplinary schoo1. 63 In 1917, military authorities took the drastic step of
expelling an entire family when one of their offspring was caught smuggling on two
occasions. Families from North Brabant often ended up in the Belgian refugee camp at
Nunspeet for the expulsion period. 64
58 Minister of War to Commander "Division Group Brabant", 21 September 1915, in ARA, "Archieven van de
Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 174.
59 According to Hasselton the decision to remove individuals from the "state of siege" was rarely used (Hasselton,
"De wisseling van het opperbevel" p. 56). In fact, hundreds, ifnot thousands, of people were removed out of "state of
siege" areas. For lists of people and the reasons they were removed from the "state of siege", see: ARA, "Archieven
van de Gel1el'ale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 174,202; ARA, "Archiefvan het Hoofdkwartier Veldleger"
entry no. 2.13.16, inventory no. 290; ARA, "Archief van de Afdeling Documentatie van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek"
entry no. 2.04.53.14, inventory no. 7, 10; Commander in Zeeland, "Mobilisatieverslag 1917", in ARA, "Archieven
van de Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 696. See also: Moeyes, Buitel7 Schot p. 131.
60 Commander of the Field Army to Commander-in-Chief, 2 October 1914, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale
Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 95.
61 This no longer applied in 1917, when the Commander-in-Chief could impose restrictions on all "state of siege"
areas at once.
62 Smidt, "De bestrijding van de smokkelhandel" p. 62.
63 Minister ofJustice to Commander-in-Chief, 18 September 1915, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Staf' entry
no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 174.
64 Commander Division IV, "Verslag ingevolge art. 6 van de Wet van 23 Mei 1899 (staatsblad No 128 betreffende de
uitoefening van het Militair Gezag in de provincien Noord- Brabant, Limburg en Gelderland bezuiden van den
Boven- Rijn (voor een deel ook wei "Bijlandsche Kanaal" geheeten) en de Waal, buiten het gebied del' Stellingen en
afzonderlijke Forten, alsmede in de Gemeenten Standdaardbuiten en Zevenbergen en in het gedeelte van de
Gemeente Rilland- Bath, gelegen op den Noord- Brabantschen wal van de Ooster- en Wester- Schelde" 5 May 1920,
p. 7, in ARA, "Archieven van de Generale Staf' entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 708 ..