Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 211, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1918 — FEED FOE BY TUNNEL [ARTICLE]

FEED FOE BY TUNNEL

Basle. —Hunger is the mother of inventions. German hunger invented a great smuggling device which did a booming business until discovered by customs officers. Some Germans, living in Baden, near the Swiss frontier, built a pipe line across the frontier. It ended in a house rented to a German family. What this family consumed in the line of food, clothing, shoes, soap and other necessaries was really astounding. However, these people bought things in the open market, which is still possible in Switzerland, paid cash, never grumbled, no matter how high the price and no questions were asked. One day recently two men were seen digging in the ground near the frontier. Customs officials became suspicious, and nosing around soon made a valuable discovery. The two men were engaged in repairing the pipe line, which had been used for smuggling. The machinery had become

clogged and an opening had to be made to get at the seat of the trouble. The officials saw' an opening, had been "made into a spacious tunnel built of concrete. Inside the pipe were long wires. These wires were wound round spools at the end stations and could be pulled either way. Goods, such as meat, cheese, hams, shoes, clothing, etc., were tied to the wire and pulled across the border through the subterranean channel. The Swiss government is now after the smugglers. The flourishing “business” is killed. C '