Wolf, Susanne - The First Few Weeks: Applying the Rules in Practice Keywords: Belgian Information Office | Dutch | First World War | foreign soldiers | internees | prisoners of war (POWs) | Staatscourant | The Hague Abstract: The Dutch had very little time to ponder the niceties of their neutral status and its inherent responsibilities as the first candidates for internment crossed the Dutch border within days of the outbreak of the war. The initial response of the Dutch border guards was mixed: this was a new s…