The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-01-05
M oeNsaiiIAIN 4 Amy.


~ Uooo1pllae - - 1feat1ess
Asts y one of the most strongly for.
tiAsd citlss In Europe. Il d imprsg-
nable t6~dAy against any army that
France could bring sgainst It I hsvs
been III around this city. and have
besn a1ae 10 pass along under the
loftinoo1ions, and 70 nots their multi.
pliSlty md stssneth No civilian has
the right 10 ascend sven one Of the
lowest battlsments Only the most
trusted Of the German superior ofa-
Gers have the privilege Of moving
around freely through these breast-
worlcA There are but few, even among
the German oficers ct Nets. who know
the exact character and extent Of these
dsfsnses. Metz 10 entirely surrounded
By tremendous walls Of earth and ma-
senry, varying in thickness from thir.
y 70 sixty feet The principal wall
PAGES entirely around the town In au
nnbfsksn line being pierced only By
5paBssgse which oan b closed oom-
fYaptsly ~ AAssivs steel eatsa These
walls ere strengthened By deep
noata There are three moats passing
entirely around the city. These are
from twenty 10 thirty feet wide,
and ere filled with water. In the
front of each moat 10 . friese Of
jagged wood. and . hedgsrow Of such
strength - TO make an impassable
barrier. without cutting. The captur.
Ing Of one line Of forti6cations could
only be done under the concentrated
IRE Of the forts In the neighborhood
and the further in.lying defensea The
passing Of one barrier would be mere
y beginning.
The great heights around Nets are
covered with forts. There are nine in
the Immediate neighborhood. The
greatest height il occupied by Fort
B. Quentin. This is absolutely a.
imprsgnabls a. the heights At Ehren-
breitstein. ON the Rhine. This fort
stands upon high peak, which rises
alone from wide stretched
plain. The plain 10 undulating
and luxuriant in color. The
height rises abruptly from this, .
rocky masA - II It were specially
prepared by the hand Of nature for .
fortress to command the plain With
the tremendous armament attached to
this fort no army could approach
Nets from France without being ut
terly destroyed. unless St. Quentin
could be first silenced OF cap
tured. II commands the country to
the River Moselle Upon its right be-
tween It and Metz is the tremendous
fort Of Friedrich Karl. and upon It'd
north 10 Fort Plappeville. In addition
to these forts. which absolutely bar
the road leading to Germany, there ID
l'no elevation near the city which is not
occupied BY strong modern military
defensea
Once inside the city You find dis
cipline, hard work. and tho results Of
. perfect military system. Fully hall
I the people you see on the streets are
soldiers. In the city Of Nets to-day
there are twenty-six thousand men.
Along the frontier. in positions where
they can be concentrated upon the
border within twenty.four hours, there
are two hundred thousand men. In
Nets private soldiers are turned out
at four o'clock In the morning. Il ID
drill. drill, from morning till night
They are exercised in every form Of
evolution which could be employed in
actual war. The officers wear their
uniforms constantly. It 10 . breach Of
discipline, and Of the most serious char
soter. for them to appear in public
in civilian dress These officers have
NO time for social hospitalities. They
are too occupied with their military
duties, in the perfecting Of this tire.
mendous military machine which each
day grows more and more formidable.
The perfection Of the discipline Of
the German army can only be under.
stood BY witnessing its actual opera
tion. To begin with, the private
soldiers are thoroughly trained physic-
ally. - we'll - in the mental details
Of the military profession. They are
Ill accomplished gymnasta The Ger.
man army is perfectly democratic In
the placing Of it, men. The sons Of
The best families. who wish merely to
serve their three years. term. have "a
begin in the ranks ~ common soldierA
! heard. whom I was in Mstz. Of q
young nobleman who was placed in
the ranks - . private and under the
command Of his servant, gardener.
The respect which . subordinate
must pay to his superior extends
throughout every hour and minute Of
the day. The first night of my arrival
in Nets I was dining at the table
d'hota whom . heavy. thick-set German
oAaosr entsrsd the room. A slight
axistoerstic ic-looking German officer.
also in uniform. was leisurely eating
his dinner and talking to . friend
whom the ofacer entered the room.
The moment the latter entered the
,yopng cNlcer stood up from the table
and salutsd II. stood with his hand
at the side Of his head. In the attitude
of salute. nntll the advancing officer
returned tho salute and told him po-
litsly 70 sit down. In this particular
case I aftsrward learned that the ofioer
superior in rank was q former trades.
man In the town where the younger
oNReer. The only son Of noble family.
was one Of IT. social leaderA The
two msn In social life would not know
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