Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-25

and keouiuc omen Communications, This
difficulty was forescen by NJ. Theirs, uene-
rails Changarnior. Billot. and other .opP3e-
nents IT The extension Of the Pans iortinss
cations. when the Military Commission OF
1874 nrono.ed them 10 the Chamber. IN
their anxiety 20 prevent any part OF tho
defences being dominated by ground OUT
side the French engineers havo nor kro W,
how or where 10 stop. one WORK pas net
20 another. Even now hnailty mas nos
beon reached. and nj time when war
may break ont any dav there still re-
main two dangerously large gaps IN the
line Of detached works, tho delay IN 90
Tending which 10 is difficult 90 account ior'
One OF these caps, about eight OF niie
mics vvi,ie. Ice 10 the south of Pans. De
tween Fort Villencuve 50. Georges !an $50
lated fort denominating the Seine Nalley
and Fort Palalseau. which ~ poweisu'
work situated at the east angle ot the ~
trouched camp 81 Versailles. lhe otuet
gnp and a fsr more dangerous one, hAs
been Loft between Fort Stains and fau-
iours in the Omen plan 10 the northeast
Of ~. Denis. through which the Traveller
masses on his way by rail from IA,
lgis 10 Paris. Three main lines 81
railway lead from the eastern frontier OF
France direct 10 the gap. whlch - fuiif
nine miles wide. According 10 tr'b,n
authority Gdeutenaut-Colonoi Hennep'it,
il IS prono4cd o. place q sys'"m OF WORKS ~
! Blonc Nfe,uu. but q long dav, both 10y ran
and on horseback in TINS section oi t"C "
| foucc. has convinced the writer that, ON
! ms, 20 the nature IT tho ground, whlch IN
/ This case - favorable 10 the attack TINS
I corner. even artifclally protccted, must
/ always constitute . weak spot ~ Ia" ldi +,
/ dofonces. The fact of tle existence 81,
! tlis vulnerable point ~. ~ course -
/ known ~ the German stat, and hrs o'rn
/ made the subject Oi opon di'cuSSioh' oo'N
/ in the Frcuch and German press. 49,,
! Such iea brief description OF the iortl
/ cations of Paris. which. incomplete "a they
still are. would even now render a cloHv,
/ investment OF the place. a. II was lnV"st'n
IN 1870 A matter of sheer imporsibilltN.
According % the calculation ct recent
7 German writer. twenty German army corps
/ (,bout 600 COO men) would now bc neceSiL
rr for Au Investment whichWas inaintaineH
throughout the winter ~ lNtr IL ,,nf
force winch never exceeded 23h,WU. n"
notion the German stat would prooauiN
talsto meet tins altered condition 81 NJ
fnlrs ~ l., l,voud the scope ot tins paper g.
discuss. Uofl. renaius .nsay tit' the he
fortifcations az Pans have not been lna''
without much opposition both on nnlilat1
and financial Grounds Wien. however
the last word has been spoken aGalnS'
thom. u Is impossible rot % f"ol TINT ne
,xpc-,arcr of The past Is - lufthcailoo io'
th.r erection. In that terriaie siruEf''
for which thr French are preparing ",''
s,,el admirable fortitude, and which, ns la
a. France B.. concerncd. must be- a strugsl'
for national life or death, the tor'iil
cations round Paris enclosing ~ they dc
three cutreucbed comps, with vast St1ir
of war mr,1rf. viii be- trrmendou'
source Of ln, rh and materin strength
TIN commanders Of the field armies upoI
WHICH after all the fate of tho country WI
depend. cluuo' tul 20 find their hanu
strru.thcurd IDrolcnsivo op"rntlons ue'
th,,. Er... .i..t they leave behind them ~
n.Ar cftaIl l-o.pitol au iup'c- aahic n',,
n1ual STRONGHOLD tor The .airiy ~ "h''I
the. nrrI hate 900 anxiety, wAd". ta"N -
forward o. mc.t their enemies az the iTohl