Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-02
THE COMING EUROPEAN WAR.
France to be Invaded Through Switzer-
land.

From the Nouvells Revue.
France is too well guarded upon her Alpine
frontier to allow the cooperation Of the italian
armies to be Of any real service to the German
empire. But no serious obstruction mp to the
present could hinder the Italians from pene-
trating the territory Of the Swiss confedera-
ton and opening up direct road to the valley
of the Rhone between Lyons and Paris. The
Simplon neck would offer a wide and easy ac-
cess to an invading army. This route between
Domo dOssola and Brieg is an easy one The
declivity is very gradual, and the ground can
be travelled over not only by wagons, but by
the heaviest artillery, without the least diff
Guilty. From Domo dOssola to Brieg the dis
lance can be covered by an ordinary stage
coach in nine hours and a half, and ono can
travel 1t on foot in fourteen or fifteen hours.
In this short lapse of time Italian army
could capture the head of the railroad line and
OF the entire route leading to the French from
tier. The greater portion Of the Simplon, and
particularly the neck, Is situated on Swiss ter
ritory. At this strategic point, the importance
OF which Is manifest the line Of the frontier
runs along at about half the height of the ltal-
Ian side of the Alps.
Switzerland has, therefore. in her hands the
key of a passage that, without natural difficult
ties, would lead an Italian army INTO the valley
Of the Saone. Only three old forts are In ex-
istence to bar a route so important-the forts
of Saint Maurice, a little town of $4,000 inhab-
itants, situated at the entrance of the first de-
hle which is encountered in going up the Rhone
from its source in Lake Geneva. At this
point the two routes and the two lines of rail-
road coming from the lake unite. The enor-
nous rocks of the Dent de Morcle on the
north and of the Dent du Midi on the south
come so close to each other that the Rhone at
that spot passes through a narrow gorge. The
Romans knew the Importance of this post,
which they named Agaunum- Three forts
stand there to defend this pass, but they are
far from being formidable, and probably would
not hold out long against modern artillery.
They constitute the only defences of the entire
valley. There are no other redoubts, not even
at the Simplon neck.
Will the federal government hesitate about
closing this dangerous opening which might
bring into Swiss territory the forces directed
against France? The best military writer's of
Switzerland believe that it is necessary to make
haste in closing this passage while there is yet
time; and the Swiss colonies, Segfried and
can be turned. The federal government has
fortified Saint Gothard, but it has done nothing
with the Simplon; and this is the neck that
leads straight to Lyons by passing through
Geneva, Lausanne and Berne. King Humbert
does not dream of attacking the Gothard he
would prefer to turn it. and establish solidly a
line of operations of which the Simplon would
form the base. There the Italian army would
find an open door for its cooperation with a
German army coming from Baden and Wur-
temberg, it would avail itself of it rather
than break itself to pieces against the Alps.