Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-05-06
! EuRoPE's NEXT WAR.
70 DC the Battle-Ground Of osr-
many and Franco

sum TO BE the Battle-Ground Of C.-.
many and France.
me Brussels correspondent Of thu
ar'S matn has just had an interesting
interview with Major II. Girard the az
a aoor Oh the engineer corps in the Bel.
gan army who recently resigned his
commission In order to be free to write
n u,S somewhat startling pamphlet, La
neiglque ct la Guerre Prochaine.
Inc collision between France and
germany" said he, ''may be retarded
out 1t Is none the less inevitable Tbe
possibility Of peaceful retrocession Of
AlSace- Lorraine by Germany is too alb.
surd for discussion.
After stating that the interest of Rel.
gum In the present situation was to he.
come the ally of whichever one of the
oeillgerents would offer the best terms
ne declared that the Belgian fortresses
were worthless, and that the intrenched
.anip al Antwerp could not hold out
for torty-eight hours. "The first cannon
shot would be sufficient to dispel all the
Illusions OF the Belgian people. It il
wen known that our army, deprived as
IL Is OF the Indispensable elements for
RAPID mobilization, could not be ready
10 nght until long after the country
could be invaded, occupied and traversed
our resisting force, consists, at the
maximum, of 1905 men, including
militia. To hold Antwerp with the de,
Yeiopment given to the Notifications of
mat place, we will need at least so. 600
men, without counting the garrisons
necessary at Liege, Nemur and other
places. What then, would remain for
US to offer battle with at any given
point? And will we even be able to dis.
pose OF that 10000 men? That is very
doubtful; for at the moment of the dec
laration of war, which will be sprung
upon us in short order, how will our
mllitiamen have time or possibility to
reJoin their corps before being captured
by the invaders?"
But remarked the correspondent,
could not France and Germany come
to blows without the necessity of fixing
on Belgium for their battle ground?"
1T is impossible, replied Major Cir
ard, that the military chiefs of both
countries have not fully studied that
matter; and, from a strategic point OF
view. either of the belligerents that
should neglect to take possession of the
whole or part of Belgian territory
must compromise by that omission the
result OF Interior operations. My pro.
found conviction is that the concentra.
ten of the French and German armies
will be effected on Belgian territory.
For that concentration the Germans
have five lines of railway, capable OF
throwing in five days 100000 men be.
tween Aerschot and Huy, at the rate OF
10000 day for each line. Twenty-fouI
hours after the declaration of war
which will probably be in the evening,
the German cavalry will be able to oc.
cupy Hassell, Saint Troud, Tirlemont
Maestrecht, etc. The French concen.
tration can be effected in the same lapse
of time on the line between Alost aud
Maubeuge, and also twenty-four hours
after the declaration of war the French
cavalry can occupy Alost, Termonde
Ath, etc. You see, then, that except
the militia of Malines and Brussels all
the rest in the whole region between
the Meuse and the Escant will be unable
to move. In word, after careful
study | have become convinced that
Belgium is completely at the mercy OF
coming events"