The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14

great talk, but no deep sensation, and with tho
nomination Of Gen. Grant, the great National
Conservative Soldiers party, born at Raleigh,
was thrust into It's grave. II. V.
ON THE FRANCo-ITALIAN FRONTIER.
Frances Defensive atrenath-Her Garrfsons to
Ne strengthened.
The question Of the defence Of the French From
tier towards Italy has been receiving o good deal
OF attention from the French Wal Office during
the present autumn. There has been some
doubt as TO whether the forces hitherto main.
tanned among the Alps. especially In Savoy,
were sufficient to Withstand q sudden rush Of
the italian troops in the event OF an unexpected
outbreak Of war. comprising as they would the
Piedmontese Bcrsaglieri, certainly the best
corps in the army of Italy. The questions sub
mitted to the Higher Council Of War were:
First-Is the force maintained in Savoy sufl-
GENTLY strongi Second-Are the defensive
works on the frontier sufficient to stop the
italian troops crossing tho %frontierl Third
Are the clauses of the treaties of 1918 and 1860,
assigning to Switzerland the duty Of occupy
Ing Chablais and Faucigny. still in force, and,
II 30, ID 1t wise to rely on the Swiss to defend
these points in French territory against the
ltalians7 For the better solution OF these qucs-
tons a mi Composed Of q number of
superior officers. accompanied by President
Iaure, the Minister OF War and sthe Chief of
the General STAFF, made an inspection of the de-
fensive positions on the frontier Of Savoy dur.
ing the autumn, and the result Is awaited with
much interest.
Until now the defence of upper Savoy has been
confded to q group OF posts garrisoned by only
one battalion, the Eleventh Battalion OF Al.
pine Riflemen. The territory under their guard
comprises the Valley of tho Doron do Beaufort,
OF the Arly, of the Arve about Beaufort, Sal
lannhes and Chamonix. On the Italian side of
the frontier tho points threatening the above
described district are garrisoned by Italian
troops, ha wing their base at Aosta. at the ter
minus Of the railway to that place from Turin,
looking directly into the angle running into
Little st. Bernard.
The second group is EaTsisoned BY the Twen-
vile, and guards the valley Of Tarentsise,
nard,, and the Col d'Ysoran. southern savoy
Thirteenth rte" Bat Battalion lie 81 Rfihemen from Ghha lnc
berry, guarding the valley of the Mauripnne, the
G GeaHis's and ID F f iS%snGS, ssxe sna a and G 1nae Of w aGas
passes the railway tunnel between .Modane In
Cents the Italians have accumulated great
quantities Of stores and war materials, brought
up BY road from suss ON the railway between
third group, held by a battalion of the Ninety
between Lanslebourg and Modanu, whore the
mouth Of the tunnel Is protected by Fort Sap
peY and its outlying batteries. ~. -
Twelfth Battalion Of ,Rihemen from qrenoblo,
holds the northern BrianGon district. in the de-
isgs ~ The O. C SnS SpS And 1 tie CUISINE saG suaf0 TS hse 1 tai.
Ian base on their. aide, is Pinerolo, connected
S Saer a Moas q Sea assli s's ae S9ssasi' ~ RSf' S tsi Pa es
the railway between Bardonneche and Turin
s Il EN- n Ihs nl5sh sf0f Rld !: hs'a X lrs sas d Tws e
The BIianSsa district and the valley Of the Ger.
lusso, connected BY rail with Turin on the north
and Alessandria on the east, with roads up the
M Sn,ISy Hiso. o 70 the the Fence sGspsS' sido the she pe si. e
group, garrisoned by the Fourteenth Battalion
o. Ridemen from Grenoble. guards the southern
Queyras, and the heights Of the Waldensian
In the northern part of the Department of
held held i BY the II Fhir L Baitaiiosn rU OF R RI hP1sss;
fRa I" d Rsas . guard Sl tne Ba a4esR aane H ssa tRe
valleys Of the Ubaye and the lafayette, The
above eight groups belong to the Fourteenth
Battalion o., Rihdemeen, from 'Grasse, guards tho
group. held BY tho seventh Battalion Of lille.
men. from Nice, guards the lower course Of
tS1t 5IySr' Battalion TRs tenth 81 FF9RgiRaS o asia By fEre shs T VIE:
franche, or Villa Franco, guards the impor-
tant positions Of Anthion; and the eleventh
men, and a battalion of the l41st Line
Regiment, guards the upper valley of the
to to0y i from T the Col d F fsnd '0 on lie a ftsi,
ian side, by which an advance into French
s snd + ia.t Rro sSm q pssts' Eoi sdf'SS :; t The T tw :
seventh Battalion Of Rifemen, from Mention,
guards the line from the Bsnera TO the sea.
SWISS frontier to tks Mediterranean can is 'i diTidod
and de%tachments Of engineers and the military
train. Owing to the mionotony OF tho service
se sRRe 81 Sf The ths g eiIanst Isolated 1t d%ssf Ssti; snd the Is
charge are frequently changed, but the same
corps are kept in the same districts In order
Of men thoroughly Intimate with the topog:
raphy Of their zone. Besides the bsttalions Of
ali over the mountains and In the valleys.
there are the permanent garrisons throughout
TIE he two regions, ready to rein orcs or support
On the italian side the preparations for do
r plets' Of Tb sEsr rer,nane ato ,s sSid to sod very g Com, CON,
are armed with long-range guns, and some
OF, the rcdoubts, are not moro than four
s aide. From From c t'm,,aF q %qfA' Of on the rso c cGHnG ii
p nsrsII., 70 "a A9 3Ss s = eOnliF iroNt,1 line eft; 81 rail ran runs N
toward II at several points, in addition TO the
French line through he Mont Cents tunnel. TO
work OF railways, bringing the frontier line into
direct eommuhicatlon with all the principal
coast at Savona and Genoa. As a result OF the
recent inspection 1t ID expected that the frontier
Of defence and a considerable increase be
made In the number Of Alpine troops allotted
France from the humiliation Of having to dc.
pend on switzerland for the safety of that part
pr is territory. In view Of the disposition that
relations with England, whose policy In, north
Africa 10 to back up Italy as n rival to France,
the desire of the French Government TO place
It's italian frontier in u condition to guard
against q surprise appears only natural.
THE ElorERN