Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
100 much on those celebrated frontier
,orresses," said the officer cynically.

too much those celebrated frontier
fortresses." said the officer cynically.
To Blow Up Fortress.
II can tell you personally. In confidence,
that the first maneuver would be to blow
many of them upon news of a German ap-
proach,' replied the functionary. laughing.
ut would be unwise to permit their easy
capture to furnish prestige to the Germans
at the beginning of a war"
Such frankness astonished us. The
French have spent untold millions in con-
structing q veritable Chinese wall across
the whole length of their German frontier.
The plan, begun immediately after the war
of 1901, began with whole system of
fortified camps" like those of Belfort.
Epinal, Toul and Verdun, barring the prin-
cipal routes of invasion and forming be-
tween them number of open passages
which French troops could easily defend.
But what is the use OF 4 system If 1t IS
not complete? they thought. a lot of
secondary routes, more or less practicable
to an invading German army, remained
These they tried to cork up by forts
darret'-little isolated forts. extremely
strong in 1915. but containing only TWO or
three companies Of infantry and few
cannon.
ITO bring them up to date millions would
be required" said the officer.
1T will not be DONE" said the functionary.
I'VE know how German attack even on
the most modern of them would end-even
when all the artillery IS hidden in armored
'turtle-backs,' set in very solid cement,
when the barracks are built under heavy
thicknesses of cement, when everything is
under ground except the 'turtle-backs,
which are so low that the artillerymen in
them see nothing. the pointing of their
pieces being indicated to them by teIe-
phone. They are surrounded by foSSeS,
protected by more casemated artillery.
Well, one German railway train could carry
enough explosives to hurl 30 tons of burst
ing, smashing metal on such a fort in an
n half infantry briEad with
three field batteries and twelve pieces of
"obusiers'' of 150-155 millimetres caliber
throwing at great angles a ninety-pound
explosive projectile would do the job. The
devilish hail of metal would completely par
alyze the inmates of the fort until the Ger
man infantry could come up and pick them
off one by they emerged from the
ruins. We know all that"
Fertilization is beaten by artillery"
sighed the French officer. and our millions
have been spent in VAIN
Twelve Days to Mobilize.
Forts have become very vulnerable"
said the functionary, but light fortfica-
tons of mixed infantry and artillery have
become strong. We can still keep back the
Germans, and more easily than before.
Great strong places-and very strong-can
be rapidly established without casemating
and cement: "a because the perfecting of
the rifle, CD because such light works es-
cape aTtlllerS attack IN great part. Let the
Germans come rushing. ="
1T will be a rush." claimed the officer.
"Our complete mobilization will require
twelve days, and from what l can learn
the Germans count two days for the !ncor-
poration of their reserves and five days
more for the assembling of their armies
which gives them five days advance on us"
ITO what must that be due?"
ITO their monarchical government, which
permits them to do things quickly and
quietly. W
do you imagine they can convoke their
reservists and requisition their horses with
out its becoming known? Or that our par
Lament will hesitate a minute TO order in
stantly the same measures"
and the German railways are capable of
directing on our frontier 500 military trains
per day, whereas our lack of railways
notably of a direct line between Bourges
and Nancy-will oblge all our troops from
the north and southwest to pass by way of
Pars!'
Here they lost themselves in a COMPARE
son of railway maps, but on this point the
officer seemed to hold his own, while the