The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-14
ALLIANCE Of SPAIN
AND FRANCE LIKELY
Contemplated Move Expected
to Be Made to Meet Ger
man Menace.
FRENCH ARE ALARMED
Much of Northeastern From
tier Now Held to Be Vir-
tually Defenseless.
FRENCH ARE ALARMED
By GEORGE DUFREsNE.

By GEORGE DUFREsNE.
Special Cable to The Tribune.
PARIS, Sept. l3.-The first move on
the European chessboard Of politics now
that tho Balkan war Is over, is one
which will strengthen the hama Of
France, and together with the three
years military service will tend to Off
set the German army increase. What
I am limiting at is the alliance with
Spain which everybody here Is expect
ing TO be announced this fall.
Relations between the people OF
France and Spain have never been moro
cordial, and the alliance will be popular
in both countries as an added guarantee
of European peace. 1t is said that it
was originally planned by the late King
Edward VII, who discussed 1t in detail
with the young Spanish king, but
whether this be SO OF not 1t is certain
that the proposed alliance has no more
ardent champion than King Alfonso.
Spain Has Fair Army.
Americans who remember the war
over Cuba may not think very highly
Of the fighting value Of the Spanish
army, but, though this does not begin
to compare with either the French or
German army in efficiency, it must not
be forgotten that it has been greatly
improved during the last five years,
principally because Of Alfonso's great
personal interest in It.. The soldiers
excellent. and the shortcomings are
merely lack Of modern artillery, which
Spain lacks ready cash to buy. But
France is more than willing to extend
financial assistance to an ally who in
case of war with Germany is able to
come to her assistance with more than
100000 troops,
Senator Berenger, who, If perhaps
a little of an alarmist, Is undoubtedly
true French patriot, has on our eastern
frontiers discovered new German dan
ger which threatens France, and as
relation of this discovery has created
an extraordinary excitement in German
military circles, followed by n number
of attempts to ridicule 1t In German
militaristic papers, there seems to he
good deal moro to the affair than one
was at first inclined to believe.
Points Out Weakness.
Senator Berenger points out the many
facts which tend to prove that Germany
in case OF war has given up the hazard
mountains, and is now concentrating
her forces on the frontier Of Luxem-
bourg, which little princlpality only
needs to be crossed, matter OF few
hours, to find q stretch on the French
northeastern frontier which is practi-
cally defenselesa
Henri Berenger has, incognito, trav-
eled along the frontier and the ad-
joining German districts and has found
1ok IL
entrenched In fortified camp at
Trier.
What Is more alarming, however, is
the fact that he has found that q rail
road not shown on even the latest
maps and serving no apparent COM
mercial purpose, has been secretly
built. This railroad, he declares, would
enable a German army to penetrate
luxembourg and attack a! the defsnselsss saSsss
Berenger has conclusively proved that
Germany, within twenty-four hours
from a declaration Of war. would be
able to occupy the line from Longwy
TO Dun-sur- Meuse with 100000 troops,
and he demands that the French gen.
eral staff must Immediately prepare to
meet a sudden attack.
Town Officials Strike.
The little commune of Marcellaz-en.
Faucigny, in the Haute Ssvoie, is
on strike. There Is neither
mayor nor councillors. The councillors
resigned IN a body, and the voters re-
fused to replace them. The cause OF
this municipal chaos is the resentment
shown by the municipality and the
voters toward the local sohoolmaster,
Who fills the post Of mayoral secretary.
The schoolmaster sticks to his Office
which be intends TO keep against all
,omers. For two months he has fought
he whole commune single handed.
In the interest OF the commune a
Ipecial commission was instituted by
PRESIDENTIAL decree. One of the hrst
luties of the commissioners was to pre-
ide over the cantonal elections. They
eceived the ballots Of eighteen voters,
md for the election OF the municipal
ouncil there was only a single name
N the electoral list that of tho school.
nastor, who voted for himself, The
angle seems to be ine1tricable. There
5 no giving way on either side. With
view to overcoming this stubborn
eputy proposes to seek the interven-
lon Of M. Barthou, the premier.
Excavations made by the Semur So
lety of Science at Alesia have brought
D light vestiges of a vast edifice which
oes back to the middle age In the
enter Of the principal apartment is
nc sarcophagus, and around 1t are
lrce number of sepulchers of tho
[erovingian epoch. The local archae-
ogists believe they have found ore
Z the FIRST Christian temples in the
istrict, probably the basilica of Sante
cine, dating from the sixth and sew
nth centuries,
This discovery completes the series
the successive epochs OF tho exist
nee Of Alesia. The finding of
NTH IS forge is thought to prove that
tho tenth century the plateau of