The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-06
WAR ECHOES

1 George F. Brett in Munsey's Magazine: Sebastian Le Prestre de Vauban, a French engineer who lived in the seven- teenth century, conducted 5S sieges ond lever lost one. He Is the father of the science of permanent Notifications. Flu rope, in the present conflict, bristles like an angry hedgehog with the vast defen- sive works which he originated.
 What discoveries Vauban failed to make were achieved by another Frenchrlan who happened to be born on the Belgian side of the frontier-Alexis Henri Brail- mont The two men are the Alpha and well nigh the Omega of modern military engineering. Their joint work, Brail- mont's superimposed upon that of Vau- ban, IS being subjected to the severest test that ever was applied to the materiai devices of man.
 l The battering of the most formida ble artillery in the world upon fortified places on either side of far stretching frontiers | is giving rise to a question of vital im- portanee to statesmen and generals. That question might be put thus: Has the | science of projectiles and of artillery con struction outstripped the skill of the | builder of fortifcations?"
 l In other words, have the size, the mo- 1 bility, and the penetrative force of the latest and greatest guns made useless 1 the vast works of defense constructed all over the civilized world at an expense which has kept nations sweating to pay the cost?
 The data furnished by the present hos tilities, as far as they have progressed are ineonclusive as an answer to tl.is question. It is true that Namur the work of Brailmont, and one of the strongest Notifications in Europe, succumbed, after two days bombardment to the gigantic motor borne howitzers of Von Kluck,s army. It is also true, however, that Liege likewise fortified by Brailmont, was main taining an effective resistance in some of its outlying forts as late as the end of August. Lille, strongly fortified, was sur rendered without blow. Verdun, pounded by the flower of the German army under Grown Prince Frederick William, showed no signs of yielding at any stage of the attack, and survived in effective condi- tion to hearten the allies during the re-
 
 onslaught of the Franco British forces. Review of Reviews: Even at this early stage of the war 1t is proved that great fixed Qualifications are of much less value than had been supposed; while strategists also perceive that it is mistake to per init masses of effective soldiers to DC cooped up and beeaguered for long weeks or months within fortified places. Per ceiving this King Albert led his gallant army safely away from Antwerp before the Germans took possession. And 1t is well understood that if the Germans should at some later date force their way into Paris this will not involve the sur render of large French army of de- fense. Inasmuch as the removal of hor- der Notifications must be one of the naces- sary conditions of that enduring peace and neighborly friendship that shculd come about with the termination of this war, 1t is perhaps very hopeful thing that strategists already agree that the hitherto "impregnable" fortresses are to be regarded henceforth as an obsolete thing in the great war game. Another fortunate outcome will be the quite possi- ble discovery. within the next few weeks or months, that the battleships, dread naughts and super-dreadnaughts, which have been growing ever larger and more costly. are also delusion and not to ,. regarded as belonging to the scheme of things essential in the future for protect ing civilized nations or insuring the free dom of maritime trade and travel