Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-09-09
MOST FORMIDABLE FORT|F|CAT|ONS
IN THE WORLD SURROUND PARIS
eBy international News serviee.l


tRy international News serviee.l
BORDEAUX. Sept 9.-Should the
German army succeed in actually in
vesting Paris. an army Of at least
10000 would be required to defend
the French capital To man the ring
OF forts that defends the city would
require 10000 men and there would
have to be a reserve army of at least
1000 men to take the places of the
slain.
The forts that defend Paris are
said to be the most formidable forti-
fications in the world. Certainly
they are the most costly They have
cost the French nation something
more than $500, 100000.
Doubtless it is to be prepared to
man the forts of Paris that the
French war office has called to the
colors every available reservist in
the country Obviously the huge
French army now in the field would
oppose the advancing Germans every
inch of the way, fighting to the very
environs of the capital. None OF
these troops could be spared to work
the forts, so that a fresh army is
needed to defend the capital. in the
remote contingency that the Germans
actually invest the city.
In the system of defense about
Paris and all cities protected by
modern works, the forts form only
the skeleton of the fortified lines
The Fashioned wall which used to b,
relied upon as the main defense of 1
city is impossible today. A stone
wall of the old type would today b.
reduced by modern siege guns il
less time than it would take to tel
it. And to surround a modern cit!
with an unbroken circle of fort
would be an economic impossibilit.
for the richest nation.
4 A space of six miles, at least, ha
to be left between the first ring o
forts and the city proper, to proven
the siege guns of the enemy from
coming within range of the city
Fort st. Cyr, in the second line Q
the Paris defenses, is ten miles froT
the outer edge of the capital.
The forts about Paris are in Gil
Gle with a circumference of abou
sixty miles. The seventeen grea
fortresses which form the FRAMEWORK
of this great system are said to hav
1 been erected at cost of more tina
4 s200,000,000 To build solid wall {
such forts would cost up in the bi
lions of dollars and no nation is rio
enough to undertake it.
Much of the system OF fortifcation
about Paris is secret Dotted a
about the forts are small preserve
access to which is denied to the pul
lie. These conceal batteries. Vai
lines of field works are designed II
the spaces between the forts.
Under the modern theory Of IL
defense of city. by far the great
number of the heavy guns are fougl
from without the forts, not With
AS the enemy naturally knows Il
position OF permanent works, he VI
? place his own artillery in position
NH - ~ =
the least harm.
While formerly all of the big gun
e were fought from within the fol
r resses, in modern warfare it is niece
sary to place them where their pos
tons can be changed, as the forum,
Of battle shift
For this purpose there is now abo
Y Paris a military belt line railro;
1 which connects with all the for
and which has spurs extending to {
the places where it might be nece
Q sary to plant big guns in the eve
of investment by the Germans. Wi
such a railroad heavy artillery al
ammunition may be speedily move
from one place to another.
- The railroad is concealed from Il
G enemy by a system of tunnels al
sunken roadbeds, where the lie
the ground does not afford natur
q concealment. On the other hand Il
military railroad system of Paris WI
laid out before aircraft scouting hi
e gained it's present efficiency.
The modern type of forts at Par
are shallow from front to rear wi