The chronicle=news., 1914-08-29
PARIS ABLE To
WITHSTAND A
LONG SIEGE

aDlllty tO Teslst IL SlcSe 10 ieCeiih6
the close attention of military OBJ
servers now that Paris is the an
nounced objective point OF the Ger
man forces and the French ministry
of war has adopted urgent means of
Strengthening the city's defenses to
the utmost. While the city's detailed
dcfenses are surrounded with secrecy
by French military authorities, yet
their general character and formid-
able strength are known to military
experts, who recognize them as
among the strongest Notifications in
the world. These Notifications con-
sist of three distinct circles sweep
ing around the city-first, the solid
wall of masonry, eighteen feet high,
extending for twenty-five miles
around the main sections of Paris
second, the system of seventeen de-
tachcd forts arranged at intervals,
two miles beyond the wall and max
ing circuit of the city thirty-four
miles long; and third. an outer gir-
die of forts seventy-five miles long
on the heights commanding the val
ley of the Seine. Each of the circles
|
defense in itself, the forts being
linked together with redouts, bas-
| tion and glacis which permit cross
| fire against approach from any dircc-
tion.
The magnitude of the system is
shown by its area which exceeds 400
square miles.
The wall around Paris and the sew
cntecn detached forts two miles be-
yond the wall were built by Louis
Philippe. They sustained the Ger
man siege of 1S7O-71 and the outer
forts have since been greatly
strengthened. The third line of forts
on the hills of st. Germaine, Cornell
ius and Villiers are of modern con-
struction with the latest types of bat
tcries and heavy guns. The inner
wall about Paris surrounds the best
known and most important sections
of the city, including the business
sections along the French boulevards,
the residence sections on the north
and west of the city and the Latin
quarter and other sections on the left
bank of the Seine.
Outside of the wall circle Of
| suburbs extends for many miles, In
Guiding Neuilly, Argenteuil, Versail-
les. Vincenncs and many others. The
forts of the second and third line Of
defenses are dotted among these
suburbs protecting them and the ap-
proachcs to the capital. The wall
contains ninety-three bastions and
have been abandoned owing to the
pressure of modern construction and
trade. But recent advices received
here from Paris state that all the
gates still existing are now closed at
s o'clock in the evening with rigid
| regulations against movements from
within or without The second line
of forts includes the famous fortress
CT Mount Valerain, which was the
center of attack in the German siege
Of 1870. 1t is strengthened by two
groups of works-Hautes Bruyeres
and the Chatillon fort and batteries.
South of the city is the row of forts
at Ivry. Dictre, Mont Rogue. Vanves
and Issy.
North and east of the city are
three great forts around st. Denis
and two others at Fort Aubervillers
and Fort Charenton. commanding the
| approaches from the great wood of
Bondy. The outer circles of forts
| which are of the most modern type,
have from 25 to 60 heavy guns and
600 to 200 men each. In all the
three lines of defense require 10000
men to operate them, not counting
troops assembled within the city.
According to military eXperts it
would require force of 100000 men
to invest these defenscs. General
| Won Moltkc, field marshal of the
German forces at the Y time of the
siege of Paris of 1870 states in re-
port on that siege that the French
larti,lcry armament consisted of more
than 2,G27 pieces, including 200 of
the largest calibre of naval ord
| nances. There were 500 rounds for
| each gun and reserve of 100000
Kilograms of powder. Won Moltke
points out that the bombardment of
fortified place in the heart of an
cnemy's country is difficult, if not
impossible, until the invader is mas
ter of the railroads or water mains
by which heavy siege artillery can
be brought up in full quantity.
He cxolains the failure to lombard
Paris at the outset of the former
siege by saying 1t would have re-
quired 800 heavy guns with 500
rounds for each gun. The movement
forward of these heavy guns would
have required $500 four-wheeled
wagons and 10000 horses which
were not available. At the latter
stage the Germans brought up their
siege guns, attacking the Enciente
and ports and dropping 500 to 1000
l 5-centimetre shells daily into the
heart of the city.
Notwithstanding the fury of the
German attacks Paris withstood the