New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-27
French Say Secret Works
Covered Maubeuge and
Caused Its Fall.
READY TWO YEARS
FOR HUGE CANNO- |
Visits Of Krupp to Factory We're
Ridiculed When Disclosed
at the Time.
By C. LNAIAN BARNARD.
Cparls COrre.pondent OF The Tribune.)

Bafl6, sept Eb.-1ne amazing FHplu~
ity in mounting their heavy siege guns,
which alone enabled the Germans to
destroy the forts around Maubeuge, Is
now explained by revelations throwing
q food Of light on the secret prepare
tions made in France by the German
General STAFF. Without ever attracting
suspicion this work has been going on
for years.
In the spring of 1910 an estate be-
longing to the Due de Luynes, about a
thousand acres Of land, comprising
plateau in the forest Of Lanieres, five
miles from the Notifications Of Maui
beuge, was sold by auction in four lots.
The most important Of these lots, con-
tanning a hill overlooking the Mau-
beuge forts, was purchased by a GER
tain Gilbert Marty, Of Brussels, Now
the discovery has been made that Gill
bert Marty was merely a man OF straw
acting for Frederick Krupp.
lie MAtin" Told the Story.
A factory for the making Of railroad
engines was established on the land.
Frederick Krupp, whose close personal
relations with the Kaisor are we'll
known, made on three occasions per-
sonal visits of inspection to the loco
motive factory. These facts, which
were published by ole Matin" on July
3, 1910, were at the time regarded as q
bit Of sensational journalism and were
1t is now proved beyond all doubt
that in 1912 masonry platforms, nicely
levelled and crowned with cement, with
balance adjusted recoil buffers, re-
volying metal supports and a hundred
other technical details for laying heavy
siege guns were prepared on this sup
posed engine factory. All these slow
operations, involving, through the dry
ing Of the concrete masonry, a work Of
at least nine weeks to complete, were
carried out and put in working order by
special technical artisans sent from the
Krupp establishment at Essen, in Ger
many.
Had Range of the Forts.
Moreover, from these secret gun po-
sitions the range and angle of fire
for every ridge and defensive point
about Maubeuge had been calculated
n minute detail and accuracy. Also, /
ong underground telephone wires had !
been laid from unsupported points IN
daubeuge to the gun positions on the /,
lill outside, enabling spies in the I
own during the bombardment to (
telephone information about the effect ,
IF the shells.
1t can readily be guessed from this
hat similar secret preparations have
been made by German spies
n other places. (
The recent declaration Of Anatole /
france, in letter to his friend, Gus I
ave Herve, the apostle of anti-mIli- /
arism until the outbreak of the war,
but to-day fervent patriot, that in 4
spite of the brutal infamy of the mil
tary caste of Prussianized Germany
he day must come when the French
people would extend the hand of .
to the conquered enemy, /
las aroused a lively discussion here. /
Rene Doumic, like NJ. France a men, (
'er Of the Academy, proclaims to-day:
Never can we forgive the nation
hat during forty-four years has de- /
iberately and with cold calculation
triven to crush us and is now doing
Is utmost not only to annihilate us
tut to obliterate our history, as is (
shown by the destruction of Rheims .
Cathedral, where our kings were .
and where Jeanne dare .
prayed"
All societies and sOlons of French
nave unanimously eliminated all Ger j
nan artists from their lists. The AZ
ISOLATION of Foreign Journalists in !,
and Austrians from its membership. |
The same has been done by all the |
leading clubs of Paris.
Institute Will Wait.
The Institute of France, however,
With exceptional magnanimity, has re-
nounced any intention of making use
Of this form of reprisal in its five
academies, three Of which have CORE
spending members of German nation
atty.
The Secretary General of the insti-
tute, Robert Regnier, interviewed on
the subject, states:
"Such patriotic indignation is fully
justified by the abominable acts of the
Germans, and doubtless that indigna-
ton is shared by members Of the
Institute Of France in their individual
capacities. But to strike from our
list the names of our German col
leagues is absolutely contrary to the
traditions of our society, and to DO
so would tarnish and belittle our dig
nifty. 1t seems unfair TO hold few
individuals responsible for the crimes
of a whole nation and to punish in
offensive men who will perhaps be the
first to deplore the savage alteration
Of their cOuntrymen.
"Of course" added NJ. Regnier, at
would be very different if any German
member of the institute should APP
prove Of or apologize for the barbar-
tiles that have been and are being