Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-11-26
BELF0RT COULDN'T
Be TAKEN EASILY

BelfCrt, France Nov. .2""-"Nou
know" said one OF the old Alsacians
who sought refuge in this last corner
of Alsace that was saved to France,
after the war OF 1870, they can't do
much more than they did before,
while we ca ndo a lot more
The news had Just arrived that the
Germans we're forcing the fighting in
upper Aisacee and the Sound Of can.
nonading seemed to yoring nearer the
eventuallty of afEt1ird alege OF Bel
fort. The town was none the less
tranquil for that; most OF the inhabl-
tants shared the confidence OF this old
veteran, who, as he talked. pointed
Significantly 10 the, great Lion OF Bel
fort" that B%artloldi carved in the solid
req sandstone on which the citadel is
built. 4. t. .,.. ,..
Peculiar Defense
The Germans are, 40, doubt. sure
they can do a lot more" than i'll 1870.
They undoubtedly will, if>>they can
Drag up their l7-inch mortars, but
their troubles will besin farther down
the 'Belfort Cap the opel space
between the Jura mountains end anu
where the NOsgOs Deeln. 1t is an in
vlting opening for an invader but it
is capable Of many deccDtions. f.
Colonel Denfert-Rcchereau, with H.,
GCO mel, could not prevent General
Treskow with a whole army from in
stalling his heavy artillery on lao
Lower Perches and the Upper Perches
the heights to- the southeast OF the
town that dominate the citadel, Dat
he prevented them from taking tie
town, and after 1903 da..s Of contini-
Gus bombardment, marched out only
Joe cause his own government ordered
him to do so.
Confidence in the resistance powers
OF aly fortress under present condi-
tons having been shaken by the fall
of Licge, Namur, tMauoeuge and Ant
verp, ever the solid rock Of belfort
may be expected to crumble under tn
half-ton projeetiles Of the German.
mortar, but other lessons have been
learned. There is the lesson or
Nancy, an open town, with not a
single fort to defend it, before which
the Germans were forced to retire.
The same field works they found there
are admirably suited to the "Belfort
Gap" and the beseigers may find that
1T is a long way" to the Perches.
The forts Of these commanding
heights have ben rebuilt since 1870,
and all the outlying defenses of the
place, which were it weakness then,
are its strength today.
Cannons to Left, Etc.
BESIDES the forts of the Perches the
Germans would find on their left
strongly %entrenched supporting forces
with all sorts Of earthworks; on their
right they would have the continual
menace of forces holding all the de-
files of the Vosges in German terri
tory as far as Thanh. On their front
they would 4have to face a system OF
entertainments that have been inces-
sanity augmented and reinforced since
hostilities began.
All the surrounding villages are SO
many little fortresses, united by deep
trenches, while all the lower ap-
proaches, mostly in marshy country,
reached by canals, may be flooded on
short notice.
After surmounting these obstacles
the besiegers would have to cross
wide, open spaces exposed to the
cross fire from the Perches and the
-citadel before they could bring up the
famous '.brummers.'
These are the reasons why Inc Al
sacians of Belfort are confidently re-
joicing in the occupation by French
Etrops Of many of the neighborirg
Towns Of the annexed regions Of Al
sace.