The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-23
BELFAST IS READY
 FOR GERMAN SIEGE
Defenders Confident FOrti- ficatiOns Can With
 stand Attack

Belfort. November 22.-(Correspondenc of the Associated Press.) )-"You know said one of the old Alsacians who sought refuge in this last little 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 can do lot more.
 The news had just arrived that the Ger mans were forcing the fighting in Upper Alsace and the sound of cannonading seemed to bring nearer the eventuality of a third siege of Belfort. The town was none the less tranquil for that. most of the inhabitants shared the confidence of this old veteran, who, as he talked pointed significantly to the great Lion of Belfort," that Bartholdi carved in the solid red sandstone on which the citadel is built.
 The Germans are no doubt sure they can do "a lot more than in 1870 They un- doubtedly will. if they can bring up their 17-inch mortars, but their troubles will begin farther down the 'Belfort Gap''- the open space between where the Jura mountains end and where the vosges be- gin. It is an inviting opening for an in-
 vader, but 1t is capable of many deeep- tions.
 Colonel Denfert- -Rochereau, with fr00O men, could not prevent General Treskow
 with a whole army from installing his heavy artillery on the lower perches and the upper perches, the heights to the southeast of the town that dominate the | citadel, but he prevented them from talk | ing the town and, after 103 days of con 1 tinuous bombardment, marched out only because his own government ordered him to do so.
 Confidence in the resistance powers of any fortress under present conditions having been shaken by the fall of Liege, Namur, Maubeuge and Antwerp. even the solid rock of Befort may be expected to crumble under the half-ton projecties of the German mortar but other lessons have been learned. There is the lesson Nancy, an open town, with not a single fort to defend it. before which the Ger mans were forced to retire. The same field works they found there are admi- rably suited to the "Belfort Gap" and the besiegers may find that it is long way to the Perches. The forts of these commanding heights have been rebuilt since 1870, and all the outlying defenses of the place which were its weakness
 then are Its strength today.
 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 defiles of the vosges in German territory as far as Thanh On their front they would have to face system of entrenchments that have been necessarily augmented and re- inforced since hostillties began.
 All the surrounding villages are so
 many little fortresses. united by deep trenche< while all the lower approaches, mostly in marshy country reached by ca- nals, 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 the Asa clans of Befort are confidently rejoicing in the occupation by French troops of many of the neighboring towns of the an- nexed regions of Alsace.