Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-13

the line of defense to the Swiss bor-
der. which in turn is protected by
works at Pontarlier and elsewhere.
In rear of these lines yerdun- Toul
and Epinal-Belfort, respectively, lie
two large defended areas in which un-
der certain circumstances the main
armies would assemble preparatory
to offensive movements. One of
these areas is defined by the three
fortresses, La Fere, Laon and Reims,
the other by the Triangle Langres-
Dion Besancon. On the side of Bel
GUM the danger of Eruption through
neutral territory, which has for many
years been foreseen, is provided
against by the fortresses of Lille, VAL
enciennes and Maubeuge, but with a
view to tempting the Germans to at
tack through Luxembourg, as is stated
by German authorities) the frontier
between Maubeuge and Verdun is left
practically undefended. The real de-
Tense OF this region lies in the field
army which would, if the case arose,
assemble In the area La Fere- Reims-
Laon. On the italian frontier the nu
merous forts d'arret' in the noun
tains are strongly supported by the
enfrenched camps of Besancon, Gre
noble and Nice. Behind all this huge
development of fixed eeTenses lie the
central fcrtresses of Paris and Lyons.
The defenses of the Spanish frontier
consist OF the entrenched camps of
Bayonnes and Pe.pignana and the
various small forts d'arret" of the
Pyrenees OF the coast defenses the,
are Touion, Antilles, Roche
fort, Lorient. 3rest, 0leroni La Ro-.
chelle, Belle-Isle, Cherbourg, st.
Malo, Havre, Calais, Gravelines and
Dunkirk A number of the older
fortresses, dating for the most part
from Louis XIV's time, are still in
existence, but are no longer of mill
tary importance. Such are Arras,
Longwy, Mezleres and Mohtmedy.
Navy: The French coast is divided
into FIVE naval sections which have
their Headquarters at the five naval
ports of which Cherbourg, Brest and
Toulon are the moot important. Lori
emit and Roehefort being of lesser de-
gree. All are building and fitting out
yards
The fleet is divided into the Mediter-
ranean squadron, the, Northern
suardron, the Atlantic Division. The
Far Eastern Division, the Pacific
iidfyision, the Indian Ocean division,
and the Cochin China division.
Meuse-Line, the chain OF French |
orts closing the passages OF the
Meuse between Verdun and Toul. The
,otal length of the line is 81 miles and /
he forts d'arret are disposed along |
he right bank The forts are: be-
ween Verdun and st. Mihiel, Geni-
,ourt and Troyon; near St.Mihiel, Las
oaroches cleft bank1 and Camp des
domains; and near Commercy Liou-
lille st. Agnaut, Bnronyille and Jouy-
,ous-l -Cotes. Above the circle OF
ne Toul defenses there are barrier
orts on the Upper Meuse at Pagny
la Blanche Cote) and near Neufcha-
oau; but those last are practically |
n second line, and between Toul and
lpinal the frontier districts are de-
ignedly left open. At Epinal the
Mossal-line'' begins. These lines
orm part of the defensive scheme
dopted by France in 1S73-kS75.
Moselle-Line, the designation of a
Inc of French barrier forts (forts
jarrett on the upper Moselle between
he fortresses of Epinal and Belfort
see these articles, also Meuse-LineI
nd articles referred to therein1. The
urpose of this line, the separate forts
( which command the relatively few
mes of advance from upper Alsace
through the Vosges, is to defect a
cssible German invasion from Alsaced
ither toward Belfort or toward the
pen gap between Epina1 and ToufI
allied the Tfouee d Epinal
Epinal, town on the northeastern
-ontier of France, capital Of the De-
Of Vosges, 46 miles south
outheast of Nancy on the Eastern
ailway between the town and Belfort
population t1905l. town 1926. com.
tune Including garrison) 29.05s. The
own proper-the Grande Vile lis sit
ated on the right bank of the Mo.
ellie, which at this point divides into
go arms forming an island wherein
mother quarter-the Petite villa
built.
ITO be continued) II
~ =. Il