Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-21
ALSACIANS OF BEL
FORT ARE HOPEFUL
Confident They Have Better
Protection Against German
Attack Than Back in 1870
Loyal to France.

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
Belfort, Nov. S.-"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 a lot more"
The news had just arrived that the
Germans were forcing the fighting in
| Upper Alsace and the sound of can
nonading seemed to bring nearer the
eventuality Of a third siege of Bel
| fort. The town was none the less
| tranquil for that; most of the inhabi-
| tants 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 eta
del is built
The Germans are, no doubt, sure
| they can do "a lot more than in 1870.
| They undoubtedly 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 begin. 1t
is an inviting opening for an invader
but it Is capable of many receptions
Colonel Denfert -Rochereau, with
1900 men, could not prevent General
Treskow with a whole army from in
stalling his heavy artillery on the
Lower Perches and the Upper Perch
es, the heights to the southeast of the
town that dominate the citadel. but
he prevented them from taking the
town and after 103 days of continu-
Gus bombardment, marched out only
because his own government ordered
him to do so.
Confidence in the resistance powers
of any fortress under present condi-
tons having been shaken by the fall
of Liege, Namur, Maubeuge and Ant
werp. even the solid rock of Belfort
may be expected to crumble under the
half-ton projectiles of the German
mortar, but other lessons have been
learned. There is the lesson OF
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 besiegers may find that
1T 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 Perehes the
, Germans would find on their lef.
strongly entrenehed 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 a
far as Thanh. On their front they
. would have to face a system OF en-
! trenchments that have been incessanf
! ly augmented and reinforced sine,
hostilities began. ~ :
. All the surrounding villages are 81
, many little fortresses, united by deer
, trenches, while all the lower APP
. proaches, mostly in marshy country
reached by canals, may be flooded or
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 citade
. before they could bring up the famous
. 'brummers"
These are the reasons why the AL
sacians of Belfort are confidently re.
g joicing in the occupation by Frencr
$ troops of many of the neighborins
towns of the annexed regions of Al
SAGE.