Evening star., 1914-11-27
THINK BELFORT SAFE
FROM GERMAN ATTACK
Alsacians Believe Natural and Arti-
fetal Defenses Make City
1mpregnable.


BELFORT. November 12-~You know"
said one OF the old Alsacians. who
sought refuge in this last little cor
ner 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 tho
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 tram
quill for that; most of the inhabitants
shared the confidence OF this old vet
Gran. who, as he talked. pointed sig
nifcantly to the great Lion of Bel
fort" that Bartholdi carved in the solid
red sandstone on which the citadel
ts built.
The Germans are, no doubt, sure they
undoubtedly will. If they can bring
up their seventeen-inch. mortare. but
their troubles will begin farther down
the Belfort gap-the open space be-
tween where the Jura mountains end
and where the Vosges begin. 1t Is an
inviting opening for an invader. but
1t is capable of many deceptions.
"AIA3SOV0 4ouk o10Bcs
Col. Denfert- Rochereau. with 1900
men, could not prevent Gen. 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 domi-
nate the citadel. but he prevented them
from taking the town and, after 1o3
days of continuous bombardmenl,
~
ernment ordered him to do SO.
Confidence in the resistance powers OF
any fortress under present conditions
having been shaken by the TALL OF
Liege. Namur, Maubeuge and Antwerp.
even the solid rock of Belfort may be
projectiles OF the German mortar, bu,
other lessons have been learned There
is the lesson of Nancy. an open town,
with not a single fort to defend It. be-
fore which the Germans were forced to
retire. The same field works they found
there are admirably suited to the BEL
fort gap" and the besiegers may find
that lit 10 a 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.
City's Defenses Formidable.
Besides the forts of the Perches. the
Germans would find on their left
strongly intrenched supporting forces
with all sorts of earthworks, on their
right they would have the continual
menace of forces holding all the defiles
of the Nosges in German territory ss
far as Thanh. On their front th~S
would have to face q system Of en-
trenchments that have been incessant-
ly augmented and reinforced since hos
tilitfes began.
All the surrounding villages are so
many little fortresses. united by deep
trenches, while all the lower approach
es, mostly in marshy country. reached
by canals. may be flooded on short no.
tice.
After surmounting these obstacles the
besiegers would have to cross wide.
open spaces exposed TO the crossfir-
from the Perches and the citadel before
they could bring up the famous "brum-
mers.'
These are the reasons why the Al
sacians Of Belfort are confidently re-
joicing IN the occupation BY French
troops OF many Of the neighborinE
towns OF the annexed regions OF Al
SAGE.