El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-09
PARISPR0TECTED
5TR0NGF
Seventeen Great Fortresses
Are in Circle Covering
Length Of so Miles.

London Eng. Sept SHOULD the
German army succeed in actually in
vesting Paris, an army Of at least 2TO,-
600 would he required TO defend the
French capital. To man the ring OF
forts that defends the city requires
10000 men and there would have to
be a reserve army Of at least 100000
men to take the places of the slain.
The forts that defend Paris are said
to be the most formidable fortified
tons in the world Certainly they are
the most costly. They have cost the
French nation something more than
Doubtless it is to be prepared to man
the forts Of Paris that the French war
office has called TO the colOrs every
available reserVist in the country. OBJ
viously the huge French army now in
the field would oppose the advancing
Germans every inch Of the way, fight
ing TO the very envirOns OF the capital
None of these troops would be spared
to work the forts, so that fresh army
Is needed TO DEFEND the capital, ShOuld
the Germans actually invest the city
In the system Of defences about
Paris and all cities protected by mod
ern works, the forts form only the
skeleton of the fortified lines. The
upon as the main defence Of the city is
impossible today. A stone wall Of the
old type would today be reduced by
modern siege guns in less time than
round a modern city with an unbrOken
circle OF forts would be an economic
impossibility for the richest nation
A space Of six miles, at least, has
to be left between the first ring OF
forts and the city proper, TO prevent
the siege guns of the enemy from
coming within range OF the city FORT
st Cyr. in the second line Of the Paris
defences, IS 10 miles from the outer
edge Of the capital
II.
The forts about Paris are in a circle
with a circumference Of about 50 miles
The II great fortresses which form the
framework Of this great system are
said to have been erected AZ a COST o.
more than S2OO,OOO.OOO- To Dulld
solid wall Of such forts would cost up
in the billions of dollars and no nation
is rich enough to undertake It
Much Of the system OF tortlIlcatl
about Paris is secret Dotted all ABOUT
the forts are small preserves, access 10
which is denied to the public These
conceal batteries Vast lines Of field
works are designed for the spaces be-
tween the forts.
Heavy Guns Outside the Forts.
Under the modern theory Of the de-
fence Of q city, by far the greater num-
her Of the heavy guns are fought from
v-ifhOr1t the forts. not within As the
enemy naturally knows the position OF
permanent works. he viii place his own
artillery in position where ire guns OF
the fort can do the least harm
While formerly all Of the big guns
were fought from within the fOrtresses,
in modern warfare IL is necessary TO
place them where their positions can
be changed, as the fortunes Of battle
shift
For this purpose there is now about
Paris a military belt line railroad
which connects with all the forts and
which has spurs extending to all the
places where it might be necessary to
plant big guns in the event Of invest
ment by the Germans With such
railroad, heavy artillery and ammuni-
ton may be speedily moved from one
place to another
The railroad is concealed from the