The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-24
National Defense Problems
RY Frederiic j. Haskin.
and correspondIngiy dtmcult

o1eronno,o-o-e.o.n,aa-
:, smaller and correspondIngiy dfMcultl
!. to hit
81 Desnsta the fate of the fort:AcatfoasE
i lat Ideee. Antwerp IIaon and else.I
!. w1,era. s.innosefi1tr imnraenab1e forts3
Il 1alltnr INFO tha hands. az the enemy
J In a CONNIE ,attvaIv short time. mill |
Itary experts stiH claim that the hon-I
siors in the duel between the fort and
the artillery belong to the former Thal
French and Belgian fortifcations, theyE
LIargue. were built to withstand onlyl
lseyen and nine inch siege guns, and
lso long as artillery az this ca liber was{
fused against them. they gave an .ex-i
tcellent account of themselves. 1t wasI
.ionly when the huge 30.2 and forty-twol
tcenttmeter gums were empIoacedI
against them that they crumpled upE
and failed to Withstand strain fori
which they were never designed.
Real Test to Come.
doas. ,,s,t 800 e, ~ s,,-tstcs t5ona IA
,S,so,ats ~. t,,st the ersat aT5yanca In H
e.tiIies, .
ltt,e 80, at,.,,etina ~ So,.ts II mere1yl
is1,on,S rot for+r.ssas sI,o,S1 he con-
lst,uct.d 70 v,i4hs+and the eattacks adj
q rtillarv even heavier Than any in
Residence at the time. When the pro- \
itecting walls at Antwerp were built.
no one dreamed that they would ever
withstand the gatherings of fortyStwol
icentimeter siege pieces, because guns
of that caliber had not been conceived.
The real test OF the value OF modern
will come If the Germans H
enage the Really -date-type OF
French or Italian forts or II the allies H
attack the German coast defenses.
In this connection it Is interesting H
to note that the only weapon which Is H
Ihe1ieyed fo he really effective against H
the turret fort is the ordinary rifle, in
the hands o Inexperienced infantry. 1t
seems strange that a rife could sue
coed when heavy artillery fails. but 4
men yersed in military aaffirs de-
clare that this is the only method of \
snccessfullv attacking one of these big
:tortoise-forts.
rbo -aaeo,, for +his lies IN the fact
+,a+ an go. ,sStbis, ,,at,Sre Il, modern
~. sr.s. , !. a.. ers nrntacted from thai
l,,a :, 30 ~ "a res,11v nrana red|
$500. =. :, +rancbas and bar.had wire en-l
$1,000, ~ +s,,S sor sayarall
iSai1es - nrevent the ennlacement OIL
I,,aa,,v - 1ha bie e1,ns are
Ia, ars,ora ,,ou;arlass AGAINST the fort
iacamsa tf5ev canno4 come wifhinl
i,.esaa
- ~
| VIE y brown ".
The intervening ground must nIsl
I.be cleared by the advance OF r1ne-
armed infantry, aided by tne pole or
tube system or eliminating the WIRE
rms Is q aevlce re-
se enIs "a 1890 IN roi I 20
sbot ~ 2 ~ -Ms1.e.s ,,,dar az. ,,,ires
+basa t,,,,as los,57 Vii,
iaaIaa;syas &c n,ss.tad ,,,,dor tI1a an
~ 49, 80 an5 re 3,sas Iiebta1
1i.. n1lsc,, Iears q
a,,tsao4 a.t,5S A. 10 ,-Sad ,,5
1,a,.,,it - +5,a n,.ban,nerad onwar1
pc, ~ +1,a ;nta,,ts-a ,rle +raroI,as
,.,a,,1d tJa, ,Ia ta1-sr v,it1, the Aid NJ
oonoan+1.a+a17 t,ra e,e,,, the HES and
- china ss,,rs .aed ,,,i1, t15en cr,11s7 +i1aJ
,baavv = ,4i11erv he hyo,,eht ;1,to acSt
80. o,. a. ~, 49,, ,Tta t,jees,,T,a
e,a $50 III, noweriass v,ti,e,,t the
asSistsnra IF The r,fIa-a mod iTSantrv
becansa +I,ei,. snS,ers Sf onerations lies |
entirelv on+sida an sttack On the
trencbes which would nreyent their !
annroacll TO the ultimate goal-the fort /
Itself :
Brt IL is easily conceivable f1naf the i
most massive Of modern fortificatfons I
,vo1ld he I,nahle To resist the attack Of /
we'll armed bodv Of Infantry. even |;
II the troons were not hacked nv bie /
euns. The modern fort is usualIy too /
welt stocked with nroyisions ia he /
starved (o,1t and his nrinn five method |!
js TOO lone and te1ious to he used I'M L
less II is fmnossible for the siege to1be |;
lifted by the arrival Of endorsements.
~. 80 Ta.-s.In.o,-ol,Io
w 49, ~ v