South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-08
FRANCE PREPARES
FOR WAR WHILE
CHECKING ENEMY
Deadlock on AiSne Proves God
send to Nation at Ban, Civ
ING Time For PerfeCting
Military Equipment.

these months Of stationary trench
warfare the nation has had time to
perfect its military equipment and or
ganization to an extent that would
have been impossible had the cam
paign continued in the inevitable
confusion OF great maneuvers
France Was Unpreparcd.
France was not ready for war. The
majority in its democratic legislature
put social ahead OF military reform.
The keen sighted officers who tried
10 get new ideas adopted were snub-
bed. as often as not. just as such men
are snubbed i'm our own peace loving
democracy today.
Germany. on the other hand, was
ready for the War-ready even well
into the realm Of the secondary de
tails. The cement platforms in
German factory near Maubeuge.
which were constructed for no other
purpose than as emplacements for
German heavy artillery.
Gun Platforms Already Built.
Similar platforms were built in
suburb near Paris on the property of
a German concern, employing German
workm n, at a point well adapted for
the bCmbardment of an important
Partisan fort.
In the valley Of the Marine there
Marias de St Gond.
A few years ago there came a Ger
man citizen TO the head of the com
mune to which the marshes belong
and offered TO buy the marshlands
and drain them for agriculture. At
his request he was supplied with large
scale charts OF the districts. made by
the communal surveyors The Ger
man departed with the charts and
there are still French officers. ignOr-
ant Of these facts. who wonder how
IL was that the Prussian guard. at the
opening of the battle of the Marne
was able to cross the marshes in the
night by foOtpaths supposedly known
only TO peasants and hunters, thus
escaping the fire of the artillery
which had been set in wait for them
on all the roads.
Couldn't Make Rockets.
Early in the war as many French
Industrial concerns as possible were
converted into ammunition factories.
But the French were not Immediately
in a position to reproduce illuminating
rockets. The chief ingredient of these
rockets is aluminium powder. the
manufacture OF which was an indus
try almost exclusively German
Some miles out Of Epernay stands
artillery, until OF late their guns have
"a group of low buildings. This estab-
lishment is practically the only one IT.
France where aluminium powder is
produced. The superintendent had
learned the process in Germany just
before war was declared.
In the railroad yard at Epernay.
which is as carefully guarded from
unmilitary eyes as if it. were the re-
pository of all the secrets of the gen
eral staff. / was permitted TO inspect
an engineers train There are the
men who survey roads, dynamite or
hrfH fro Il
them. and, in short. do any kind Of
constructive or destructive work the
occasion may demand.
Ready For the Great INVASION"
The whole outft-men. officers.
rails. handcars, ties. beams, tools eX-
plosives-was installed in a long train
which is its home. All are perhaps
a little impatient at their present en-
forced idleness. but they have their
orders, and the officers expect to get
up steam and pull away to-they
know exactly where-at 20 minutes
notice on the great day of the gem
Cral advance
There is the commissary, with its
thousands of wagons and men. its
abattoirs its railroad trains. its pur-
chasing commissions throughout the
neutral world, its warehouses and
factories. There is the entire railway
and highway system OF the military
zone. which are the arteries of the
army. and must be kept clean and
clear if the army is not 20 perish
New Ammunition Factories.
The admirable manner I'm which the
French nave been constructing heavy
been outbattlinC the Germans al
along the line, has been frequently
told. but there is the problem of sat
isfying the mighty appetites of these
new WcapOns-of manufacturing and
distributing the ammunition Withou
which they are only SO much ingen-
ious junk. / do not pretend that the
French equipment even now can eQua
the German IN all respects. / an
convinced. however, that the French
Equipment does at least compare IA.
vorably with the German in som,
respects and surpassed 10 i'm a few
Automobile Base Elaborate.
In q group of champagne ware
houses at Epernay motor car bas
has been established There are three
such bases in the rear OF each French
army I saw innumerable crates ant
boxes containing extra parts for al
most every known machine The
French have special mission ~
America 20 buy American cars.
An important feature of the moto
car base is OF course repair work Fo
this. elaborate shops have been httet
out Here. for example. about 1900
machines are overhauled each month
one department concerns itself SOlcE
with bicycles which are much ridden
not only by the regular cyCliSt dctach
ments but by ordcrlies and for goins
errands generally.
Noted Manufacturer at Work.
The soldiers employed I'm repair
work were all so employed i'm civil liz.
before the war. In the person OF q
Lieutenant assisting I'm the direction o
the motor car base + recognized IN,
manufacturer of noted make o
luCt0. car
Yves" he said I'm answer 20 my in
curry. Gin the course ~ few hour
We could move the whole hase-pach
the stores and machinery and ge'
away with an our trucks and our SO
reserve cars"
Much ~ the machine shop equip
ment is mounted ON trucks. the motors
az which whom not in use FOR ioComo-
ton. servo 90 turns tie belts and fl--
wheels. There WAS even "a small