The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-08-30

a place of strength. In 1913 1t
had little less than 1900 in
habltants, hut in Gaullsh times it was
already that Blbrax which julius
Caesar took In the year 81 II. c., and
where no doubt the Romans estab-
li=hed themselves and maintained the
authority Of Rome among the CON
quered. Many curious Gallo-Romnnic
antiquities have been collected in the
neighborhood and are now In the mu-
scum. Up to the fifth century the col
lection was known as Laudunum.
During the Merovingian, the Cape
tian, and, In fact. In all periods Of
French history, says Henry =. Davray
in Country Life, Laon has played an
important role. Its geographical posi-
ton caused II TO be frequently be-
sieced. Situated on the road from
Paris and from the valley Of the Seine
to the middle valley Of the Mouse. II
is built on an isolated mount quantity
carved out in the form OF n promon-
tory which can be seen from a great
distance. This mount forms n kind
of V OF which the point is turned to-
ward the northwest. TO the northeast
the cathedral rises, and TO the south
the Abbey OF st. Vincent. From n
height Of 800 feet above the valley Of
the Ardon 1t dominates a view which
extends far In all directions, and
there Is no within n large radius a
better post OF observation. Moreover,
yha gfaAp nnnLyg 80 .hA hin y,uln 81.
entry easily defenslble against the
weapons Of former times, though twice
II has known the humiliation Of capltu.
latlon 10 German forces, In 1914 and
again on September o. 1s70-a date
that many older inhabitants carry in
their hearts today. In this fortified
vantage point the early kings OF
France made their residence. Here,
too, the church founded n biShoprlc
about 200 A.. n, which was steadily
maintained until the Revolution.
OF Strategic Importance.
Lnon was n place that all armies
fought for with bitterness. Tho Eng
liSh during the Hundred YearS' war
later the -Burgundlans and Charles IN,
Bold, In the wars of the Reformation
the invaders OF 1914, of 1915 and 1870
all regarded the town as n OF theiI
great strategic points. 1t was taken
~ravaged, pillaged, burned n great nun
Der OF times after long and difficult
sleges. The garrison easily opposed 4
resistance, which often enough bea'
the b~eslegers.
For example, when Henry " recon
quered his kingdom from the duke o.
Mayenne and the Ligue, the town o.
Laon held him at bay for a long tim,
In 1904. He took II less by force o.
arms than by n diplomacy suggeste,
20 him by his astuteness and cunning
IN 1914. during that immortal cam
pnlgn OF France, when more than eve
the resources Of his genius were dis
played, Napoleon tried TO drive ou
Butcher and the Prussians. For sew
eral days he redoubled his efforts ant
finally abandoned the pace. Thes
details, which could easily be multi
piled, prove the strategic importanc
Of Laon.
Apart from Its geographic position
which gives It military value, 1t Ia
been the meeting place and crossln.
point of the means Of communicated
and transportation which existed q
all these epochs. The great highway
of the district intersect ut the foot o
the mount, and when the railway
were built In the nineteenth centur
the station OF Laon became the junt
tion Of the lines from Paris. from Teri
nler. from Guise. from Hirson, froI
Rheims and from Liart.
Where Railway Lines Meet.
The Importance Of possessing Lao
for the Germans can easily be seei
There meet the railway lines comm
from Germany by Luxembourg, Mon
medy, Sedan, Mezieres, C%harlevilie an
Hirson the lines coming from Cologn
and from Aix-la-C hapelle, by the va
ley Of the Mouse. Liege. Namur an
Chartered. and from Brussels, Nor