The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-09-20
ENGLISH DEFENSE ON
RHINE, NOT ON THAMES
BY Henry Wood)
UNITED Press Correspondent

Paris, Sept 5. (By Mail)-Eng-
land hereafter must defend herself
from the Rhine and not from the
Thames.
Thanks to the present perfection
of long range artillery, not to men
ton it's future possibilities as we'll as
aerial warfare. England faces the
necessity of an immediate revision OF
her whole system of national defense.
This is the declaration Of General
Hirschauer, one of the most disting-
uished military chiefs that the
French army produced during the
war, and now member of the French
senate.
From now on, the English navy,
however powerful is may be, will no
longer be sufficient to maintain Eng
lands proud isolation" declares
General Hirschauer.
Up until 1914, the lines of defense
for London were situated. at Is to
20 kilometers outside the capital.
During the war England found 1t
necessary to establish it's London de-
lenses on the Continent. Now, ac-
cording to General Hirschauer, Eng
lands sole hope Of defending its cap
ital Is to establish these lines OF de-
Tense either on the Mouse or on the
Rhine.
Gneral Hirschouer points out that
at the present time England's entire
plans of national defense are still
based on the imperial decree of 1888:
The keynote of this decree, and as
consequence of England's system OF
defense is found in the following
clause: r..
"The defense Of the Thames pre-
sents a great importance, because
large military establishments and ar
senals are situated on both sides OF
the river, and above all because ev-
cry landing on British soil will have
for it's object the capture OF London
AS consequence the British plan
for home defense provided that the
moment mobilization was ordered the
permanent army should at once take
up a position along the coast of the
channel and the North sea for the
purpose of towering London Then
as soon as the troops of defense
were modified, the permanent army
was to become an army of vancouver.
In addition London was defended
by rapid fire guns that were supposed
to be sufficient to prevent landing
of enemy troops, lines Of torpedoes
were placed to prevent the approach
OF troop ships. long range coast guns
were to ward off the enemy. vesAels,
still in ADVANCE of@all this passive de-
tense, gunboats. torpedo boats and
coast guard cruisers were to be en-
gagged in active defense while furthed
In advance the British feet was sup
posed to smash the enemy fleet before
it got within smelling distance.
Now, according to General H1r'
schauer, all OF this has been render
ed out of date and useless by the
development of long range guns ant
aerial fighting. England's only hope
of defending her capital and -.ersel1
must hereafter be made from The
Mouse or the Rhine. =
"ln 1918" says Gen. Hirschauer
who is one Of the worlds creates
experts on artillery, 1--WE first discov
cred the gun with 100 kilometer
range. Shortly, this range was ex
tend to $50 kilometers. Soon we will
he sat 200 kilometers and the ltmi
then will not have been reached.
1T is just $50 Kilometers from Ca
lais or Bonlogne to London. Fecamp
Pieppe. Abbeville. Aire and Furne
are only 200 kilometers away.
But the bcmbardment by lonl
range guns will only be the secon'
act of the next war which will begil
with aerial bombardment. The air
planes that were n construction
1T the close Of the war had fligh
capacity of 900 to $50 kilometers
namely voyage Of $50 --.iometer
from the point Of departure. Aix-la
Chapelle is just $50 kilometers from
London A SQUADRON starting iron
this point can lombard London with
in three hours.
london in the future will be at
tackable first by aerial squadron
starting from German soil and the'
nv 1"ng rape guns placed on tn
Releian and French coast.
LAS coreo"uen"e French friend
shin. the so!iditv of the French ant
Belgian armies form for England he
best defense of "couverture' on tn
continent. Through them the ad
vance lines of defense for Londol
are carried forward to the Meuse.
"The defense of London is no long
er on the channel; it isn't even-ol
the Boshporus.
ut Is on the Rhine"