The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-02-24
GREAT WALL AGAIN
IS Frontier LINE
Marks Boundary Of Chi
nese and Enemy Land.

~'~e ssO OssSS~A0Ay "a 4SA'
nese and Enemy Land.
Washington.-China's Great Wall,
glamorous to all who have studied
geography, but usually considered
significant only as a work Of the
dim past, has become marker In
recent news dispatches. With the
fall of Chinchowfu to Japanese
forces, the Chinese have moved
south Of the wall, and that ancient
barrier now forms the frontier be-
tween Chinese and enemy territory
as it did for centuries after its con-
struction. A bulletin from the Ma
tional Geographic society tells Of
this great engineering wonder Of the
world.
In world Of airplanes, bombs,
heavy artillery and high explosives,
the Great Wall Of China is Of no
value, as an obstacle to an enemy
army" says the Bulletin. Because
this is true and has been for long
time, the Great Wall has come to
be looked upon by many as pro-
digious folly. But in its day it was
Of incalculable value to the peace
loving Chinese who were able for
considerable periods to keep the
Northern Barbarians' out Of their
country.
Once Effective Barrier.
1.-THE wall was effective because
enemies of the northern plains
came against China with morgan
lied armies Of cavalry, which, many
times, beat ineffectively against the
well-mannered barrier. There were
occasions, it is true, when the
hordes broke through: but these
successful forays and the losses that
flowed from them strikingly empha-
size the value Of the wall through
the many years when it functioned
successfully.
Astronomers have speculated
that the Great Wall is one Of the
few works Of man on earth that
would be discernible by the naked
eye from the moon. No other
single engineering accomplishment
of any age compares with it in size,
extent, and construction difficulties.
Starting at sea level at Shanhaik-
wan on the Gulf Of Chihli, it reaches
an altitude Of $500 feet among the
mountains Of western China. In
the intervening area It crosses sew
eral mountain ranges quite or near
~ mile high.
1.-THE Great Wall Is not a single.
structure but a system with Sec
tons built at different times. It's
magnitude can be best understood
IL it is imagined that it were taken
bodily up and set down in the
United States, with its eastern end
at Philadelphia. This transplanted
wall would extend half way across
the American continent.
THE Great Wall is at its best In
the eastern section. There its sheer
faces, from 20 to 50 feet high, are
constructed Of carefully built ma
sorry. In places the entire wall is
Of masonry, in others the space be-
tween the masonry faces is filled IN
with stones and earth. North Of
Peiping (Peking) great blocks Of
carefully cut granite are used, held
in place by mortar superior to that
made by the Chinese today. In
other localities the wall il faced
with large bricks Of a finer quality
than most Of those now manufac.
tured in the western world.
China Made Great Wall Great.
''Good engineers designed the wall.
Rain water accumulating on the top
is carried away by stone drains set
at intervals Of about 100 feet. The
fine preservation Of much Of the
wall is owing to the foresight in
providing these drains. More than
$4,000 towers were built along the
wall at intervals ranging from 100
yards to a mile.
THE first disconnected walls along
the northern frontier Of China were
probably constructed as early az 400
B. c., when Xerxes was invading
Greece. But the ruler who made
the Great Wall great came two and
a half centuries later. Chin Shin
Huang-ti, who tried to brush aside
previous Chinese history, and who
insisted on being called First EN-
peror.' Improving existing walls
md erecting new ones. Chin created
the first extensive system Of defen-
sive rampartA Probably a thou
sand miles Of wall was built In If
teen years under this First Emper-
or and his immediate successor.
The structure has been extended
and repaired at intervals during the
past 1900 years. During the past
800 years no extensive repairs have
been made, and many Of the less
carefully built sections Of the long
rampant are falling into decay"
APPROVE PEACE PARK BILL
WaShington, Feb. 24.-(R)-FuSin