Evening star., 1934-01-19
FRENCH STEEL R|NG|
GIVEN INSPECTION
Fortifications Facing Rhine
Result of German Tend
encies to Armament.
~ The Associated Press.

Sy the Associated Press.
PARIS, January 19.-German de-
rnands for more guns and a standing
army OF 3oo,o 900, three times the num-
ber permitted under the Versailles
treaty, and her withdrawal from Gen.
eva have spurred France to fortify her
self against a recurrence of the days
Of 1914.
A massive French fortifcation sys-
tenn facing the Rhine Is the major
point in the preparations, and Minister
Of War Edouard Daladier IS anMously
watching its completion.
Rumors that some Of the concrete
used in the ring OF steel and cement
was defective caused him to send his
undersecretary, Guy La Chambre, on
three-day visit, which ended yesterday,
to supervise technical tests and to make
sure that every defense there Is ade-
quate.
Alliance Being welded.
While France stands pat on her
often-repeated declaration that any
change in Germany'S armed status
must come through the League OF Ma
tions and that peace" Is the first word
Of her creed, she is welding her alliance
with the little entente, tightening up
her army, and strengthening the from
tier Notifications.
On her eastern front she keeps her
eve on three points: The Belgian bor-
der across which the Germans poured
in 1914; the center section from Bel
gium to the Rhine. and the frontier
along which the Rhine forms, in part,
Q natural barrier
To date she has concentrated most OF
her efforts on the center section, where
she has spent 840, ,000,0 900 francs ($153,-
100000 at par) for iron and steel for
tiflcations.
During the last three years, in the
two regions of Metz and the Lauter
River, which flows into the Rhine. work
ers have been forging the links OF
l25-mile defense chain.
At some places great concrete struc-
lures have been built with a series Of
casements-shell-pr vaults from
which machine guns may be fired
linked by underground passages. They
are from to 18 miles apart. At dis
tances Of about every half mile are
concrete shelters built to Withstand
heavy bombardment and to House ma
chine guns.
Passages Under Ground.
Subterranean passages link many OF
tIlC WOlhS. dllo SAAA
be transported quickly from one to an
other on underground railroads.
The new Notifications are built al
most entirely underground. The sec
tions above are designed to conform to
the surrounding terrain.
The shelters are wired electrically for
heating, lighting and cooking; are ven
tilated by machinery that can expel
poisonous gases, and are equipped with
operating rooms, wells and rest rooms
SO deeply dug the vibrations of she'll
fire cannot reach them, it is said.
South of these Notifications, on the
French side of the Rhine, concrete
Notifications have been constructed at
points considered most vulnerable.
A more perplexing problem is pre-
sented on the Belgian frontier. To
date that line has been protected
mainly by flying fortresses," train
loads of rench-digging machines that
can be moved so rapidly that in
week they are supposed to be able to
dig a continuous system Of trenches
from the Saar Basin territory to the
North Sea.
Recently Daladier expressed concern
over the system and asked the Chamber
Of Deputies for credits for construct
ing Notifications to the sea.
In this connection Paul Hymans, Bel
gian Minister Of foreign affairs, said
Belgium will seek to develop her own
defensive system in cooperation with
the French.