THE MAGINOT LINE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 130, 3 June 1937, Page 25

THE MAGINOT LINE

FRANCE EXTENDING IT '

FRISH FRONTIERS TO GUARD

PROBLEM OF BELGIUM

The French Chamber has approvedthe Government's defence programme, which includes, among other things, the extension of-the Maginot Line along the Swiss and Belgian frontiers, wrote the Paris correspondent of the "New Yorfc Times" recently. This line of steel and concrete, on which the French General Staff has long been at ■work,'now cuts across the valley of the Shine and Moselle. Its extension, so as to meet the .threat of possible invasion through Switzerland and the danger inherent in Belgium's neutrality policy, will fgiye: Trance what is hoped will prove .impregnable defences from Jura mountains to Dunkirk on the English Channel. There are many difficulties in the ■way of carrying out the-desires of the General Staff. . The.:, Franco-Belgian frontier, for instance, presents almost insuperable obstacles to adequate defence, yet that very region _has!been the historic channel of invasion as far back as military records go. ..'..... the French'see only one hope— to'fortify the frontier tso strongly;!,that the Germans will, be discouraged in advance, or if they attack that they can be halted in their tracks. Along the Italian frontier fortification has gone on. sporadically. But no "line" is needed, because of the mountainous country. The French, moreover, are not worried about an invasion from this direction. ' That the defence scheme embodied in the Maginot .Line has caught the imagination, of European military men is shown by the reports that both Germany and the Soviet Union are building: this new type of fortification. Poland, according to recent announcement, is about to build under French direction and with French loans a "Maginot,Line" along the Polish-Ger-man border. . , THE LESSON OF VERDUN. . The'JFrench learned the value of defensive'fortifications during the World War, when Verdun resisted an unbelievably powerful attack. ' After the war Andre Maginot, both a» Deputy and Minister of War; pushed through Parliament a programme for the fortifications which now bear his" name.Though it was planned to fortify the whole frontier eventually (/ the enormous cost—estimated at more than £400,000 a mile—made' a modest beginning necessary.' The first work was naturally on that part, of the frontier

contiguous to Germany, and in this region the historic! routes ofi invasion along the Moselle Valley and across the Lauter Eiver were considered vital. The work on these two sections of we Maginot Line is virtually completed. Defences consist of a chain of casements of various sizes, -armed with cannons; anti-aircraft .gtins,'- machineguns,'and rifles, whose fire covers every inch of ground dn those regions. . f At certain points, where heavier armament is justified, there are works of fantastic and terrible strengthmountains that are disguised forts, with, tracks and galleries inside them, stores of foodstuffs, a ventilation system to drive out poison gas, munition dumps, kitchens, telephones, dynamos, engines; electric lights—even heat. ..: As these two regions began to take shape, the question of extending the line began to be discussed. French eyes turned towards the Rhine again. Since the river formed a natural barrier that an army would find difficult to cross, there was no need for any? thingso ambitious as "fortified regions." Two "sectors" were/therefore established—one for the lower Rhine, «ihe other for the upper Rhine. COVERING THE BRIDGES. The idea was first to cover the bridges, particularly the two easiest crossings—Neuf Brisach; and , Marckhblsheim. Behind 'are': the . old forts that have always .dominated the Rhine, and two relatively light lihes of .concrete and steel, fortresses arid'blockhouses, connected .in; many.jcases -by galleries and generally aurmed, .with mountain guns and.: jns»chine-«uns; Visitors to 'the .area;havei'seeri miles and miles of terrain where railroad rails have been stuck vertically in concrete, so closeto each other that tanks cannot pass. This system is now, .virtually completed, and is constantly being strengthened. ' When it became apparent that the Saar would be lost to France, that gap had also to be closed. Work- is continuing, and the defences are .practically completed. . The Maginot Line now ends at Longuyon, near the south-east corner of Belgium. Military experts say that it is not a strong place for the end, and that it can be turned without great difficulty. This is particularly true, because the Montmedy Gap lies just west of Longuyon. This gap, formed by a valley of the two rivers Vire and Ton, is one ,of the easiest corridors into France.. -h .• / <;■, *:'y': "'':■'■''.„',', Now the French intend to close this gap with a very strong lock indeed. Work, started about" a year ago, and within another year France will have a powerful fortified sector, swinging in a rough arc in front of Montmedy, and making a tactical conjunction with Longuyon.' .-:...• n •..-:-.. The next gap, and a; far more serious one, is caused by the Meuse River where the French frontier juts sharp-

ly northward like a spearhead, with Givet at the point and Mezieres at the base. . It is realised, as a result of an 'unhappy experience in 1914, that a German offensive might be Impaled* on the spearhead of Givet, and so a powerful fortification will probably be built there. French engineers are studying an ingenious plan- 'to turn the valleys of the Meuse and Chiers above Mezieres into valleys of mud by placing a dam across the Meuse and preventing proper drainage of the region.. Then, with heavy forces on the heights south of the Meuse and the 'Chiers Eivers, the French would be, in a strong position. . DIFFICULT PROBLEM. As one moves furthei; west the problem seems to become > virtually "insoluble. This is a vital' industrial area which France has never been able to defend. The natural line of defence for the Ois gap—the door to this region —is'and always will be on the Meuse, from Givet -to. Namur, and along the Sambre, but .this-is in Belgian territory, and Belgium now must be, counted out of French defence plans. ' A relatively heavy line of fortifications has been built to cover Maubeiige and Valenciennes, and the talk now is of establishing a second line further south. ( ~. . , Now, comes the sector of the- great; industrial, cutes of xme,fTourcoirigrand Roubaix—France's:chief;"-"textile\ ; cehtte. During the, World WarjliiUe was abandoned as impossible'to^defencL: One must ipresumel that it is* doomed to remain ans!!'open/- -city".Whenever war •comes,-again. 1"," '-. 'i/- ■'*'''"."■ _ ,• That'leaves the remainder or the Belgian frontier—from Armentieres to Dunkirk —to be accounted for. Though the only really, feasible terrain on. which to defend this region is in Belgium, there is a-possibility of flooding the area around Bunkirk. This: is now being studied. If France cannot make the Belgian frontier impregnable, she can make it infinitely more difficult.to cross than it was in 1914." Within a year niost-of the work should be done. Meanwhile, attention will also, be turned to the Basle gap and the Swiss frontier. Treaty restrictions that go back to 1815 prevent fortifications within a radius of about seven, and a half miles of the Swiss city of Basle. When the French announced that the Maginot Line would be continued south along the Swiss frontier, it was presumed that France intends to ask Switzerland for permission to build fortifications within the neutral zone. . » If the Swiss permit, France can establish a solid line from the Jura Alps to Dunkirk. It will be of unequal strength, but even along the Belgian frontier it is hoped that reinforcements by "mobile fortresses" and secondary lines of defence, will permit France to withstand another invasion. , ~.,-,