The Thames Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1911. NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. THE SEIGE OF PARIS. THE CITY'S FORTIFICATIONS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14900, 7 September 1914, Page 4

The Thames Star

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1911. NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. THE SEIGE OF PARIS. THE CITY'S FORTIFICATIONS.

Our Motto : Fear of None ; ■ Favour to None ; Justice to All.

Parlg wfasi described in. a- .retceoiit Geainari t article as the greatest fartirass in tho • "wwrMv amd-It is to be .hoped it ■will prove..to he- so. It poastetesiee .tihre-3 porfootly'-ddKitiiiipCifc rings of defences. The tiwti 'iiiiiiea', .the enaiemtie and the circle of detaidhed fotrite arotuirwi it, are* of the bastionied'type; they w'eire buiiti in the time of Louis Philippe, and with, very few additions! sustained the mega of 1870-71. T!ho outer •works, of more m;od©m. type!, forming 1 an eaitii'jicilied camp, whicih, in airea is rivailod .only by the Antwerp • system- of drafenieetf, weve built aiftier the ■EWn'OOrGcwnian. war. ITie enoiienjitei is nearly 22 niile« im perim'eteir, and haig 93 'bastions, .67 giitog, jwid nine railway passages. Th« igreatetf pait of tihe eoi.oienteihia.Sj .hojweivier, beeai gjiyen, •up, andi a laa"geo' omie prt>jeoted>—as' „. . , , • _:. ■„ I at Antwe^-by com^tmg, up Ibe old detached forts. These! forts, wihich effidured the ; .sitege in 1870-71, ha^Vet a, primeter of about 34 miles. They .nuimbav in all 17, iiin3 >ai'« lalugtmtented •by various .<?maill retdonubts. The nbw Wwkfci a.r» 1.1: imailGs' from' .the Ijurnwe __ji „• t, f i, , • a rm and! ei!£'ht from the euicienftei. They - '••,'.»,* „ . „" fort* 4-oKcte of 75 miles cirtoumfer- • en« 3, and it ia esttkaiated' thjat a.n

aimy which atirempteel fo'invasiti fl?lari's to-day Would Tiave to 'be at least ro*o,ooO fiittrong 1, iri-esipeotiiVe of all field nhijd. ■aorefl.'ing fotrtx^.' The acted defentee of the worlca, apart from, from, .troops temporarily cxMeiabed in the fortitied area-, would nieied stome 170,000 imien ornly. The entrenched: cntnp falls into three >ssee*ioiis, the north, the east, and; the .south-weist. 1h& foats have from 2i to 60 heavy guns, a.ad 600. to 1500 ; men eaich, the redoubts, •• batteries, and aranexe tiaittericiM generally 200 mtm and six gunst.