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"10"
September 11, 1939.
Frontier
Defences
of
France
By Major-General
SIR C. W. GWYNN.
TO GREATER safeguard has been devised in
to the strongest French works han been thrown cut some ten miles East of the town, and with a left on the Meuse at the Dutch frontier.
No Western Europe, than the the Meuse should never again full
The defences of Llego now insure at the tunnels on the East bank of
into the hands of an lavader,
Von
formidable systems of fron- Schlieffen's plans have warned Bel- Lier defences constructed by im that she cannot rely on an respecting the neutrality France and Belgium. The of Holland; and the construction of the Meuse-Antwerp Canal, has given great sums spent on them a new means of meeting the danger. The Canil Joins the Meuse at the have been well invested.
left of the Liene defencer tid, capable of taking shipping up to
2,000 tons. forum # formidable
not dificult 10 defend. especially as approaches
it re
Although Belgium relies nuumiy on
defences In constricting the HONGKONG HOTEL
the lessons of the last War have platele GARAGE
been fully applied to the parti- covered by an outpost line of pill Phones: 27778-9cular conditions of terrain in the boxes along the frontier.
different sectors of the frontier region. The deep dug-outs first her frontier line of defence, she has in evidence in the Somme Battle, modernised the defences of Namur:
pill and thence to Antwerp a feld de the reinforced
fence position gould be Held. Dehind boxes of the Passchendaele
that again, covering the coast and ridges, the resisting power of Haking up with Antwerp, the line of the Forts of Verdun, and the the Scheldt can be inundated. Thus complete principle of Works distributed Belgium has taken very
precautions not only to protect her in depth all find their counter frontier, but to keep the way open part in the new defences.
The
Hongkong Telegraph.
Wyndham St., Hongkong
'Phone 26615 September 11, 1939
Demographic Evolution
concrete
for the arrival of assistance even should her frontier defences for any!
So far we have considered defence
not
After 1870 France construct- reason fail.
the ed a defensive system in region of her Eastern frontier works, but what of the human cle- ament? Works are valueless unless It became sa powerful that military necessity for Germany property garrisoned. In the face of a deliberate attack, neither country! to invade Belgium in order to has much to fear. The chief danser was would be that the long line of fron- turn it. But the system
absorbed and im- undue proportion of the designed mainly to afford pro- tier defences has
ultim" resources and man power tection for the deployment of mobilised France's field armies, to block available. It is, however, certain main avenues of move- berate attack that the two countries a bolt from the blue, made more practicable through ment, and to provide pivots of chiefly feared, but a manoeuvre for the field armies the development of mechanical trans when deployed. The well-known port. To meet this danger a condi Trousee de Charmes, for exam. ton of immediate readiness of fron- ple, was intentionally left as a garrisons must consist of well the gap in the defences, providing opportunities for counter attack should the German invaders at- tempt to penetrate through it.
No
tier garrisons is essential, and those
men.
trained.
Hague
Nijmegen HOLLAND
Antwerp
BE
L
Namur Maubeuge
GLUM
Cologne
GERMANY
Liége
ARDENNES
Coblenz Frankfort
"Ne
Longw
Bri
Verdunk
Toul
F
R A
Strassbourg SE
Fortresses
Heavy Fortifications ★
Pill Boxes ******
Miles
50.
SWITZERLAND
MY BOY IS
JUST 19
-by ELLEN
FRANCE
CONSCRIPTION is like thousands of other young men. nothing new to me. In He'll have to try to it to their
pattern.
0%
of a mob.
A curious fact has become apparent during 1938 in regard to demographic matters. This is that, in many countries where the birth rate had for a long time past been decreasing from year to year, not only has the backward movement censed, but the curve has resumed an
France, we know, maintains strong covering force, with a High upward tendency. In Europe,
proportion of professional soldiers at Australia, where I was born, it He won't care for that. He thinks short call in her frontler regions; was called Universal Training, and talks a lot about the rights of the this is the case, for example, in
He dresses so that you the United Kingdom, Belgium, The new system is of a different and to provide a force of sufficient and I remember when it came į Individual.
size and training lengthened the
In Bel-into force in 1909 there was a can't miss him, and it's his own money, A belt rum of conscript service.
of public good deal of talk, for and be pleased at finding himself just one 'can't say anything. He won't the Netherlands, the Ballic order. It is in the strictest sense
a frontier defence system.
opinion are not satisfied that the against. States, Switzerland, the three extending along the whole frontier, gium, however, sections
as far as practicable impregnable attem of conscript service, which
My father, who was a lawyer, laid But I don't know: I think it may be Scandinavian kingdoms; while, every point; thought naturally works varies from eight months to thirteen
the fact that it was the good for him. After all, a boy of 10 are of a more claborate
character months according to the particular stress on outside Europe, it is the case where the nature of the terrain pro- area, would provide men sufficiently first time the principle of universaloughin't to think of himself as walk- liability to training was made law infing through life on his own. (I don't vides facilities for invasion.
an English-speaking community, in reckon the girls, they'll do their best. in United States of America,
Let us follow, the general scheme Obviously, for many months of the
to keep him company.) time of peace. New Zealand. from South to North.
year the "riny would not consist of
My brother and other young men Australia and
We've all got to fit in with other trained men. It is true that in the Siguifleant Agures are given on To guard against the possibility of Ardennes sector regiments of Cyclists between 18 and 26 welcomed their people, whether we like it or not, and. time in camp as n kind-of-yearly whether it's peace time or war. If invasion through Switzerland the and Chasseurs des Ardennes
holiday. But when in 1017 during we can't learn to fit in we can't be this subject in the Statistical | roads through the
reservists mountains of formed front local
Great War the Australian happy. And if we refuse obsolutely Savoy and the Jura are blocked by men of particular tasks. They form Government tried to bring in a full to do that sort of thing the majority
with special training and know-the Year-Book of the League of small forts and concrete pill boxes. ledge
of something
military think is right, they call us lunatics, compulsory of corps d'elite. But in measure Nations which has just been North of that the Rhine forms a
great frontier-
referendum. -- Later, even the train- published. In the United King- the ler-moat, and hus. behind other parts of the frontier the situn-service, the people turned it down by and put us away.
socond line of the Vosgestor
tion is not so satisfactory, especially
LIFE PULLS HIM AWAY mountains-obstacles easily strength- If one visualises an unexpected blowing scheme was dropped, chiefly be- dom, the number of births rose, ened, especially now that the whole falling on nucleus garrisons of half-cause it cost too much.
And here it is, the same old pro- system has been rendered more effec- traded men under cover of a long
blem, in England, just us my boy's in the period from 1935 to 1938, tive by the extension of the French spring night.
railways into Alsace.
On the whole, however, it is only turned 19, from 711,000 to
TO BE LIKE THE OTHERS 735,000; in
The critical section of the frontier the possible failure of the human
element that gives any it leaves the Belgium, over the same period, really begins where
ment to an aggressor Rhine and runs enclosing the all- it rose from 127,000 to 130,000; important Bricy area to the Belgian desi consequences
systems is clearly an frontier near Longwy, at the south- and the existence in the Netherlands, from 170,- west corner of Luxembourg. This terrent to aggressive action.
sector is the natural and often used 000 to 178,000; in Sweden, gate
cate for invasion by German armies, from 85,000 to 93,000, etc.
and here the French engineers have In and
done their utmost to close the door. the United States, in the same the general character of the works The details are, of course, secret, but years, the figure rose from is well known, large forls mutually supporting each other, and, with the
it
The Hongkong Motor Accessory Co., Ltd. (2,155,000 to 2,300,000; in Aus-intervals further defended by con-
22 DES VOEUX ROAD, 2nd FLOOR
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Rolný GARMENTS
ON SALE
be extremely interesting to
crete pill boxes and wire obstacles, tralia, from 111,000 to 120,000; forming an impassable barrier, in New Zealand, from 23,900 to Absolutely bomb and shell-proof accommodation and underground 27,200. This development will communications have been construet-
ed, and failure of the human
cle- Iment is the only possible danger in To make case of surprise attack. assurance doubly sure, the fortresses
Verdun, of Thien-ville, Metz,
and modernised, Toul have been
und where necessary faced in the new direction, and they provide an extra protection to the Briey mines,
watch.
The Statistical Year-Book shows also that the population of the Union of Soviet Socialist
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8 Pedder Street. Tol. 21040.
$1 TIFFINS
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Also
China Bldg., Hongkong.
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Hankow Rd., Kowloon.
མ
From Longway westward along the Belgian frontier French
War, sus of January 1930, was 170,- tences, neglected before the
have now been provided, though on 500,000, und that the Reich, a more modest scalo than further East. Maubeuge has been modern- including Austria, the Sudetonised, and advantage has been taken Territory and Memel now has of natural obstacles and the possibi- Uties of forming Inundations. This 79,800,000 inhabitants. In Ger- sector must, however. be looked on as forming a second line to the pro- many proper, the birth rate tection afforded by the Belgian de
fences-for the defence schemes of continued to rise and in 1938 the two countries forma an integral
whole. reached the figure of 19.7% (as) against 14.7% in 1933). In Belgian defences. From Longway to Austria, the rise in the birth Liege the difficult Ardennes country rate is still small, but the num- to invasion and artificial defenres ber of marriages has been nearly doubled, rising from 46,- 000 in 1937 to 85,000 in 1938.
Let us now, therefore, look at the
forms a considerable natural barrier
take the form of pill boxes covering roads, linked up with demolition schemes. Defence, in death has not been neglected. At Linge the old works have bom modernised, but a more formidable new system similar
and
encourage-
HE
NO, I believe Michael-ought
to find out that there are other young men in the world, and learn to watch his step among them.
That sounds as if I'd spoilt him.. to risk
TELL have to go, of course. (My husband died when he was nine.) of failure,
Learn to shoot, I suppose. No, I've tried to keep him in order. of the defence and handle tanks. He'll have to learn He hasn't had all the things he's immense de-how to march about. He'll have to asked for, by any manner of means. try to look, walk, and answer Just But the fact is, mothers nowadays
haven't got the command our mothers' had,
GRIN AND BEAR IT
By Lichty
1. V. K. P+1 OR—AL JUhis merrend
"You said you caught seven fish last wook, yet the fish market sends we a bill for twelve!"
don't know the reason-modern life, dare say. It's to easy for a young fellow to get into a job and get a little money: not enough to make him independent of home, but enough to let him get about and find musements outalde. Home's there all the time, but the whole current of life pulls him away from it
It's easy for a nice-looking boy lo make friends his mother doesn't know about. And it's hard for her to keep him under her eye.
This conscription will give Michael the discipline that I can't give him. He'll have to jump to orders, keep step, be punctual, or they'll find a
make way to
him. Discipline's got to come from somewhere when a man's young. He hasn't got the
sease or
the experience, nine times out of ten, to sequire it for himself. It must. reach him from outside.
HEALTHY AND TIDY HEALTH, too.. Michael's
boy who is strong enough,
but he doesn't seem to care for games. He doesn't like making any kind of effort, that I can see. The sort of exercise he likes is table tennis, and The reads lot and swims.
him
Of course, none of this takes. into the open air; oven the swimming
is indoors. And his father's family
inclined to be a bit chesty. So if this
compulsory service keeps him out of doors, and makes him walk
bit more, I shan't have
Any objection.
Another thin!
that
thing. I've always noticed men who have been in the Services are usually tidy men. Handy, polish boots well, and they know how to put the joint in the oven. That's all to the good. I don't believe a man ought to be absolutely depen-- PLEASE Tum To Page 3.
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