THE FATE OF FORTRESSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 2 November 1914, Page 6

THE FATE OF FORTRESSES.

NEWS THAT HAS NOT COME. One of tho most mysterious of all the •T«nti shrouded in the fog of war wlych •overad much of the German advance tl.jough France at the end of August una the fate of tho French northern fortresses of Lille, Laon, La Fere and Reims. These were known to be strong places and wore supposed to 'be capable of prolonged resistance. Yet they appear to have, fallen with one swoop. Not a word about this extraordinary phase of the war ever readied us in t'be cable news, nor does it Beem to have been reported even in the English paperi The Time 3 military correspondent on Bth September said:—'"We need explanation of tho surrender* of Lill« La Fere, Laon, and Keims. . . Tho loss of all theso places i* a serious disadvantage to the Allied cause, as it cmahles the Germans to use the railway*." The only authentic news appears io be that of the Berlin Lokal Anzeiger, which, on the 4th September, observed that the French Government assured the public and t)he English newspapers that Laon and l-a, Fere would i'old out for a conside. hie time ag:ftn-:t the Germans, but those positions were captured almost without a blow beiig .struck. "It may now ibo 'disclosed, savs the German newspaper, "that Austrian motor batteries, wihieh consist of two 12-inch, guns mounted on automobiles 'have been co-operating with the German Jieavr artillery in the work of reducing the" northern fortresses. Tin' mobility and accuracy of these guw live been highly praised by the Headquarters Staff."