| Show I DEFENSES DOT CZECH BORDER BORDERON ON THE GERMAN GERMAN-CZ GERMAN CZECHO CHO- CHO SLOVAK SLOVAK- FRONTIER Near Chras Chras- tava Sept 19 UP Tens P-Tens Tens of thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of ot young well fed Czechoslovak vak soldiers afraid neither of war wa warnor warnor nor work are massed in formidable fortifications in readiness for shots which may signal new European conflict Miles and miles of reinforced conCrete concrete con con- Crete and steel fortresses stretch across the mountain range which for centuries has been the natural natura boundary between Bohemia and am what is now nazi Ge Germany many Cz Czechoslovak officers told m me proudly Our defense line i is stronger than Frances France's Maginot line It is newer and more modern in construction Beginning at the frontier which itself is only lightly guarded th the defense positions spread in all di directions di- di They cover mountain I summits steep slopes and level fertile fertile fertile fer fer- fer- fer tile valleys In some places soldiers guard field gun emplacements with emplacements with guns already in place and ready for lor action while action while peasants with long log scythes cut hay a few tew yar yards s away From one particularly high peak a long line of antitank defenses defense stretches as ta far as the eye can see Firmly embedded In the ground ar are cast iron crossbars which loo look something like a aa carpenters carpenter's saw saw- horse They are placed side by side their tops and bottoms held firmly together by rivets In two lines line about eight feet apart these bars bar are intertwined with heavy barbed barbe wire The Czechoslovaks say that in tests these barriers have demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated demon demon- their effectiveness in halting halting halting halt halt- ing tanks In front of these lines and behind them are what appear to be lines line of wheat shocks and hay stacks Closer inspection however discloses disclose that they conceal a maze of machine machin gun nests many with cement emplacements emplacements emplacements em em- placements and others with new Czechoslovak manufactured weapons weapons weapons ons set in the bare ground Sentries with rifles guard these emplacements emplacements emplacements ments night and day War Var materials of every kind have haye been assembled in hidden munitions depots deep in the forest forest forest for for- est where only an occasional hiker might penetrate Secret flying flying flying fly fly- ing fields for emergency military use are hidden under cover of wooded estates Bridges and roads are mined blockhouses dot the landscape am and sentries sentries' everywhere demand precise precis identification before allowing travelers travelers travelers trav trav- elers to enter the fortified zone Identification must be given again when travelers leave Main highways near the fortifications fortifications fortifications are barricaded in hundreds o of places |
