ge. In the story of that siege will be
shown its topographic position. As bearing upon the subject of
mobilization, however, it is to be remembered that at this point,
Belgium, and not at France, was directed the main first mobilization
of the German army.

CHAPTER XXVI

FRENCH MOBILIZATION

French mobilization was smooth, but slow. France's great
disadvantage, making her mobilization slow, was that her regiments
were not territorially recruited, whereas the German army was
entirely based on territorial recruitment. Where it would take a
French regiment to receive its reserve men and be completed on war
footing in about four days, the German regiment could be completed
on war footing within four to five days. France in recognition of
this weakness had on her eastern borders special troops stationed
called "troops de couverture." Moreover, as has been pointed out,
all the French railways center in Paris, and the nearness of the
capital to the frontier is a gain as well as a source of danger.
Therefore, from the railways running to the frontier from Paris, and
from the strong garrison at the great Verdun to Belfort chain of
forts, France was able to bring into effect at once enough men to
present a strong face to the foe.

[Illustration: Navies of the Contesting Nations.]

Here Germany's reason for invading Belgium appeared. French
mobilization assumed the integrity of Belgium and Luxemburg. Her
mobilization was directed to the German frontier. Had Germany been
able to go through Belgium without an hour's delay the situation
would have been serious for France, for she mobilized on the wrong
front. Germany had correctly assumed that France would expect her to
abide by the treaties, and consequently by disavowing these
obligations had outguessed her Gallic neighbor. The speedy
mobilization of Belgium, and the heroic defense of that little land
by its gallant citizens, did much to alter the possible destinies of
the war, not because there was at any time any expectation that
Belgium would be able entirely to resist the passage of the armies
of the kaiser, but because the delay which her defense caused gave
the French troops time to mobilize in the direction whither the blow
was designed.

The first movement against Germany was when M. Eyschen, a member of
the cabinet of the Duchy of Luxemburg, drove in his motor car across
the great Adolf Bridge, which had been seized by Germany and
confronted the leading o