Supplimnii h, I.ANM1 .IXD Water, Fcbniuv li, 1015 
improved since 1870, and arc to-day much better equij ped 
lu handle lieavy traffic. Paris is, like London, the centre 
of tiie different railways, and in order to get from 
one system to another one must generally go via Paris. 
Lines, such as the Grande and Petite Ceintures, in Paris arc 
at present of enormous importance, as they enable troop 
trains to be transferred from one main system t(j another. 
When the present war broke out the French \\'ar Minister 
divided the nation into two zones : that of the armies, ard 
that of the interior, separated from each other by a line of 
demarcation, the first zone being controlled by the military 
authorities, the second one remaining under the control of 
the railway companies. The French mobilisation was carried 
out in a very businesslike way, and the ordinarv train services, 
although greatly curtailed, were kept running, although no 
attempt was made to keep time. In addition to their own 
army, the F"rench railways had to carry the British Expedi- 
tionary Force, as well as the constant streams of reinforce- 
ments, ammunition, and war material from England, and 
our wounded and sick returning home. The Indian troops, 
as well as the French African troops, had to be transferred 
from Marseilles to the front— a distance of at least 650 miles. 
In the theatre of war in France and Belgium the French have 
at this moment a magnificent railway net at their disposal, 
which, without doubt, is playing a very important part in the 
campaign by enabling commanders to transfer troops quickly 
to any part of the fighting line. 
From a military point of view Germany has undoubtedly 
the finest railway system in Europe, as one can go from one 
part of Germany to another bj' several routes without passing 
through the capital. It has been well known that Germany's 
arrangements for mobilisation were very complete— even to 
the painting on C'very German wagon the number of men and 
horses it can carry — and that a war time table, issued as 
occasion demands, is always in the hands of the railway 
authorities, and can be put into operation at a very short 
notice. In place of that of normal times the withdrawal of 
most of the ordinary passenger trains is, of course, one of its 
principal features. 
After the Franco-German War, Bismarck, who had 
grasped the importance of railways in warfare, initiated his 
policy of railway nationalisation from purely strategic reasons. 
In recent years the Germans have built many short strategic 
lines of the greatest importance on the French, Belgian, and 
Russian frontiers. On the line from Strasburg to Miilhausen, 
for instance, a number of branches have been built which end 
about 8 to 10 miles from the frontier, and at these stations 
the siding accommodation is far in excess of the demands of 
the ordinar\' traffic. Similarly, on the Russo-German 
frontier a great number of strategic railways has been created 
and maintained at a heavy expense for a number of years 
with no other object save their usefulness in war. During 
the last few years the Russian Government have been very 
active in improving the railway lines on their Western 
frontier, and commenced to duplicate the lines. It is 
extremely probable that the Russian activity in railway 
construction, which had barely commenced, decided Germany 
to anticipate events, since she feared that the increase in the 
Russian railway system would allow of a rapid concentration 
on her frontier of large masses of troops. 
All the European railways use the standard gauge of 
4 ft. 8J in. — the same as in England — except Russia, where 
the gauge is 5 ft. This break of gauge was adopted for 
strategic reasons, so as to prevent the use of railways by 
foreign rolling stock in case of invasion ; but it is doubtful if 
tliis gauge at the frontier may not in war time be very 
disadvantageous. No invading army can run troop trains 
into Russian territory ; but, on the other hand, Russia will 
experience the same difficulties when invading Germany. It 
is, however, possible to change a railway gauge, and this was 
done in the Russo-Japanese War, when the Japanese converted 
the Russian lines in Manchuria to a 3 ft. 6 in. gauge. The 
alteration was effected at the rate of about 5 miles of line 
per day, as the field army did not move at a very great pace. 
To prevent the Russians altering the gauge of the railway in 
case they should recapture the ground lost the Japanese cut 
the sleepers down as much as possible, so that they were 
useless for any reconstruction 
Railways may be employed both for offensive and 
defensive measures. A handful of men armed with a small 
riuantity of high explosives can hold up an army for a 
considerable time by blowing up a bridge or a tunnel. In 
the great retreat to Paris it is reported that on the Northern 
Railway of France alone some 1.30 bridges were blown up. 
The repairing of destroyed bridges and tunnels is a very 
important factor when an army advances, and special 
engineers for this kind of work are attached to a modern 
{Continued on page xiil) 
1 HI 5—191 5 
The House of Hazel has 
siqpHcd British Officers 
equipment increasingly 
^rom the time of Waterloo 
to this — the very eve of 
the Waterloo centenary. 
Hasel "Gubercot" Weathtrpnof, 
specially de^iined for present 
Active Service conditions. £4 4 
Officers' 
Complete 
Campaigning 
Kits by . . . 
51a Berners St., London, W. 
TELEPHONE : REGENT 4960. 
TELEGRAMS: "WESTAZEL, LONDON' 
Reports from the trenches have already confirmed the all- 
round trustworthiness of Hazel equipment — of the quality, 
correctness, and thoroughness of the materia! and workmanship. 
The "Hazel" Weatherproofs, manufactured from "Gabercot" 
(a cotton material) and from "Gabersted" (a combination of 
cotton and worsted cloth), both spun, woven, and proofed to 
provide the maximum of wet resistance, iave an interlining 
made of special proofed fabric between the outer material and 
the fleece lining ; it is impossible for moisture to penetrate. 
The "Gabercot" and "Gabersted" Service Weatherproofs 
are the dependable assurance of comfort and health under 
the most exacting conditions. 
Price List & Patterns 
on Application. 
Jacket, waterproofed 
serge or whipcord 
£3 
1 
6 
Trouscra, waterproofed 
serge or whipcord 
£1 
3 
6 
Breechet, waterproofed 
Bedford cord, buck- 
skin strappings - 
£2 
10 

Great Coat, water- 
proofed Melton- 
£3 
19 

British Warm, water- 
proofed Melton, lined 
fleece . - _ 
£3 


Cap - . - 
£0 
15 

Sam Browne Belts, 
complete - - - 
£2 
12 
6 
"Gabercot " Weather- 
proof, as above - 
£4 
4 

Perfect fitting assured by 
our self-measurement form. 
^ i^uMyiiiiMi ^ 
Also makers of Rank and File CIothinf< and Hquipments. 
Rank and File Dept.: 66/73 East Rd., City Rd., London, E.G. 
Armv Clnth«. Sertfes and Drills. 
Uniform Clothinit and Caps. 
Military and Trupical Helmets. 
Web and Leather Accoutrements, 
Shirts, Hosiery, and Necessaries. 
Maxim Rifle Silencers. 
Branches t 6 YORK PLACE, LEEDS f 84 MILLER STREET, 
GLASGOW; and 137 LONGMARKET STREET. CAPE TOWN. 
XI 
