The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-08-23
The Value Of Gibraltar 70 England.

4
1t will be evident that the value OF
Gibraltar TO England in wartime de-
pends entirely upon the inviolabiity OF
the adjacent bay. Our merchant
steamers and war-ships must be able to
coal, our transports TO embark men
and stores, in perfect security. Gibral
| tar Bay is inyiolabe only so long as
Spain permits it to be so. arying in
breadth from 5000 to 5000 wards, il is
now throughout its length brought
within practicable range of modern
guns mounted along the Spanish shore
while of its total circumference of more
than fifteen miles, only about three
miles belong to England. Krupp or
Armstrong is doubtless able and will.
ing to supply the guns in a very short
time. The cost of mounting them in
simple earthworks will be compare.
lively small, and if Plevna has any
meaning, the Remington rifle will
make them perfectly secure against a
landing party. All this is thoroughly
well understood in Spain, where the
Gibraltar question has been much dis.
cussed of late.
But, it may be said, our ironclads
would at the outbreak of war easily
silence and destroy these guns. The
experience of Alexandria points entirely
in the other direction, and rs artillery.
men the Spaniards might prove very
different TO Egyptians, Or, it may be
urged, the range, after all, is great. the
Spanish guns on the other side of the
bay would never hit our ships. But,
er hYpothcsS, it is necessary that the
latter should be able to lie safely at
anchor The Spaniards have merely
to shoot deliberately and in perfect
safety all day Expenditure of ammu-
milton need be no object to them, with
Spain at their backs and railway line
(now on the point of being construct
ed) to connect them with their aI'senals.
Allowing for plenty of bad shooting,
there will still be quite enough hitting
to deny Gibraltar Bay TO unarmored
and lightly armored ships, except
by night. 1t is conceivable that
people will be found to propose that we
should not permit Spain to mount these
guns and to construct this railway, but
such q view hardly seems TO need refu-
tation. Considering that our guns
now command the Spanish town OF
Linea, at short range, and that Gibral-
tar is undergoing a continuous process
of strengthening and rearmament ii
would be an outrage upon international
justice to deny to the Spaniards the
right to mount what they pleased
whenever they pleased.
The unavoidable conclusion, that
Spain can now, without any grand
effort, render the bay and with it the
fortress Of Gibraltar useless to England,
should not be shirked or lightly put
aside. Per contra, the guns of Gibral-
tar render the bay useless to Spain or
her allies. In case of war, therefore,
the military position is one of stalemate.
There is an alternative, however,
which must be stated At the outset
of war, England might seize Algeciras
and the adjacent territory across the
bay. This means, practically, the oc-
| cupation of Andalusia, and those who
know the country are best able TO form
an idea of the magnitude of the opera
ton. In other words, if involved in a
European war, Spain being hostile, il
may be necessary for us to embark on
a considerable campaign for the indi-
rect object of securing the advantages
of the possession Of Gibraltar, though ii
might wellhappen that this campaign
would have no direct bearing on the
main issue. To enter on war with
hands tied in a way perfectly under
stood by possible enemies, is never a
| satisfactory position. But the very
! possession of Gibraltar means hostile
Spain, and the weight of that hostility
is limited only by her military strength.
That strength may at any time assert
itself to an extent which has not been
suspected, and the recovery of Gibral.
tar, or the naturalization of its value to
England, is to such nation precisely
the kind Of object to arouse enthusiasm
and TO create q new point of military
| departure. Moreover, even if the
power Of Spain were TO remain as weak
as it is sometimes assumed to be,
thing short Of an unquestioned mill
ary advantage of primary Importance
should determine us 20 accept her GER
tain hostility, in the event of a war with
a Mediterranean power. The cession
or exchange of Gibraltar may at any
time become political question of the
first order, and its aspects should be
studied in advance; while the compare
tive advantages of Ceuta call for care
tul consideration. AT least, it is to be
hoped that the retention Of the place
may not ignorantly be deemed test OF
patriotism, as was the idle abuse
Of Russia few years ago. The moral
aspects of the question have been care
fully avoided. 1t is sufficient to note
that, while Nature seems to have de-
cided that Gibraltar should belong
to Spain, it may prove, strangely
enough, that modern artillery will vim
dictate her decision. London Spectator.
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Kate Field saws: .sTha WAY 1pnrnen