St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-06-26

can squadron are always the most
powerful and up-to-date of the British
navy. Their crews are picked men, and
only the most able officers are chosen for
the command. Indeed, it is no exagger-
alton to describe England's fleet in the
Mediterranean as the cream of her navy
and Tor sailor or an officer to have be-
longed thereto indicates that he is rated
high in his particular branch OF the ser
vice.
England appreciates, as do the foreign
powers, that the Mediterranean consti-
tutes the most vulnerable portion of her
line of communication with India, Aus
tralia and the far Orient. To such an
extent is this recognized that naval and
military strategists, as well as states
men OF high and low degree, are con-
WINGED that the Mediterranean is des-
tined to be the theatre of the next Euro
pean war in which England becomes in.
volved. No hostile power would dream
of engaging England's Channel fleets
close to her great arsenals and naval
bases until it had disposed of her Med
lterranean squadron; and as it seems to
be generally taken for granted that in
the next great European conflict no time
will be wasted in ultimatums and other
prelimlnaries, but that each beligerent
will endeavor by striking the first blow
to obtain that most important of all
things in war, the initial advantage,
England's Mediterranean fleet is kept all
the year round in perfect fighting trim,
with its full complement of men, guns
and ammunition, ready for hostilities at
an hours notice.
This will enable the reader to form
some idea OF the Importance OF Gibral-
tar to England, and to appreciate why
there is less chance of its being surrender
ed or exchanged than ever before. 1t
has been argued that with the introduc-
ton OF steam navigation and ordnance
OF immense range the value of Gibraltar
tor strategic purposes has declined. But
a few moments of reflection will suffice
to dispel this notion. For if nowadays
the use of steam enables shipping pass
ing through the straits to avoid the
strong current, which used to sweep
sailing vessels under the very muzzles Of
the old time guns, the new ordnance with
which the Rock" is now armed is of
such range that it is literally able to
sweep the entire straits, and thus to
command the entrance to the Mediter-
ranean to far greater degree than ever
before.
Moreover, as a fortress Gibraltar is
virtually impregnable. The embrasures
for the great guns are cut in the natural
rock, against which the heaviest projec
tiles would prove of no avail. Few peo-
pie, indeed, have any idea of the mar
vellous strength OF the place, or what
has been done for it in a defensive way
by past masters of the science of mill.
tary engineering. The defences are sell
dom, il ever, shown to strangers. The
usual descriptions of them as bristling
with ornaments are purely imaginary.
1t may be sufficient, however, to state
that guns and batteries, for the most
part masked, command not only the
straits, but likewise the bay to the rear
of the rock, and the heights above AL
geciras-that is to say, beyond the Span
ish lines.
Three years ago, at the time Of the
American war with Spain, the latter
threw up some earthworks above AL
geciras and was about to mount artil-
lery there, when the Madrid gov
eminent received curt and peremptory
intimation from the English Ambassa-
dor, Sir Henry Drummond Wolff, that
continuance of the works would be con-
strued, as an untriendly act. Spain had
no alternative but to abandon them,
and there is no doubt that were she to
resume them the English would again
give utterance to the yelled threat COM
municated by Sir Henry, and, if that
proved OF no avail, night invoke the as
sistance of their guns on the Crock"
which command the Spanish heights, to
prevent the continuance of the works.
Indeed, there is little danger to be ap-
pretended from that source, and all
those who have been stationed at the
"Rock," and who are in any way &C
quainted with the nature Of its defences,
have with one accord ridiculed the fears
voiced in parliament by Mr.. Bowles as
to the danger which Spain constituted
to this English stronghold.
There is only one thing that could
really impair the value to England of
Gibraltar as the stronghold command
ing the entrance of the Mediterranean
This is il some great power were to Sc
cure possession of the second Pillar Of
Hercules on the northernmost point of
Africa just opposite Gibraltar, and con-
vert it into a stronghold resembling the
latter. This African Pillar of Hercules
forms part of Morocco, a country which
Lord Salisbury has on several occasions
described as constituting a greater
source of International jealousy and dis
cord and greater menace to the peace
Of the great powers of Europe than
Egypt, China, Turkey or the Balkans.
France, supported by Russia, as well as
Germany, Italy and England, are all
struggling for predominance in that
country. France controls the principal
ecclesiastical dignitary of the country,
the Shereef of Waxan, who is a Gallo
subject, while England has the whip
hand OF the Moorish army through its
commander-n-chief, who is Scottish
laird. Were it not for this international
jealousy on the subject of Morocco, the
shocking barbarism which prevails there
would never have been allowed to exist
until now under the very windows of
Europe. England realizes that she
could not get possession of Morocco
herself without going to war about it.
She cannot afford to let France or Rus
STA secure it, or Germany, or Italy. But
she would like to see it in the possession
of the United States, the only power up
on which she can rely to side with her
against any European coalition.-[New