The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-11-23
ABOUT GIBRALTAR.
DENIED THAT IT is AN IMPREG.
NABLE FORTRESS.
frspeh Critics Declare h FRY -
Large WIN No Longer Regain flbral-:
tar as tho stronghold the Enslisb
Claim It to Be.

Revue; d'Armee ct de Marine anu OH
ers are expressing the views that Glib
raltar is not such q formidable defense5
Of British interests on the shortest
road to India as is usually believed.
The Revue sd'Armee ct de Marine has
Just given a detailed history Of the
works undertaken by Great Britain at
Gibraltar since 1895. The Tour del
Monde and other journals, also, are
having much to say on the suDlect.
Their criticisms are based In part upon5
the pamphlet which MI. Gibson Bowles9
printed a while ago under the title,Ss
Gibraltar, a National Danger"
which he maintains that the prevail
ing faith in the i~mpregnability OF the
ramous rock is a delusion. The French
writer's declare that there is nothing
new in this view. They quote Older
British authorities in support of this
idea, among them Gen. Codrington,
formerly governor Of Gibraltar, b
maintained that the place was Moth
ing but a scarecrow to frighten people
who did not know the real facts about
1t. The French journals say that the
works begun by the British govern
ment in 1896 are to be completed In
1905 and 1906. They consist Of a large
torpedo station, a great dry dock and
two new piers, all strongly fortified.
The critics declare that the particular
ly weak point in the enterprise is that
all these works are to be erected on
the west side of Gibraltar, and now,
when nearly $6,O00,0O0 have been ex-@
pended, experts come forward and de-
clare that 1t is most unwise to build
the improvements on the west side OF
Gibraltar. They say the works will
be exposed there to a ruinous fire from
Spanish batteries on the opposite side
Of Algeciras bay, about four miles dis
sant, should Spain take it into her
head to erect batteries on her side OF
he coast. The fact is that the Spanish
have already studied the question Of
batteries and other military works near
Gibraltar. A part of their army Is
now kept in the neighborhood and q
series of Notifications has been reared
Ill around the north and west side Of
Gibraltar. The works extend from the
Sierra Carbonara, which is just north
If the neutral strip separating the
rock from the Spanish territory north
If it, all along the shore Of the bay to
he west, terminating at Carnero
Point, which ends the shore line on
he west. side of the bay. Tbs author
II this Spanish military idea is Major
Garcia tRoure, who estimates that 70
pieces of large caliber placed at equal
Intervals along one-third Of this line
might at one and the same time \ct
their projectiles on Gibraltar from q
distance of 1900 to 5000 meters, and
could easily reduce the works now
5uilding and also the much Wanted
fortress. Mr.. Bowles obtained the
plans of these projected Spanish works
which he published to the world with
the warning that no military authority
:buld advise the carrying out Of the
Undertaking already far. advanced on
The west side Of the fortress. In his
opinion the British should be content
10 lose the money they have. put into
:hese nncompleted structures and
should begin the work all over again
IN the east side Of Gibraltar. There
would certainly be little or no danger
from the fire Of Spanish batteries on
the east side of the rock, but unfor-s
tunately for Mr.. Bowles' proposition
the rock on that side is almost precip-5
|ttous, and the base of it is, not well
adapted for the carrying out of the de-
sired improvements: Although the
French critics declare that the trans
ference of the work to the east side
seems almost impracticable, a British
commission appointed to investigate
the matter has agreed with Mr.. Bowles.
view and submitted a plan for con-lS
structing the works on the east side.
IIt remains to be seen whether the plan
is really feasible. In any event, the
French critics declare, the world at
large will no longer regard Gibraltar as
the impregnable fortress OF inestimable'
importance to British interests which
the English jingoes have always held
tito be.-New York Sun.
His First Business Venture.
An American capitalist. who has
made q fortune Running far into the
millions, likes to tell = story Of his
Hsck4 hilalnnau nnk,srnA h0u, IT,