The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-17
French Denials That It is an Impreg-
 nable Fortress

nable Fortress.
 New York Sun
 French technical journals, like The Re- vue d'Armee ct de Marine and others are expressing the view that Gibraltar is not such formidable defense of British interests on the shortest road to India as is usually believed. The Revue d. Ar mee ct de Marine has just given a de- tailed history of the works undertaken by Great Britain at Gibraltar since 1S95 The Tour de Monde and other journals also. are having much to say on the subject. Their criticisms are based in part upon the pamphlet which MT. Gib- son Bowles printed a while ago under the title, Gibraltar, a National Danger" in which he maintains that the prevailing faith in the impregnability of the famous rock is a delusion.
 The French writers declare that there older British authorities in support of this idea, among them General Codring- ton. formerly Governor at Gibraltar, who maintained that the place wass nothing but scarecrow to frighten people who did not know the real facts about 1t.
 The French journals say that the works begun by the British government in 1895 are to be completed in 195 or 1906 They consist of large torpedo station, a great dry dock. and two new piers, all strong ly fortified. The critics declare that the particularly weak point in the enter prise is that all these works are to be erected on the west side of Gibraltar and now, when nearly $6,OOooO0 has been expended. experts come forward and de- clare that it is most unwise to build the improvements on the west side of Gibral- tar. They say the works will be exposed there to ruinous fire from Spanish bat teries on the opposite side of Algeciras Bay. about four miles distant. should spain take 1t Into her head to erect bat teries on her side of the coast
 The fact is that the Spanish have all ready studied ths question of batteries and other military work near Gibraltar part of their army is now kept Tn the neighborhood. and Q series of fortifica- tlons has been reared all around the north and west sides of Gibraltar The works extend from the Sierra Carbonara. which is just north of the neutral strip separating the rock from the Spanish ter ritory north of 1t. all along the shore of the bay to the west, terminating at Car nero Point. which ends the shore line on the west side of the bay.
 The author of this Spanish military idea Is Major Garcia Roure, who esti- mates that 70 pieces of large caliber placed at equal intervals along one-third time direct their projectiles on Gibraltar. from distance of 1900 to 5000 meters and could easily reduce the works now ress "
 MT Bowles obtained the plans of these protected Spanish works. which he pub ltshed to the world with the warning that no military authority could advise the carrying out of the undertaking al- ready far advanced on the west side of the fortress. In his opinion the British should be content to lose the money they have put into these uncompleted structures, and should begin the work all ovet again on the east side of Gibral- tar.
 Therc would certainly he little or no danger from the fire of Spanish batteries on the east side of the rock but. lInfor- tunately for Mir Bowles's proposition the rock on that side Is almost precjpi- tous. and the base of 1t is not well adam ted to the carrying out of the desired Improvements. Although the French crit les declare that the transference of the work to the east side seems almost i'm practicable, a British commission an pointed to investigate the matter has agreed with Mir. Bowles's view. and sub- mitted plan for constructing the works on the east side. It remains to he seen whether the plan Is really feasible.
 In any event, the French critics de- clare, the world at large will no longer regard Gibraltar as the impregnabIe fortress of inestimable importance to British interests which the English iln goes have always held it to be.