The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25
new KEY To THE EAST
NECESSARY FOR GREAT BRITAIN TO
POSSESS MADEIRA ISLANDS.
Gibraltar No Longer Invincible
Strategic Point to Protect
Route to India.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
LONDON, Jan. 1O.-The Foreign Office
having resolved upon a new key TO the
Mediterranean, Mr.. Gibson BowIes, NJ. p,
who first exposed Gibraltar's vulnerability,
is getting to be a very popular The
new sought-for key to the big inland lake
for the Mediterranean is hardly more now
adays, from a strategic standpoint-is the
Island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic.
1t belongs to Portugal since 1881, but that
matters not Great Britain must acquire
ii somehow.
The talk of all the military and naval
clubs is to the effect: Gibraltar. being
dead goose, Madeira we must have" There
are three reasons why Gibraltar has fallen
in strategic-nay. even in public-opinion.
First the Spanish port of Algesiras. with
its great defensive works and maritime ia
cilities. is ever-increasing menace to
Gibraltar. The Spaniards seem determined
10 regain the reputation for strategy lost
at the hands of Dewey and Schley by as
Stunning an attitude offensive against Great
Britain on their own soil.
Secondly. Armstrong, Krupp and other
inventors of destructive material have now
advanced artillery science to such a point
into cardhouse. The great guns COM
manded by France. Italy, Russia and Ger
many, not to forget the United States, could
reduce it in short order.
Thirdly. the alliance with Italy looks very
pretty-on paper-but Italy has been fiirt-
ing with La Belle France for long while
Her protestations of friendship are, there
fore, open to suspicion, especially as the
Kaiser would have something to say in the
matter.
For some time past the British Cabinet
has been secretly negotiating with Spain
to the end Of exchanging Gibraltar for the
opposite Pillar of Hercules-Ceuta, Africa
but Segasta's death terminated these nego-
tiations for good, it seems. Segasta might
have had the influence and strength TO car
ry through such a scheme; it may take
years before another man like him arises.
Ceuta has many points of resemblance to
Gibraltar, and might be made really i'm
pregnable-for time, at least, though GER
tainly not for the long period Gibraltar was
thought so. A significant fact: The first
European power to possess Ceuta was the
Portuguese, who took it from the Moors in
1415. To Spain it has belonged for over
$50 years. The forced abandonment of the
Ceuta-Gibraltar exchange plan is welcomed
by the majority of British military men,
who very properly maintain that Ceuta's
impregnability is but a matter of time In
their opinion the only real key TO the Med
iterranean that does flock" is Madeira,
now, as always, a Portuguese possession.
THE ISLAND OF MADEIRA.
Here are some of the arguments in favor
Of ha of oHvan
by persons of strategic knowledge and po-
litical forethought: "In these days of
electricity. fast cruises, submarine boats
and enormously increased facilities for de-
struction the Mediterranean cannot be 9TH
erwise regarded than a mere inland lake
with more or less fortified shores. If Great
! Britain could hold Gibraltar against all
corners, as was once thought she could,
then we could do without allies at sea,
and even Russia could not menace us-in
Europe, at least-as we would be able to
bottle up her navy in the Black sea, COM
polling 1t to inactivity"
| The writer threw out a suggestion about
| the Suez canal, whereupon a high British
naval officer promptly replied: I'm times
OF war the Suez canal may be regarded as
not existing, for somehow or other, its
| usefulness will cease. Certainly no enemy
/ of Great Britain will use it,
The first speaker returned to the case of
| Gibraltar. I'VE cannot possibly strength
/ en- our Mediterranean fleet" he said, "as
| in case of war our vessels must sweep all
the oceans, and now that Gibraltar offers
| no longer an impregnable base for attack
or defense-there being at least POSSIBLE
| ity that the rock may be menaced by the
| neighboring Spaniard-a successful blockade
of all Mediterranean ports by England has
| become a matter of doubt. 1t Is therefore
| imperative that we seek to acquire naval
base, fit both for defense and offense, west
| of the Gibraltar strait With such a base
firmly established we can patrol the route
to India and still have enough ships on
| hand to protect our colonies fronting on
the Atlantic and Indian oceans Madeira
is situated on the great British ocean route
to the Cape; it is the one-quarter milepost
on that route. From the mouth of the
Mediterranean the island is separated by
600 miles of water
Suppose Great Britain should acquire
Madeira, would she be willing to give ur
| Gibraltar" was asked.
mot bit of it, said British admiral
who had been listening quietly in his great