New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-08

As 10 the nature and amount OF the
risk there is naturally q difference OF
opinion. An Admiral or two have de-
clared FOR the Tunnel FOR naval and
military reasons But the weight OF
naval and military opinion is over
whelm.ngly against H. The Council Of
! Imperial Defence. with whom rests
! probably the final decision. has never
! sanctioned II. Twice Al least the sub
4 iect has oeen before that Council and
twice the opinion has been adverse.
l The Parliament Committee which re-
/ ported against II in 1852 and 1883 was
/ unanimous. The Admiralty were its
convinced opponents Two generals
/ Sir Andrew Clarke and Sir John Adye,
l were for 4: and they TWO stood praoti-
cslly alone. Its present advocates are
/ chiefly civilians. Those who have late
} " written letters 10 The Times are
Admiral Penrose Fitzgerald. who may
( be quoted both ways: Sir John ROLES
ton President Of the Surveyors lnsu-
tuition and Warden Of the Spectacle
Makers Company: Lord Sydenham.
better known AZ Sir George Clarke, an
eminent Governor OF Bombay, and Sir
A. Conan Doyle. who perhaps sees in
The Tunnel a new field for the detective
energies Of Sherlock Holmes.
Ii is no party question. II is Lib
eral Government which anchors itself
across the path of the invaders; just
as il is a Liberal Government which
! thus far shows a determined front 20 its
! Little Navy supporters. The Prime
Minister has lately received deputa-
ton. largely Liberal members Of the
| House. who laid before him afresh the
views Of the Tunnel promoters, AND en-
/ treated him 10 make il Government
measure. He listened but declined 10
reverse MS previous decision the
Government remains immovable. Par
Lament is immovsble. And The Times
which more than any other one journal
reflects and expresses the opinion OF
the nation. is immovable
II has 10 be said that the arguments
on which the Tunnel people chiefly rely
are arguments OF convenience or pront
/ They used 10 insist that in time of war
the Tunnel would be useful for 1000
supplv. but that is now denied and eX-
merit opinion j. that no important sup
/ DIV Of food would OF could come through
the Tunnel. French chocolates may
come Even commercial advantages
are held TO be questionable. That goods
should be sent 10 and from the Con-
: tinent without breaking bulk seemed
an alluring prospect. and IT IS sui oe-
/ Ij.ved that there would be great IN
! crease of trade Whether il wouio
benefit England is thought doubtful
since no man can foIesee the full ell
+ fects of a great dislocation Of the chan-
nels and methods Of business as IL Is
now carried on. England Is the "orld
chief carrier by sea; great part OF
her prosperity is due TO that il the
( Tunnel would diminish sea carriage II
would seem 10 diminish her prosperity
also. With no certainty that the loss
would be made up in other ways.
} That there are two great corpora
tons which would make money out OF
/ the tunnel may be conceded. They are
the South Eastern & Chatham Rail
way. which enjoys monopoly of rail-
way traffic between London and Dover
and Folkestone; and the Northern
/ Railway Of France, controlled by the
Rothschilds, which has a monopoly De-
tween Paris. Boulogne and Calais. Inc
chairman of the Channel Tunnel Com
panv i Baron d'Erlsnger, who ex-
rresses in The Times his conviction
that the scheme is on the eve OF trl-
umph. He bases that conviction on the
belief that since Lord Wolseley pro-
nounced against il circumstances have
entirely changed. and the change Will
/ ne predicts. be recognized by LORD
Roberts. Lord Kitchener, and Sir john
French. But he gives no reason fer
that prediction and can quote no word
Of approval for his project from any
one Of the three.
| II il be true that the supporters OF
the Tunnel have increased in number
/ since the eighties when the Select Com
/ mittee Of Parliament declared against
il. the increase is probably due TO the
/ improved relations between England
and France II is natural that the
entente. though not an alliance, should
quiet mems minds, and natural they
should forget TO ask themselves
whether that improvement is certain TO
be permanent French confidence in
the value OF the entente with England
MAS seriously shaken only the other
dav. when MI Lloyd George suddenly
declared against that Increased ex-
penditure this year for he Navy TO
which Parliament and the Ministry are
committed. Mr.. Churchilfs personal as
sursnces 10 the French Cabinet stead
led French opinion for the moment,
but there remains the doubt which
marty in Mr.. Asquith's Cabinet Is goins
10 prevail. An understanding which IS
at the mercy Of such incidents as THIS
IS but a frail support on which TO bnild
when it is proposed 10 turn England