The Washington herald., 1914-09-20
BRITAIN COULD
Use Tunnel now
Underground Connection Of
Countries VIII Result After
Close Of Present Conflict.
FRANCE COULD AID ISLES
Forts at Either End Could Flood and
Prevent Foe from Taking
Possession.
FRANCE COULD AID ISLES

London. Sept. 1s-BItteriy does Eng
land now regret the objections which
have been laid in the way OF the tunnel
under the English Channel. II has been
objected to by IN over-fearfuI, or. per-
haps, under-intelligent. persons as q dah-
ger In time OF war. But this summer Ii
would have proved bulwark OF strength.
The British forces could have been put
on trains at their camps In any part of
England and never taken on until they
were near the battlefield. It is dificult
TO estimate how great an advantage this
would have given the allies.
France CosId Ala Them. =
Or il England were invaded, France
could quickly send across a large part Of
her army. One good result OF the present
conflict will undoubtedly be the hurrying
through of the trans-Channel tunnel
project
A foreign foe. Il has been said, might
seize Dover Harbor and the tunnels
mouth in a fog or at night. To meet this
objection, the mouth or the tunnel, &C
cording to the present plans, is to be
placed under the control OF Dover Castle
and the Western Height forts and also
in the line of shell fire from war vessels
in the harbor.
The commandments Of both these forts
will be provided with facilities for flood
ing the tunnel and illing mile OF its
length UP to the roof with water. In or
der that this may be done the tunnel
will dip for about a mile at each end
and then rise again.
To prevent both forts from opening the
sluices the enemy would have to seize
both forts at exactly the same instant
which is absurd and Impossible.
Il hope you viii come to the conclusion
that no danger that we cannot with rea-
RF,fx ~ . 80
from the construction OF the Channel
tunnel" said Lord Sydenham TO the
House OF Commons Channel tunnel COM
mittee at a recent meeting.
Cannot Guarantee Safety.
Lord Sydenham. who has served on
the committee OF imperial defense under
three prime ministers. showed how ride
ulous are all the objections to the tunnel
from a military point Of view.
After a short historical summary of
the way the scheme has been consid-
cred by Parliament. Lord SydenhAm
quoted a sentence from the report OF
the committee OF 1852, to the effect Ahat
il would be absolutely impossible to Guar
antee the safety of the tunnel in every
Imaginable contingency.
We shall all agree with that" said
he, amid laughter. and he went on to
point out that such an attitude would
prevent the carrying out OF
most things. But as practical people We
have to go on probabilities, seeing that
absolute certainty is beyond the compass
Of human ingenuity.
Dealing with the dangers foretold by |
Lord Wolseley and others. Lord Syden- |
ham, said the danger of the mouth Of |
the tunnel being seized in time of peace |
was no greater than the danger of the |
destruction OF the feet or the lombard |
nent of London by airships.
At the same time it would take pretty |
strong force TO capture two strong forts |
and a generating station simultaneously. |
Three distinct operations would be need |
I'd, and they must succeed simultaneously |
He defed any soldier to devise a plan |
If doing this which was feasible. II |
would mean the landing. of a heavy siege |
train, and II postulated the destruction |
IF the navy and the complete defeat OF
The army first.
After describing the means provided for |
the instantaneous flooding of the tunnel |
from the two forts or the generating sta |
lion. he said it could never be used as |
4 means of invasion except by France,
Dr. by an enemy which had obtained con-
troll of the northern railways OF that