El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-26
WISHES.
CHANNEL TUNNEL
WAS AVAILABLE
Would Enable the English
Troops to Get to Battle
field Quickly.
TIMID BRITISH ARE
BLAMED FOR DELAY
By PHILLIP EMMETT.

= ONDONr Eng epLA Z6.-Bitterly
does England now regret the oh
jections which have been laid in
the way Of the tunnel under the Eng
Iish channel It has been objected
to by the overfearfuI persons as a dan
ger in time Of war. But this summer
it would have proved a buIwark Of
strength.
The British forces could have been
put on trains at their camps in any
part Of England and never taken off
until they were near the battlefield.
It is difficult to estimate how great
an advantage this would have given
the allies.
Or if England were Invaded, France
could quickly send acros a large part
Of her army. One good result of the
present conflict win undoubtedly be the
hurrying through Of the trans-channeI
tunnel project
4 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 Of the tunnel.
according to the present plans, is to be
placed under the control of Dover
castle and the Height forts, and also
in the line Of shell fire from war yes
sells in the harbOr.
Precautions Planned.
The commandments of both these forts
viii be provided with facilities for
flooding the tunnel and filling a mile
of its length up to the roof with water.
In order 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
I hope you will come to the con-
clusiOn that no danger that we cannot
with reasonable certainty guard
against. can arise from the construction
Of the channel tunnel" said lord Syden-
ham TO the house Of commons channel
tunnel committee at a recent meeting.
Lord Sydenham, who has served on
the committee OF imperial defence IN
der three prime ministers. showed how
ridiculous are all the objections to
the tunnel from a military point OF
view.
After q short historical summary OF
the way the scheme has been considered
by parliament. lord Sydenham quoted
q sentence from the report Of the
committee. Of 1882, to the effect that it
would be absolutely impossible to guar
antee the safety OF the tunnel in every
imaginable contingency.
Nothing Is Absolutely safe.
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 peo-
pie We have to go on probabilities, see
ing 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 fleet or the lombard
ment of London by airships.
After describing the means provided
for the instantaneous flooding OF the
tunnel from the two forts or the gen
Grating station. he said II could never
be used as a means Of invasion except
by France or by any enemy which had
obtained control Of the northern rail- ,
ways Of that country