The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-03
Calais, Coveted By
 Germans, Long In
 Possession of England

One of the most coveted goals of Geman ambition is the capture of Ca lais, the quaint but busy old French port which is the continental terminus of the main travelled water road be- tween England and France For more than two centuries Calais was held by the English, their occupation of the town beginning 568 years ago to- day, August 3, 1347, and continuing until 1858.
 It was during the Hundred Years War, when England and France were engaged in a struggle which contin- 9ued- for, more than century, that Calais fell into the hands of the Eng fish. Edward III, as grandson of Philip the Fair, claimed the French crown, and went to war about it. The F1emings recognized Edward as their king, and in the long struggle which followed, were of great assistance to the English. In 1346 Edward invaded France and defeated a French army twice as numerous as his own on the immortal field of Crecy. It was in this conflict that cannon were first used, Edward having four piecse woll placed upon height overlooking the. battlefield. Edward then reiterated to Calais, and besieged the town, which held out for Il months before it sur. rendered to the English monarch.
 
 to the French, but the English held the town for more than 200 years. It was not until 1858 that a. French army. led by the Duke of Gllise drove the English out of their strategic strong. hold. The loss of Calais marked the passing of the last vestige of the French dominions of the Plantage- nets, which at one time Included about half of France. Queen Mary, who was then on the throne of Eng land, was deeply grieved by the loss of Calais, and she died a few months When I am dead.'' said the Queen, shortly before she breathed her last, Calais will be found written on my heart.'a
 This did not end the troubles for Calais for 40 years after it's recov- cry it was taken by the Spaniards. The Spanish reign was brief. however, and ended in 1898.
 Calls is a curious combination of the nedevial and the strictly. modern. The old town, constituting Calais proper, has an ancient citadel, and was formerly surrounded by fortif1ca- tions- The modern part of the city, St. Pierre les Calais. is now part of Calais proper, and the whole city is E>surrounded by modern fortif1cations, which have been greatly improved since the beginning of the war; and
 
 strength. The population of Calais is only about 60,0OO, but, owing to it's colltiguity to the English coast, it is of immense strategic importance.
 The most frequented route between England and France is from Dover to Calais. It is 227k miles long. but the passage is notoriously rough, on account of the currents passing be- tween two large seas through a nar-1 row channel, Calais is distant 1S4 miles by rail from Paris
 The proposal to connect Calais and Dover by means of a tunnel has been discussed for more than a century, and within the last few months the French and British newspapers have devoted much space to considera- tion of the pros and cons of the pro- ject. M. Mathieu was the first to se- rfousIy consider the tunnel plan, in 1902, and since then the scheme has often been revived. In 1876 actual boring commenced enar Calais, but the work soon 1anquished, and was finally abandoned. Such tunnel would be of great military assistance to France and England at this time. and it is not unlikely that the project may become a reality within the next decade or two.