Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-22
WORK PROCEEDING
ON TUN| TEL UNDER
BRITISH ! CHANNEL
Old Project Revived and the
Objections of Over eau
tious Military Men Have
Been Overruled.
BY HAL p'FLAHERTY.
Omitted Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
London. Oct. 1.-CBy MaiD-Some
day a new generation of Englishmen
will study the history of the world war
and wonder how Britain carried on her
share of the conflict without a tunnel
under the English channel. Work ts
proceeding on it today.
Since 1867, the proposition OF run
ming trains unde the neck of water
between Dover and Calais has been
discussed by engineers, argued by econ
omists and criticized by over cautious
military men. Statesmen such as
Gladstone have pleaded and begged the
government to back the project, point
ing out the great benefits derivable
from closer connection with the CONT
nent. So far. every effort towards the
TURNER'S completion has been buried I'M
der deluge OF criticism from Eng
lands military. The fear of invasion
through the tunnel has been ever pres
ent.
Just now arguments In favor of tun-
neling to Calais are appearing from
every direction. France is willing to
make every concession possible to has
ten the work. Belgium and Italy have
signi1ed their Willingness to partici-
pate in every way, financially and ma
terially. Even the conservative ele-
ment Of the British press is pounding
away with broadsides of reasons why
the island kingdom should be in direct
communication by rail with her allies
and neutral countries on the continent
The English Tunnel company which
controls the right to construct the tube
Is becoming active and at recent
meeting, the Organizations president
was most optimistic over the increas-
ing demand for the improvement. The
company is ready at any time to COM
plete the work begun so many years
ago. The capital already is subscribed
and the initial boring well under way.
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.
England has been awakened by the
difficulties encountered during the last
two years when speedy transportation
across the choppy waters of the chan
mel has become a life and death mat
ter. Contemplation of the awesome toll
of lives lost in crossing between Eng
land and the nearest French port has
convinced even the most skeptical that
the underground route is well nigh q
necessity. Had the route been avail
able in 1914 there would have been no
Sussex disaster and no interminabl
delays in returning the British wound
ed to hospitals. The slow moving YES
sells are held responsible for many crit
ical failures of military movements
against Germany.
Against the military arguments con-
demning the Venture, those favoring 1t
are leveling shafts of derision. Lord
Wolseley formulated the military objec-
,,..I IL,
military advantages as an island would
be reduced and continental powers
principally France-would have better
means of invasion. Curiously enough,
those arguments are still heard despite
the fact that France is gloriously sup
porting the allies cause and despite the
vast change In methods of warfare.
THE FOOD SUPPLY.
Had the tunnel been in operation the
vast food supply coming from Europe
and Asia could have been whisked
across to England in minutes instead
of being delayed days and weeks wait
ing for vessels. 1t is a fact that tons
of French vegetables destined for Eng
fish consumption have rotted before
reaching English ports Beef coming
from Argentina could have been landed
on the continent to avoid the submarine
dangers. In fact. the tunnel could
bring England's entire foreign food
supply from the continent at a ire
mendous savings of lives and money.
The plans contemplates tunnel 20
miles in length, of which % miles
would be beneath the water. On the
English side, the boring has been start
ed at a point known as shakespeare
CHR, near Dover. 1t now extends 2200
yards under the channel through a
stratum of chalk From the opposite
shore, the French company has EXTEND
ed its behring's q similar distance under
sea with few difficulties. Two lines of
tubes are pla nned running side by side
and as traffic increases other tubes
could be constructed at a lower level.
The estimated cost Is 94,000.000 (about
| SIC, 000, 00O).
Impatient over the many years of de-
| lay, advocates of the tunnel point out
that it Is an almost imperative link in
the trading alliance planned after the
war The proposals adopted by the
| Paris economic conference guarantee
ing a close cooperation with England
against Gertnany's products would be
vastly aided by such rapid communi-
cation and nothing would more hinder
German aggression.
NO FRIENDS, NO BAIL,
HE GOES TO JAIL
Taunton Maca Dot 81 -.Ah ey1t -,