The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-07-28

GAYS the New York Herald:
- "There does not now seem to be
any doubt that the construction of
tunnel under the English channel will
be undertaken with very little delay"
1t is pointed out that if the tunnel
had been constructed prior to the war
in Europe it's estimated cost of $780,
900 900 would have been saved in
trans porting
Tunnel to Connect supplies to
Britain With France France. T h e
M t h I'd o f
using ships consumes time and money
in packing and loading, unpacking and
unloading, then packing and loading
again in forwarding goods to the diff
ferent bases along the battle line.
It is proposed that Great Britain
and France share the cost of the en-
terprise between them. The present
state of feeling between the two ma
lions is so cordial that persons of san
guine temperament can find no objec-
ton whatever to the plan.
However, there is no guarantee that
England and France will always be
such friends. They have fought each
other bitterly enough in the past. The
construction of tunnel beneath the
English channel would do much to
deprive England of that isolation
which now contributes vastly to her
feeling Of security from invasion.
While the venture would prove enor-
mosly profitable in a commercial way,
if at some distant day France were
overrun by conqueror not friendly to
Great Britain, or if France and her
ally should fall out the tunnel might
prove much more of liability than an
asset.
These reasons, perhaps more than
any other, have prevented the under
taking from being carried out long
ago.
VATHlLE the unprecedented ma
w jority in the electoral college
for the democratic ticket in 1912
was due to the split in the re-
publican party, there is no rea =
son to think that Wilson would not
have been elected without the aid Of
the progressives,
Independent Vote In 1876 Tilden
in Former Years carried New York
by large plu-
rality. In 1884 Cleveland carried it by
a small plurality, and in 1892 by a
large plurality.
In each of those years the republi-
can organization was intact, yet not
withstanding the fact that it was the
rule of the republicans to follow their
leaders there was more or less disaf-
lection and the quiet independent, or
west pocket" vote, was larger in all
the so-called doubtful states, normal
ly republican. Tilden swept New Jer-
sey and Connecticut as we'll as New
York. Cleveland had a substantial
plurality in New Jersey and Con-
necticut every time he ran. And each
time he was elected the independent
voter played an important part in the
result.
The republicans started out in June
by assuming that the progressives
would follow their one-time leader
back into the old organization, but in
this they have been disappointed. A
large proportion of the former re-
publicans who voted for Roosevelt
four years ago are uncommitted and
may properly be classed, therefore,
as independents; while not few have
announced for Wilson.
Party breaches are always hard to
heal, and no party was ever dealt
such a staggering blow as that which
Roosevelt delivered the republicans in
d912. 1t will take more than four
years for the party to recover.
The Wilson Independent league has
been thoroughly organized. 1t is en-
rolling members rapidly and will give