Evening star., 1928-10-03
CHANNEL TUNNEL
PLAN IS REVIVED
Peace Progress RenewS Talk
CT Constructing Tube From
England to France.

LONDON (PA.-Progrcss toward peace
end disarmament has revived agitation
in Enciand fer early construction OF
submarine tunnel joining Great Britain
and Trance.
Far of invasion from the continent.
f.m!y rooted in English history. has
l,.clv subsidized to the point where an
en-iand route from London to Paris
can be discussed as an engineering as
well as political question.
Mai. Gen. G. Barker. colonel COM
r,3nd1rt of the Royal Engineers. has
brought this mooted question to the
fore again by a letter in which he says
il would be advisable to reopen the
subject keeping in mind the changed
conditions" Gen. Barker was secretary
OF the Channel Tunnel Military and
Civil Committee which began to inves-
tieate the subject III 1884 and turned
1t down.
American Achievements Cited.
New experience gathered in America
from tunneling the Wellington holes
under the Hudson and in England from
building the roadway tunnel Al feet
in diameter under the Mersey is lead
Ing experts here to believe that the
construction of a tunnel under the
Channel would offer little difficulties
except those of finance and time.
The consequences of the building OF
an under-Channel tunnel would be
far-reaching. and the committee which
deliberated on the project permitted the
military consequences to influence their
~ 1aaf a
tunnel would render England more la
Bile to attack from the continent and
would lessen her famous position OF
impregnable inSularity. Parliament, as
a result. refused to sanction the build
ing of the tunnel
But since those early days the air.
plane has come and Britain is now
little more insular from military
viewpoint than France or Germany, The
last air maneuvers over London dis
closed hoI vulnerable the capital is to
attack from above. A tunnel linking
England with the continent would add
little to her danger from attack from
the east
Why Project Was Turned Down.
When Parliament turned down the
Channel project the argument ad-
Hanced against it was that of the dam
ger of a surprise attack. A continental
power, it was said, might mass troops
at the French end of the tunnel and
pour them, without warning or decla-
ration of war into England. But num-
Der of new precautions might be added
now to these advanced when the
project was first under consideration
to guard against surprise.
And it is readily admitted that Eng
1onS'c ci1Anri0r HOI1ld ciYHk HAnth
bombs or torpedoes and demolish the
tunnel within an hour or so after the
first attack.
Proponents of the tunnel project
have number Of arguments in their
favor. The improvement in transpor-
tation would be tremendous. The
American tourist who goes from Lon
don to Paris, unless by airplane, must
board a train in London for the south
coast get out and embark on a Channel
boat. toss about sometimes like a rub
Der ball. for practically an hour. and
then get on another train for Paris. |
If the tunnel were constructed he could |
get into a nonstop express train which |
would whisk him from one capital to !
the other without halt. The trip
now occupies almost half a day. 1t
could be made in several hours.
POSSfDuft1eS outlined.
The recent act of Parliament CO.
ordinating railroad and road transport
operation may have the effect Of max
ing the tunnel, if built, open for motor
driven vehicles as well as trains
Financing of the project, according
to its supporters, would be done equally
by THE French and British governments
But, judging from the present condi-
ton of British governmental finance, a
good deal of the money advances would
have to be made by private capital.
Construction of the tunnel would cer-
tainly absorb considerable amount OF
Englands present unemployment.
Some agitation is now under way to
induce Baron Emile DErlanger, British
capitalist, to call a meeting of various
interests in October or November.