The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27th, 1924. A HUGE UNERTAKING

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27th, 1924. A HUGE UNERTAKING

Thk (jiiostinn of i In.* const ruction of the Channel 'runnel linking up Ku*;|;iit* 1 and ]•*ranee, is on tin* tapis, anil on this occasion tin* uml«*rtak iii 14 has w omlerl ul pros]eels •* 1 coming in pass. I lie J’riun' MBlister (Mr Kamsny MacDonald) is removing the question heyund the range of party polities, mill making its eoiisiilerntion essentially ii mitioiiiil one. In addition to culling together tile Committee ot lin I i:i I Deience. the I’liino Minister too!. :i wise mill proper eoiirse in inviting ex-l’feiniers to lie present, so that all parties would lie intimately informed as to the details governing tiiis (treat and imptu-tant work. The l.ondon “Daily Mail" in referring to the subject (toes on to remark that since the eoiistruetion of the (tiannel Tunnel was hist seriously discussed the whole conditions of life in the British Isles have hcen revolutionised. With the rapid development, of aiieraft the insularity lias for practical purposes disappeared. 'I lie quickest and easiest, method of attack upon (Ireat Britain would not l>e hy sending trains of troops through a UO-miles tunnul, lint hy despatching a thousand aeroplanes to rain high-explosive and gas Inimhupon London. The change has been so

profound :i.s to transform oil the conditions of tlif Clonmel tunnel ennliovrrs.v. Tliere i.s no longer strong military :irgument ilist, the tunnel. Keen ten years ago so able a military critic as Lord Sydenliatu was eonvineed that the risks were absurdly exaggerated. e used to he urged on no account to create a land frontier, which, it was assumed, a tunnel would give us. As a matter of fact the defence of the tunnel mouth would he an extremely simple business. Against gas and machine guns, properly mounted behind harlK'd wire, no sudden enemy stroke could have any chance of success. From the i ommcivial standpoint, the benefit of the tunnel would he very great. If it is built (as it should he) with four tracks, it would he possible to send goods, in hulk through from Tlritish factories to every part of the Coni incut. London would gain from the ■

flux of Continental visitors which would follow upon the elimination of the terrors of a C.lsinnel passitgu. Engineers are quite prepared to run through trains and deal with sin h difficulties as slight variations of gauge and loading standard. All of this indicates that the problem has come to the stage when it will require t > lie solved, ;mil with the influential backing it will he likely to have nowadays. it would not- Iki surprisin'

see plans prepared at no distant date lor tiie undertaking of this great work destined to link Great Britain so closely to the European continent.