THE SILVER STREAK IN DANGLER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2625, 19 August 1881, Page 2

THE SILVER STREAK IN DANGLER.

Sir Edward Watkin has unfolded a prospect of the completion of the Channel Tunnel in five years, the possibility fills the “ Times ” with alarm. The silver streak is in danger. The security of our insular position is threatend, and Printing-house Square was perturbed by horrible visions of a foreign invasion. When the tunnel is completed, a force of some thousand men —“secretly concentrated in one of Channel ports and suddenly landed on the coast of Kent, might seize the English end of the tunnel and entrench themselves there.” What the English navy would be doing in the meantime does not appear, nor is any explanation afforded us how “ some thousands” of soldiers are to bo moved so “ secretly and suddenly” as to make a descent upon our shores, not only before a declaration of war, but before we innocent islanders even dreamed of the existence of hostile intentions on the part of our neighbours. The marvel increases when we learn that in addition to the thousands landed in Kent a “ disposable army very far in excess” of all the troops we could muster to rcpell an invader is to be waiting at the French end of the tunnel in readiness to be carried across in three days to English soil The “ Times” seems to have extraordinary notions of tbe rapidity with which an immense army, with all its material, can be conveyed by rail. “A few hours might be enough ; a few days certainly would.” Surely this is tbe exaggeration of the paniemonger. Apart altogether from the hope which everyone must entertain that an invasion of England is about the very last enterprise which France would undertake, we may surely assume with confidence that the danger of such a bandit swoop upon our shores, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, is too remote, not to say impossible, a contingency not to deserve a moment’s consideration compared with the great and immediate advantages of a through railway between France and England. Even if we fully contemplated a war with France in the 3 r ear 1890, that would offer no substantial reason for not proceeding with the construction of the tunnel. It is difficult to pierco the bed of the Channel ; it

would be the easiest tiling in the world to flood the tunnel or block it effectively within five minutes of a declaration of war. The moment the French Ambassador received his recall, a mine could be fired which would render invasion irn possible at all events from beneath the Channel.