THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 187, 7 August 1913, Page 4

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

The resurrection of the project to connect England and France by means of a submarine tunnel revives memories j of a controversy thirty years back, which ■ then scorned to Jiave been settled once for all. The general arguments against the Channel Tunnel are obvious enough. The destruction, of England's insularity, which has been not only her chief defence against attack, but a potent factor in her characteristic political and constitutional development would be in iteelf a very serious matter. It is difficult to believe that such a means jof communication -with the Continent j would not be a positive source of danger iin war time, or that it could be adej fjnately guarded against an unexpected j enemy. Against these opinions, it is I now maintained thait the development

J of the. submarine and the aeroplane have Iso changed the conditions of naval war-

j fare that England is no longer impreg- ( nable to foreign attack, and can no longer claim to hold the "narrow seas" against I allcomers. In war timp, a Chan-

i nel Tunnel would enable us to I draw our food supplies ifrom the Conjtinent, and to maintain a great deal of our oversea trade unmolested, while as a means of military co-operation between Kngland and France, it would be invaluable. The strength of the argument, such as it is, lies in the necessity for aiding France or getting assistance from her at a moment when Kngland might have lost the command of the Channel temporarily, or might in any case find it impossible to defend trans- | porte loaded with troops against the submarines and airships of the enemy. But the weakness of the case for the Tunnel i 3 equally manifest when we consider that our friendship with France is of very recent date, and that there is no possibility of guaranteeing its permanence. Moreover, though very elaborate precautions have been suggested to guard against the risk of capture or destruction hy a surprise, such arrangements are alwaye liable to break down at the critical moment; and a Channel Tunnel in the hands of an enemy for oven a few hours might mean the irruption of a strong army of invaders upon English ?o;i. Xo doubt Sir A. Conan Doyio and the other enthusiasts who advocate t!ie Tunnel as a neeeseary fn-etor in an effective alliance with France believe that the "entente" is likely to endure for an indefinite time. Hut i! i <■;::-■ can pivp complete rircTtriiy f-.ir Hio future: r.nil I'll , r--.-f;-:--tro:i ni Kn*[l.!i'<r« insularity, which i« prartically whnt the Tiinurl would involve, night prove to be far too heavy ;i

price to tii-.y for any contingent or problcmniieal advantage on the other side of the account.

Following is Mr. D. C. Bates' weather forecast for 24 hours from !) a.m. this day:—"The indications are for southerly wind-s, moderate to strong, and backing by couth to west, and freshening; the weather will probably be cold and changeable, and the night very cold, with frosts inland; barometer little movement, but tailing after 24 to 36 hours; tides good; sea rough, with swell."

A meeting of membere of the Takapuna Ratepayers' Association, convened for this evening, has been postponed until next week owing to the indisposition of t-he president, Mr George George.

As the outcome o" representations made by a deputation wiich waited upon the Ferry Company r-ecently in regard to alterations in the present time-table in the Birken-bead and Northcote service, the manag-er (Mr Alex. Alison) submitted an amended time-table to the Birken■head and Northcote Borough Councils fox consideration, and, at a meeting of the Northeote Council on Tueeday night, the lime-ta/ble was approved of.

A man named Samuel Crago Toms, aged about 3S years, was committed for trial at Hastings yesterday on a charge of attempting to do grievous bodily harm to Arthur Hilton. Toms and Hilton were partners in a farm at Twyford, and lived together. It was alleged on Saturday night Toms returned from a drinking bout, assaulted Hilton, and threatened him with a loaded revolver. Hilton seized the barrel, and the gun went off, a shot lodging in the fireplace.

Seventeen sections of first and second class lands, comprising 2,168 acres, have been opened for selection at the Crown Lands Office, Auckland, up to 4 p.m. on August 25th. The land is distributed through the Auckland province, and is offered either for sale by cash, for occupation with Tight of purchase, or for renewable lease. A ballot will be held at 2.30 p.m. on August 28th for the sections for which there is more than one applicant.

J The Auckland City Prohibition League i supplier the following record of offences ! and defaults as dea.lt with at the Auck- : land City Police Court, and reported in ! the daily Press during the month of 'July:—drunkenness: First offenders 85, statutory fir.--t nlTenders, 11; others, 7(5. Disorderly while drunk, 1; breaches of prolrihitinn. 3*.2: knowingly accompanying v prohibited person into an hotel, 1; sly-grog selling. 2; indecency, 2; obscene 'language, 6, assault, 4; threatening behnviour, 1; assaulting and resisting the police, 3; obtaining money by false pretence. 4; theft, 5; damage to property. 0: I va*rram.-y. 4: separation orders issued ; against husbands, 4. Total -ofTei?cp=, 28.'): total offendpTri, 221, 10 of whom : wore woven. Fines amounted to CJST : 7/fi, including .€2O and £100 for sly- : groc selling. Thirty .new prohibition I orders were issued and two men were I sent to Kotoroa.

A pathetic and remarkalrc incident, says a Cisborne paper, occurred at an auction Pale of bankrupt stock. Some haud-worked Irish linen table centres were being submitted and found a rapid sale. From the auctioneer's point of view the articles carried no further interest than that of converting them into money. A few minutes elapsed wlien an unusual incident occurred, and the progress of the sale stopped. A lad of eighteen or nineteen summers approached the auctioneer and entered upon a conversation that subsequently revealed a pitiful romance. The lad left Ireland some nine years ago and the only living relative he had was a twin sister, whn at that time worked as an apprentice in a linen mill. Since his arrival in NewZealand many changes had occurred in the old land and lie lost all trace of his kindred. It appears that the linen tablecentre which was purchased had a note attached, w'hifch read as follows: — '"Should this nieet the eye of Tim , or anyone knowing his whereabouts, please communicate with ."' Needless to comment, he carried the best wishes of the auctioneer with him—along with a beautiful sample of linen work as a present for his long-lost sister.

A meeting of old Thames residents 'was held in the Druidn' Hall, Newton, to consider the presentation to Capt. Alex. Farqahar, of a suitable testimonial to mark his retirement from active service in the Auckland-Thames trade. The proposal was very enthusiastically taken up, ami those p.reeent formed themselves into a -working- committee to give effect to thi> generally expressed desrre. Mr \Y. P-lomQeid was elected chairman, Mr IT. N". Bngnall hon. sec., and Mr S. I). Hanna hon. treasurer to the fund. It was resolved to work conjointly with a similar eomroUtee to be set * up at Thames under the auspices of the Mayor, Mr Lowe, Lists will be issued to each mpmbw of the committee, and will be left at various public offices in the city, where the many friemJe of the popular skipper may sign their names and show in a more practical way their esteem for one of the best-known and respected of the marry public men of Auckland.

I The decision or rJie (rovrrnment to place £1,000 on the cetimates ac compensation to Captain Atwood, who was in chargo of the steamer EHng-amite when that vessel was wrecked on t-he Three Kinge, nearly eleven years ago, will be received with general satisfaction by that gentleman's very wide circle of friends. At the time of the catastrophe Capt. Atwood was one of the youngest and most popular officers on the Auck-land-Sydney service. The Elingainite Was wrecked in a d-enae fog on the morning of Sandfly, November 9th, 1902. Capt. Atwood, anxious for the safety of his ship, never left, the bridge foV a moment, though convinced, according to his .beiaj-ingß, that he wae miles on the safe side of the Kings. It was not till nea-riy ten years later that the Admiralty, in preparing a fresh chart of the Now Zealand coast, found that the Kings had been wrongly charted by sevwal mites, and that Capt. Atwood wae thus clearly absolved from all blame. Cap-t. Atwood had, in the meantime, been censured by a Nautical Court of Inquiry, and had felt the position so keenly that he retired altogether from the eea. Laet year, with the Admiralty's new chart to guide them, a Parliamentary committee completely exonerated Capt. Atwood of any responsibility for the cala-mity of eleven years ago, and fche sum of £1,000 is no-w placed on the Estimates as compensation for a ruined career ac a mariner. Captain Atwood at present holds a .responsible position in the West port Cot.! CViirmnnv's KPrvice.

The iocaT superintendent of the Mercantile Marine (Captain Fle.mming) has received advice from the Secretary of the Marine Department that the master of the Isabella Defraine reports thit a floating object was sighted on the 27th ultimo off Cape Maria, nearing N.R. by X, distance 20 miles, which resembled a large dead whale or small vessel, floating bottom upwards.

XorainntiiTK for tlip vacancy on the Meant Albert Ilorougli Council, "paused bx the resignation of Mr. A. E. Frocmaii. clort- at noor. on Saturday, and the poll (if one is required) will Ix; held on Saturday week. So far only one candidate has heen nominated—Mr." Thos. of Rocky K<^k.