THE NAVY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 107, 7 May 1923, Page 5

THE NAVY LEAGUE

STRATEGIC CANAL THROUGH

SCOTLAND.

(mou our own correiponoinO

LONDON. 28th March. An Admiralty memorandum to the Secretary for Scotland in 1921 refers to the strategic advantage which would arise from the construction of the direct route .Forth and Clyde sea level ship canal.'

"A navigable waterway between the East and West Coasts, of the United Kingdom," it is stated, "would facilitate naval concentration in the North Sea or Atlantic without having t° pass either through the Straits of Dover or round the North of Scotland. It would provide a means whereby ships damaged in the North Sea could speedily be passed by a safe route to western repairing yards and vice versa, and also a safe alternative route in time of war for merchant ships bound to or from ports on the East Coast. Although the Loch Lomond route has. from a naval aspect,' many advantages over the direct route, their Lordships realise that the direct route is the only one which might possibly be a complete commercial success." \ The Executive Committee of th^ Navy League has now taken this matter up and has -passed a motion in which jj"urges the Prime Minister to authorise the complete survey of the route by Government in order that the Government may have a reliable estimate of ■the cost of construction; and further urges that? in view of the value of the oanal to the Navy and Mercantile Marine in' case of war, the Government should give such credit facilities as will enable the work to be put in-hand at an earlydate, and thus provide work required for the unemployed in engineering and other trades."