THE VALUE OF GIBRALTER.

North Otago Times, Volume XXV, Issue 979, 21 June 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE VALUE OF GIBRALTER.

.+,. " By the capture of Gibralter, England laid the foundation stone of the Dtitish Empire," says a writer on " The Naval Bases of the Empire." in the " Windsor Magazine." " That England's position as the greatest ol maritime and commercial nations is inseparably hound up with the possession of the " Lion " is proved Ly Die fact that it is the object of attack whenever she exposes a weak front to the world. This was the case in 1774 and again in 1770. Only thirty years ago, when Russia robbed us of the fruits of the Crimean war, a large section of the public advocated the cession of this, our first link with the East, and the strongest in the chain., Without it we should never have been where we are, for, had Spain retained it, she would have held a position analogous to oursthat is to say, she would have controlled one of the two great highways of the world's traffic.

For many years Gibralter was more of a fortress than a naval base. But the dangers of the European situation have forced us to realize the Navy is our first line of defence, and so the authorities are vigorously pushing on great public works in the Bay. There is to be an enclosed harbour, three graving-docks are to be constructed, and the northern end of the harbour is to be enclosed by a mole, built at the joint expense of the Imperial Government and the Colony, This latter was only begun in 1897. As the opinions are divided as to the capacity for mischief of the massive guns mounted by Spain atAlgeciras, on the opposite side of the bay, a Commission has been appointed to inquire into the question. If it should decide that the batteries command the new works, they will be valueless in the event of war. Gibraltar costs the British taxpayer about £350,000 a year.

By some naval and political writers it seems to be taken for granted that England is mistress of the seas because she has so many naval bases and coaling-stations. Whereas it is exactly the reverse. We should have lost Gibraltar several times had it not been for the strength of the Navy, without Which the Rock, impregnable as it is, would be a white elephant,

Of what use were the colonies of Holland, Spain, and France to the Mother Country in all the great European wars ? And we should he in the same position without the command of the sea. With this, and Gibraltar in our hands, we can prevent a junction of the Eastern and Western Fleets of Spain and France. We can, also, prevent the junction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Mediterranean Fleet of France, and we shall be on the spot when the struggle for the possession of the country from which came the discoverer of the Rock bursts into the flame of war. Gibraltar has no doubt played a great part in the past, but in the near future it is destined to play a greater."