THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17605, 9 January 1929, Page 7

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

ADVOCATED IN FRANCE. ADVANTAGE TO BRITAIN. MILITARY ASPECT MINIMISED. (Times Cables.) . LONDON, Jan. 7. The Paris correspondent of the Times says French economists, in envisaging the consequences of the suggested Channel tunnel, state that at a stroke of the pen England could become the western terminus of the entire railway system of Europe. The economists consider that Britain over-estimates the military aspect. Admittedly, they say, the Committee of Imperial Defence rightly contends that the proposed tunnel would hold the elements of danger, but this comparative drawback should not be allowed to outweigh the incalculable economic benefits by which Britain stands to gain most. It is estimated in France that Britain in a few years would recover from the earnings of the tunnel the entire cost of defending the Dover approaches. The French share of the necessary capital would be quickly forthcoming. French engineers are convinced that the difficulty of disposing of waste material could be surmounted bv forcing It through vertical borings into the Channel. That method has been proved to be practicable on a smaller scale.