If I have, from want of knowledge of the difficulties, minimised them, I am, at any rate, certain they are mole-hills as compared with the mountains of danger before us, which our position as a foreign food-eating people involve us in.

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CHAPTER XI.

THE QUESTION OF INVASION-FORTIFIED GRANARIES -CAPTAIN MAHAN'S OPINION ON THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

IN the House of Commons (January 29, 1897), the Government proposal, so ably stated by Mr. Brodrick, to spend five million four hundred and fifty-eight thousand pounds on "military works," gave rise to a very interesting debate. From Mr. Brodrick's speech as given in the Times of January 30th, I have taken the following extract :

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DEFENCE OF

LONDON.

"I come now to the last head of the loan, "" amounting to £1,149,000, the main items of "which represent proposals of a novel character. "To these proposals I beg the special attention "of the Committee. We have, in the first "instance, to complete the arrangements for

"mobilization for the defence of London. The "principle on which our troops will be employed "for defence in case of invasion was drawn out "ten years ago by the most eminent soldiers of "the day, and was then approved by the Govern"ment. The points at which the various army 66 corps will be stationed for the immediate attack "of an invading force have been clearly laid "down. But it has been held that, apart from "the mobile army and the recognized garrisons, "London must be surrounded by defensive positions strongly held and fortified with artil"lery, as a second line of defence. (Hear, hear.) "By this means alone can the field army be

given absolute freedom of movement, and have "the security that a light column striking at "London from some other point of the coast "will meet with determined resistance. (Hear, "hear.) These positions, therefore, have, after "an exhaustive survey, been selected by trained "officers and approved by the Commander-in"Chief and Adjutant-General. Since 1888, by "" successive votes of Parliament, thirteen of "these centres have been acquired, and store"houses have been erected on several of them, "and work commenced. This scheme, therefore, "is in full working, and the expenditure hitherto "has been about £68,000. A further £96,000 is "required mainly to complete the storehouses 'and the access to the works. The objects "attained will be recognized by every member

"of the House. Sites have been chosen deliber"ately instead of hurriedly; concentration at "those sites has been worked out; the store"houses will contain the ammunition and "intrenching tools assigned to the line of in"trenchments to be manned, and we shall thus

carry further the decentralization of stores. "Ten years ago the stores were all concentrated "at Woolwich; and it was estimated that it "would have then taken six weeks to distribute "the stores, in the event of war. In addition to "the more easy and expeditious distribution of

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stores, we shall have the very large forces "assigned to these positions of defence around "London, so placed as to be available within a "few hours to be drawn forward to support the "field army in any place where additional "numbers are required. (Hear, hear.) Even "at a distance of nearly a century, it may be "worth quoting the opinion given by the Emperor Napoleon as to the value of fortified 'positions, especially in the case of the less 'highly trained troops

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"At the time of great national disasters, "'empires frequently stand in need of soldiers; ""but men are never wanting for internal "defence, if a place be provided where their "'energies can be brought into action. Fifty "thousand National Guards, with three thou"sand gunners will defend a fortified capital "against an army of three hundred thousand

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men. The same fifty thousand in the open "field, if they are not experienced soldiers "commanded by skilled officers, will be thrown ""into confusion by a few thousand horse.'

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“The last, but not the least pressing, of our "requirements which I have to bring forward, "is the provision for the training of the troops "by means of ranges and of manoeuvres. (Hear, "hear.) The question of ranges in this densely'populated country is becoming yearly more "difficult. (Hear, hear.) We have to find "means for corps of the Regular Army, of "Militia, and of Volunteers to shoot every year. "We could not, of course, undertake to provide 'ranges in every county, or for isolated com"panies. But our proposal is to expend a sum "of £500,000 in setting up ranges at various "centres throughout the country, with, it is "hoped, camping grounds attached to them, "at which it will be the duty of the general· "officer commanding to see that every descrip"tion of troops has the opportunity of firing "during the year. (Hear, hear.) I am sure "the Committee will agree that that is the only "way in which we can meet this great national "dilemma in regard to the provision of ranges. "(Hear, hear.) I cannot, of course, indicate "the localities where the ranges will be pro"vided, but I can assure the Committee that "in their selection cheapness and ease of access "will be the primary considerations."