OCR Text |
Show Early Views of Suez. Tho government's notification that enemy ships aro not to bo allowed to shelter In tho Sum canal reminds us of tho strnngo views as to tho military future of tho canal entertained by thoso who opposed its construction. Lord Palmorston Insisted that It3 obvious ob-vious purposo was "tho barring of tho passage along tho coast of tho Mediterranean Med-iterranean to any Turkish army which might bo employed to rostoro tho empire em-pire of tho sultan., by opening a great military canal 300 feet broad and 30 feet deep, laid with batteries." As a commercial enterprise, ho pronounced tho scheme "a mcro buhblo." Dut in ttils prophecy ho was not singular. Tho Times in 1859 wroto nf "tho suspicious project of tho Impracticable Suez canal," and Dlsraoll, who was afterwards after-wards to buy tho canal shares, called It "a most futile idea, totally Impossible Impos-sible to bo carried out" London Dally Chronicle. |