§ MR. NORWOODasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been called to the letter from the Berlin Correspondent of the ''Standard,'' in that journal of yesterday, referring to an expression of opinion by Count von Moltke as to the proposed Channel 1231 Tunnel; and, whether he has ascertained that those opinions are correctly reported therein?
§ MR. CHILDERSMy hon. Friend will forgive my saying that among the very multifarious duties of my Office is not that of finding out whether the foreign Correspondents of The Standard newspaper accurately ascertain the opinions of distinguished persons; but the reports of The Standard are usually so correct that I presume that the officer whom the Correspondent describes as Europe's greatest strategist has expressed himself in the language attributed to him.
§ Subsequently,
MR. GLADSTONEsaid: I feel it an act of courtesy, and even of justice, to hon. Gentlemen who belonged to the late Government that I should add one word to an answer I recently gave with respect to the Channel Tunnel. My answer was in the nature simply of a very brief recital, and it faithfully, though slightly, set forth everything that was then within my knowledge and recollection. The effect of it was that the Channel Tunnel had received some description of sanction from the late as well as from the present Parliament, and likewise from the late Government in its Executive capacity. It was not then within my recollection, but that recollection has since been refreshed, that the question of the Channel Tunnel was not only before the late Government, but before their Predecessors. I think on one occasion the promoters felt themselves to be so strong in public opinion that they applied to the Cabinet of that day—or the Chancellor of the Exchequer of that day—not only for approval, but for a public guarantee at the charge of the Exchequer. That was declined; but in 1872 the Foreign Office—the proper Department for expressing the views of the Government on such a question—made a communication to the promoters of the scheme equivalent, I think, exactly to what was afterwards made by the Government of the Gentlemen opposite—namely, a communication that in principle, and generally the Government saw no reason to object to the prosecution of the Tunnel. The House will feel it is only right that I should make this statement, to show that while the 1232 approval of the late Government was given, that was not the first approval given, and, indeed, I cannot say that there may not be previous approvals. If I find such I shall take an opportunity of mentioning it.