Nothing astounds me so much as the ignorance of learned men. The squabble between Mr Chamberlain and Mr Swettenham is unseemly and as pointless as is any plan, German or British, to fortify a swamp.
The area in question is an expanse of salt water Marsh, lagoons and at best very low hills with constantly shifting waterways that make navigation almost impossible. The flat lands are dangerously vulnerable to flooding and the geological instability of the midatlantic makes the risk of tidal waves a constant. We can all remember the loss of the six West coast colonies four years ago for this very reason.
A far more sensible way to secure the Rhine approach would be to invest in these new ships of the air.
Another alternative to this militant approach is to move the capital to somewhere else, Bristol for example, good access to the sea, good infrastructure, canals, roads and rail links. Dublin would be another candidate. Both of these cities are secure from external aggression and both have good working port facilities, in fact most of the imports in London come through Bristol. London only remains our capital because tradition and history make it so, but we should remember there have been changes before.
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