Add spaces: Ifthethingwastobedoneatall,theonlyhopelayinaswiftandmassivelyefficientoperationwhichwouldhavegainedpossessionofanintactcanalandhaveconfrontedtheworldwithsomethingaccomplished.
If the thing was to be done at all, the only hope lay in a swift and massively efficient operation which would have gained possession of an intact canal and have confronted the world with something accomplished.