Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-12
IMPROBABLE FORT PLANNED FOR
ENTRANCE TO CHESAPEAKE BAY

III the speedy lOfulhltOn ol pans ioA
the defeDses of the Panama Canal.
Primarily the canal is American prop.
trty OF vast commercial and strate-
glc value 10 the United States. Second
arily, the United states Is interested
IN protecting the Panama Canal from
misuse BY beliigerent powers In q
war OF which the United States was
only an onlooker. II is felt by the Ad'
minlstration that the complete and
impregnable defense of the canal Is
the only sure safeguard OF its neu'
trality in the event OF war be-
tween any of the great world powers
which might occur in the future.
Plans for the defense of the Pana.
ma Cana! were laid down by the TAFT
board in 1906. Now new board has
been appointed to plan new the de-
lenses of the great inter-ccean
ditch. 1t will consist of Brig. Gen.
Crozier, Chief OF Ordinance; Brig
Gen. William L. Marshall. Chief OF
Engineers; Brig Gen. Arthur Murray.
Chief of the Coast Artillery; Brig.
w. w. wotherspoon, Assistant Chief
of the General stan; Brig. Gen
Tasker Il. Bliss, Capt. Stanton, u.
S. n, and Major Ham OF the artll-
lery, who will serve as recorder.
This board is going to Panama early
in January II is the general opinion
in army circles that it will recon-
mend an amplification Of the plans of
the 1906 board. That 1t will recon-
mend the use of the heaviest ordnance
is certain.
At Cristobal On the Atlantic and
at Balboa formerly La Boac) at the
Pacific end will be great fortresses in
pairs. The armament at Cristobai VIII
consists of eight fourteen inch guns
of the disappearing type be placed be-
hind concrete bastions fifty feet thick.
There will be On either side OF the
canal entrance two mortar batteries
of four guns each, sixteen guns m
all. These guns will be placed as to
permit their showering the roadstead
and the nearer waters of the ocean
with a gruelling fire of shrapnel and
the big twelve inch shells set with
time fuses which. bursting in airsren
der untenable any position assumed
within their range In addition to
the eight big long range rifles and the
sixteen mortsrs there will be a light
er battery of three inch quick firing
GUNS. The Taft board projected a
battery of five of these guns. The
new board is expected to increase
the number.
At the Pacific and two similar forts
are projected. with similar armament.
There is a possibility that at Balboa
q difference may be made in the lay
out of the Notifications. There arr
numerous rocky islands in the Pacific
at that point. and the new board may
see fit TO spread its allotment OF
great and small guns over these In
stead of concentratin in two great
forts as at CristobaI.
The purpose Of the fertilization OF
the newly selected Pacific navy base
at Pearl Harbor is q part OF Presi-
dent Taft's policy regarding the Phu.
ippines. President Taft believes that
eventually the FIlipinos viii earn their
independence. Hawaii does net want
independence. This is part Of the
reason for the selection OF Pearl Har-
Dor as a naval base. Another anu
more present and apparent reason is
that in the Pacific the problem OF
the defense Ct the Pacific coast OF
the United States necessitates q
strong naval base between the main
land OF Asia and the United States
rather thar a base in the Philippines
which would give the great Mongol-
Ian nations OF the East TWO OF tnree
days advantage in a race for the Cal
ifornia coast.
Two Choices offered
With the pacific naval centre at
Pearl Harbor. more than half way
across, the start OF an East Asian
enemy would be made five OF six
days before the oncoming hostile feet
could reach the longitude OF Hawaii.
the warships from our navy base
would have the chcce Of two courses
presented. They c-uld dash out to
intercept the enemy OF they could
start post haste for the American
coast ready to participate in the de-
Tense or to meet the enemy In battle
OF san Francisco. Seattle. San Diego