Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-19
Army and Navy Board Consid-
erinq Notifications.
WILL VISIT THE ISTHMUS
Promise Made That Work Shall Be
Complete in 1915.
BURDEN OF DEFENSE ON NAVY
Preparation of Data for Congress
Regarding the Occupation Of
Panama Canal Zone.

The important work of constructing for
tifcations for the entrances to thePanama
canal will be given careful consideration
by a joint army and navy board during
the coming winter This board, the per-
sonnet of which has been partly COM
pleted, will visit the isthmus and go over
the entire ground in a thorough and sys-
tematic manner. making the investigation
of conditions there most complete, so that
Congress may be prepared to act intel
ligently as soon as it is decided that the
work of fortifying shall begin.
Colonel Goethals, the chairman and the
chief engineer of the canal commission,
has promised that the canal shall be
ready to be open by January 1. 1915. and
the President and his cabinet feel that
the work of placing that waterway in an
impregnable position should be finished,
or at least we'll under way, by the time
the canal is ready for practical uses.
The board will consist of Brig. Gen.
William L. Marshall. chief of engineers;
Brig. Gen. William CroZier, chief Of ord
nance; Brig. Gen. Arthur Murray, chief
Wotherspoon, assistant chief of staff: two
naval officers yet to be selected.
Discussed for Years.
The general question of the Notifications
for the canal has been discussed by the
army and navy for years. 1t Is possible
that If the report of the board is made
in time Congress may at this session ap-
propriate money for the work. The new
board will have available considerable
data on which to inaugurate work for in
1865 the national coast defense board,
of which President Taft was then at the
head, made thorough examination into
the whole subject of fortifications and
recommended an expenditure of S4,S27 So
Since that time conditions have changed
and 1t may be found desirable by the
board to make other recommendations in
volvlng differences found necessary as a
result of developments in national de-
tense.
Navy Should Have Help.
The board in 1906 took the position that,
while it might appear that the ultimate
defense of the canal must rest with the
navy. the fleet should not be tied SO
closely to it as to lose its offensive pow
err Moreover. it was readily conceivable
that the control of the sea in the vi
cinity might be lost temporarily either
on the Atlantic or the Pacific coast,
making land defenses necessary and ad-
visabl since the cost of Notifications
would be but small percentage Of the
damage which could quickly be inflicted
upon the plant and operations of the
canal.
The board recommended the installa-
ton at the entrances of eight twelve-inch
guns, eleven three-inch guns and thirty
two twelve-inch mortars, with the neces
sary accessories.
officials to Visit Isthmus.
The Isthmus of Panama promises to be
the objective point of number of i'm
portant oficials of the government this
winter IL their present expectations are
carried out. President Taft while at San
Francisco recently expressed the hope
that he would be able to go to the 18TH
mus in December. Secretary Dickinson
also has indicated his desire to see the
great waterway under construction. his
plan when last speaking on the subject
being also to go in December. while the
appropriations committee of the House is
scheduled to sail from New York for
Colon early in November
The commissions estimate for the
needs of the canal for 1911, amounting to
S4S,OOOO00. will be in the committees
hands by that time.