The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-09-21
TO PROCEED WITH
PLANS TO FORTTFY
PANAMA CANAL

ditch which,is q unite the Atlantic and
/ Pacific oceans
The Panama canal is no longer a
I project It is now a reality Although
The date set for the opening is 1915, the
engineers are confident that ships will
be taking this short cHt between oceans
a year sooner, or 1914.
\ Two years ago or even a year ago
7 foreigners were content to admire the
energy and SKIN which was sweeping
away giant obstacles. Today they are
wondering what its effect is to be on
world politics and what advantages are
TO accrue to the United States through
control Of this strategic waterway.
For this reason, more than any other,
foreigners are debating the question Of
the fortification OF the canal. At the
present moment also this consideration
Il Of paramount interest to the United
States because the defence must be ii
place by the time the canal Is open for
traffic.
The two problems, therefore, which
are agiiating the officials Of the United
States and of other countries, are
whether we havs the right to fortify
the canal and whether we can do it
successfully if we have the right.
No less an authority than Rear Ad
miral Bob Evans has said hat 1t can
not be done The board Of army ex
ieris says that It can The task offers
difficulties but they are not insurmount-
able. The essential feature Of the de-
fence plans is that the big guns Of the
shore batteries must be so placed that
no fleet in time OF war can draw near
enough to the entrance OF the canal
on either side to bottle il up against an
other feet.
II the canal Is to be strictly neutral
1t must be kept open TO ships Of any
belligerent nation. This cannot be
done If a fleet Of one Of the combatants
can stand off the entrance at sufficient
distance to be beyond the range Of the
guns Of the shore batteries and pick
of hostile fleet coming through ship
by ship before it could deploy in battle
formation. If this were the case the
canal would be as effectively bottled as
though the Lusitania were sunk in its
channel for no feet Of battleships
would run the risk Of fight under
such adverse circumstances.
For this reason the Notifications
must be SO placed that the coast guns
can stand off fleet at sufficient dis
tance 10 allow another feet to pass
through and form in battle line for its
own defence before coming in range.
As the range Of the coast gun and the
modern big gun of battleships are ap-
proximately the same, it viii be neces-
sary to mount batteries in fortiflcations
on island commanding the entrance OF
the canal
Fortunately no artificial islands need
be huilt 10 obtain this end. On the
Panama side there are several admir-
ably situated On the Colon side there
is one which will serve the purpose.
From these positions the batteries or
nortars and big guns win command
stretch Of water large enough for the (
fleet TO maneuyer in.
The guarding Of the canal at interior
points Is not 50 difficult a problem a
garrison win be maintained within the
zone which can patrol the route. The
vulnerable points Will be the locks
which could easily be disabled by the /
explosion Of stick OF dynamite and /
serious damage might be done in the
same way at one Of the dams.
Precautions will also be taken in time
Of war between any nations to prevent
the sinking Of a ship in the channel to
obstruct the passage OF a feet.
There IS little doubt Of the ability
,l the United States to foftify the canal
effectively. Whether or not It has the
right TO do SO according to the agree
ment with Great Britain is a more in
golyed question.
Apart from treaty considerations the
light Of the United States cannot be
questioned. The United States
controls the ten-mile strip through
which the canal runs as much as it
controls the Philippine islands. This
'Ountry spent hundreds Of millions OF