Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-09-21

must be SO placed that the coast
guns can stand off a feet at sufficient
distance to allow another fleet to
pass through and form in battle line
for its own defense before coming
in range. AS the range of the coast
gun and the modern big gun of bat
tleships are approximately the same,
1T will be necessary to mount bat
teries in Notifications on islands
commanding the entrance of the ca
nal.
Fortunately no artificial islands
need be built to obtain this end. On
the Panama side there are several
admirably situated. On the Colon
side there is one which will serve
the purpose. From these positions
the batteries or mortars and big
guns Will command a stretch Of wa
ter large enough for the feet to ma
nouver in.
The guarding of the canal at inte-
rior points is not SO difficult a prob
lem. A garrison will 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 a stick
Of dynamite and serious damage
might be done at 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 obstruet the passage of a
feet.
There is little doubt of the ability
of the United States to fortify the
canal effectively. Whether or not 1t
has the right to do SO according to
the agreement with Great Britain is
a o involved question.
Apart from treaty considerations
the right of the United States cannot
be questioned. The United States
controls the ten-mile strip through
which the canal runs as much as 1t
controls the Philippine Islands. This
country spent hundreds Of millions
of dollars to dig the waterway. The
right of the United States to erect
what Notifications it pleases within
It's own territory and to defend its
W possessions cannot be Ques-
toned.
Those who object to the fortifica-
tions are either the Militant advo-
Gates" of universal peace, notably
General j: Warren Keifer, of Ohio,
whose reasons were based on anti
war sentiment, or persons who hold
that 1t is contrary to the spirit of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty with Great
Britain.
Against the peace advocates there
is only one Observation-Disclosures 1t Is
wise or foolish to promote the cause
of universal peace by exposing to
the attacks of a ~belligerent country
or the Vaccinations Of al individual
with q stick of dynamite, the water
way which has cost hundreds of mill
lions and which will be of incalcul-
able value to the commerce of the
world. -
AS to the treaty itself-there is
no clause which stands in the way of
the fertilization of the canal. The
treaty embodies some of the interna-
tional treaties regarding the Suez
canal but not all of them and as the
circumstances under which 1t will
have been built and administered
are quite different from those affect
ing the Suez route, 1t Is not contend
ed that all the regulations adopted
In the case of the latter canal apply
to the Panama canal.
The treaty itself, therefore, does
not specify whether or not the canal
shall be fortified. 1t does however,
stipulate that 1t shall be neutral.
This was the purpose of the framing
Of the treatu. The object of Great
Britain was to obtain from the Uni
ted States assurance that the control
of the canal would not be exercised
by the United States for the benefit
of any country as against another
country In time Of war. AS an ex-
ample. If Germany, were to fight ia
pan, the United States was not to
open the canal to Germany and close
1t to Japan, o r vice versa, nor was
it to allow either country to secure
an advantage over the other by bot
thing up the canal.
This being the case, army and
navy experts point out, it Is not only
the privilege but the obligation of
the United States to fortify the canal
In order that its provisions may be
guaranteed and that the provisions
of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty may be
strictly observed.
The plans Of the board OF FORTH
cations are now before President
Taft. Congress will take them UP
at its next session and the question
will be decided once for all.
American Auto Victim Abroad,
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