New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-11
.FORT|F|CAT|ON DEMANDED
Its Advocates Say Panama Canal
Requires It.
ECONOMIC CLUB DISCUSSION
General Miles and Count Ap'
ponyi Take Opposite Sides
of Question.

The question OF fortifying the Panama
Canal absorbed the attention last night OF
eight hundred members of the Economic
Club. gathered in the grand ballroom OF
the Hotel Aston at their second dinner OF
the season Three champions OF tortihca-
ton appeared on the rostrum from which
the speakers addressed the big audience In
the persons OF Lieutenant General Nelson
A. Miles DR.. Louis Livingston Seaman,
major surgeon United States Volunteer
Engineers. and Henry Reuterdahl, naval
artist and author.
In opposition Count Albert Apponyi, Pro-
lessor Henry Wade Rogers. dean OF the
Yale Law School. and j. Warren Kefer,
Congressman from Ohio and one time
Speaker Of the House. spoke. John G. Mil
burn president OF the society. who pre-
sided gave an exhibition OF strict ner-
trality
Count Apponyi was an unexpected REIN
forcement for the opponents of fortiflca-
ton, who had prepared to wage their fight
against superior numbers. Escorted by
President Nicholas Murray Butler OF Co.
lumbia. the Hungarian Cabinet Minister
arrived just as the meal started and adj
dressed the diners then because he was
due at the Metropolitan Club to attend a
dinner being given for him there by DR..
Butler His advocacy Of non-fortifcation
was, of course. unmistakable. although he
did not mention the canal.
Fortifcations and battleships. he said,
were fast becoming obsolete, but he added
that he had not come to America to criti-
else American institutions; that to the ma
ton which led all others in the cause Of
peace could he safely intrUsted her own
Institutions
In brief, the advocates Of fertilization
contended that no treaty bound the United
States TO an opposite course and that self
preservation demanded it. The opponents
declared that treaties did forbid the forti-
ication and that naturalization was n safe
method Of insurng the use of the canal
to all nations. both in war and in peace.
Pledges to Naturalization.
No treaty, Dean Rogers SAID. expressly
forbade fertilization, but the United states
was pledged to naturalization. The ques-
ton, therefore, in his mind was whether
naturalization necessarily implied non
fertilization. lie called attention to the
fact that under treaties neutralizng the
Black Sea, the lower Danube, the Strait
of Magellan and the Suez Canal fortiiica-
tons were forbidden.
But whether the United States has tho
legal right. to fortify or not" he continued
land its right to fortify is at least in
volved in some doubt-it ought not to ex-
ercise that right, but should take steps
bo
vention Of Constantinople OF 1883, which
neutralized the Suez Canal. and obtain
the assent of the great powers. If such an
attempt should fail, and 1t would not, then
it would be time to assert whatever right
To fortify We may possess"
Congressman keifer quoted treaty after
treaty in force to-day. he said, which ex-
pressly stipulated the naturalization OF the
Panama Canal. Both he and Dean Rogers
asserted that in case the canal were iortl-
fed It would become the scat OF war, Should
one break out, causing both the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts to remain unprotected
Mr. Keifer said Admiral Dewey agreed
perfectly with their contention
When England abandoned the forth
cation of Gibraltar and Alden, and Ger
maI,y neltralized the kiel Canal and the
German navy. then, said Dr. Seaman II
would lie time for the United states To
neutralIze the Panama Canal AS an ex-
ample of the result OF unpreparedness FOR
war he cited the case of China and the
.,,neriences Of this country in the Spanish
conflict
Decentralization Ideal in Theory"
DECENTRALIZATION" said he. Ideal IN
theory. is only effective as long as al
,o,ions can he induced TO observe theiI
treaty obligations. This requires universal
agreement. but il has happened IN tl'
mast and il will doubtless happen IN ths
future. that some nation or rIitionS w.
disregard these obligations, and as thS
canal will be used by all, so II wiz DC "i
object Of attack by any who thus oesih
war and seek to iniure their enemy Dy loo
hing II Of the use of this waterway III
stances Of ineffectiveness and violations VI
treaty stipulatlons in moments OF vital iih
nortance are by no means wanting. one o.
tho most pronounced in recent times was
the blowin up of the Russian battleshlT
nv the japanese in the harbor Of ChemulpC
M the opening of the Japanese
War"
said General Miles: Every military mar
must know that in case of war the lsth
milan canal would be. If possible. the mrs
Mace TO be seized by a foreign foe, anc
any student OF history must know tha
treaties are disregarded in almost every
war.
After expanding hundreds of millions o.
tho people's money in it's construction
wbv advocate its being made free gfl
to all the powers of the world, large anc
small friendly and unfriendly? The fac
is Il has been constructed by our people
and for our people and nation. Wisdom
and patriotism now both demand thai Il
shall be protected. and, If need be. de
Tended. not only for ourselves. but those
who shall follow us, and this is our sacreC
6utv. 1t should he protected and defend
cd the same as any other part Of our pub
lie domain or great national interests.
/ ONG AND 0lNEY PROTEST
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