New-York tribune., 1911-02-12
Say
pu.;ness Men Tell Why Natior
8 Should Command Great
Waterway With Guns.

uAGINE two armies OF equal strenstn'
~ drawn up in battle formation, the
80 shut IN between mountains anu
- 20 emerge therefrom in single NE
no ,he fire OF the enemy was poured III
zach man as he emerged
OH. OF - arrnv do you think would have the
-, chance Of winning?
is precisely the situation which
"a exist at Panama were the United
W. % fau 10 fortify the canal and were
s'H''- ,,,,s feet 10 form in lire Of battle
~ IN either the Atlantic or the Pa
D. an American feet TO emerge from
Gun ra1 The concentrated fire Of the
'he fleet would be poured into each
eneins .an ship as it appeared. and II the
n..rksmanship were true the American meet
nlS. "a rever live to fire a single broadside
into the enemy .,.i-
- ,ba canal be fortified, however, all tins
r, be different. The great 1i-inch dis
n.sring guns. supplemented by the L
~ roo-tars throwing 1000 pound projec-
.g.s mounted on solid platforms, the DIX
- on disappearing carriages and the
.o-,ars completely out of sight would
ote Il certain destruction for the enemy 5
n' 80 anproach nearer than within ten
~nOs AMI under the protection OF the
H'-e.' o-,-s +re American fleet could emerge
80, the canal. assume battle formation
% "a rsadv TO deliver broadside as soon
- q came within the range OF the guns oil
the enemy's feet.
psfsrence 70 any good map Of the canal
80 shows TWO fairly high promontorles
- Colon. on which the fortifications could
hs placed and from which they would COM
- an area extending ten miles out 10
Al the Panama end of the canal the
poc,ac end. there are three small islands
,aoollv situated for defence purposes, ana
n4,b these amply fortified hostile fleet
It'd no compelled to remain at an equal
s,s+arce from the entrance TO the canal.
- the absence of the American fleet.
.hosa fortifcations could keep an opposing
Acct AZ pay interminably. while the canal
.,r,5sons could always be reinforced and
rroy4dea with additional ammunition and
sunnlies from the United States and landed
~ that terminus Of the canal opposite to
tho one threatened by the enemy.
The armament which it is proposed TO
,,ovide for the canal fortincadons consists
~ eight Finch rifles on disappearing
carriages; twenty-four Finch mortars,
mounted IN groups o. Lyuif III N4A'AAy ~~ti-
csaled mortar pits. and twelve 6-inch rapid
fire rifles TO repel landing parties.
The Tribune asked d number of prominent
New York business men for their views on
,be adyisabllity Of fortifyiug the canal
from business point Of view, and received
the following replies:
IuDWIG NISSEN. Importer Of Pearls
and Precious Stones: THE Panama Canal
should be strongly fortified at each end
hv the United States. II Is being built with
American money and brains and was pro-
iected for the purpose Of facilitating Amer
ican commerce and. in case Of necessity
American naval operations. II would
therefore be folly TO put that enterprise in
the hazardous situation Of making 1t pos
sibe for a foreign nation. or any number
Of allied enemies, 10 occupy perhaps each
end or the whole of the canal to the ex-
cluyion Of the use OF It by the country that
created Il II would hardly seem that the
question could be one Of controversy at
al. but that every American, as well as
every foreigner. would take for granted