The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-20
KANSAS COMMENT
THE PERIL OF PANAMA.,

OF PANAMA.
Now that Colonel Goethals and his
Industrious helpers have the Panama
canal somewhere near completion, the
/ military experts are beginning to point
Sut the necessity of maintaining a
; large standing army in that vicinity
for purposes of defense, as we'll as q
substantial naval patrol of the Carib-
bean. They go on to show to great
length wherein the portal of Panama
| becomes vulnerable spot, placing
this nation on the defensive on a large
scale, whereas, before. our splendid
isolation, particularly before the
Spanish-American war, made defense
an easy matter to be attended to by
the militia and the marines. Panama.
II is pointed out, is to be a key to the
worlds trade of such importance that
its defense will be vital. as well as a
large job.
This is probably about as important
as the Yellow Peril, and in much the
same class. While it is true that the
japanese and other Asiatics might
kick up a disturbance if so disposed,
we should worry; that is, we shouldn't.
for those Far Fasteners have troubles
of their own and have no disposition
to take the United States as a coaling
station. So it is with the canal.
hostile power could cause us some I'M
pleasantness by blowing up the Gatum
dam, and otherwise disfiguring that
dearest ditch. But it shouldn't be for
gotten that the Panama canal is
world institution, which shall be of
great value to every power on the map,
and more to those large in the mer-
chant marine than to this country,
which has insignificant foreign ship
ping interests.
1t is true that this matter might
have been greatly simplified by
adopting an early suggestion to make
the canal zone neutral, but as that
wasn't done, common sense should
come to the rescue, and be an ADLER
defense than a large standing army.
A military establishment of consider
able Importance is a necessity in a
country as large as this, but the plan
for going on and making it larger ana
larger is never going to be popular IN
this country for Panama or any other
reason short of actual warfare
Atchison Globe.
A CLEAR HEADED INSTRUCTOR
One woman instructor in Wichita
has set a pace which should quiet
criticism on woman's inability to rea-
son calmly. The incident is simple in
itself, but it shows a breadth of view
not too common even among trained
men. The woman in question was
teaching women clerks and judges or
elections what their duties would be
on election day. To the judges she
said that they must know the qualifi-
cations of voters. Illustrating this
point she said that if a nattVe-born
Wichita woman has married for
eigner, that is, a man who has not
become a naturalized citizen of this
country, she could not vote, and it
would be the duty of the election
Judge to rule her out. This at once
aroused indignation in the class. One
asserted that it was an outrage, an
other that it was brutal, another that
it was manifestly absurd that a Wien
ita-born woman was not a citizen of
the country, and still other indignant
comments were made. Now what did
this woman instructor do? Did she
attempt to reply to these criticisms?
Did she try to defend the law? Not
at ALL She said, young women, the
statute book says that such women
cannot vote. and it is not your duty to
pass upon that law, but simply to obey
it."-Wichita Beacon.