The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-21


Col. GoethaIs thinks that $4,000 men
viii be needed to guard the Panama
canal He says: "Once we lost control
of the sea in a war we would have to
depend on the garrison on the zone"
This Is obviously true but it does
not prove the necessity of keeping a
strong garrison at Panama in time of
peace. Wars do not break out unex-
pectedly. They always follow signs
that point to their coming and since
strong garrison could be landed at
Colon in a week of the first indica-
tions OF need we do not see any reason
why a large body of troops should be
kept there all the time
But in the event of a war with a
strong enemy in control Of the sea of
what use would garrison of $4,000
men be at Panama2 While this gar
rison could not be reinforced the en-
envy could send $4,000 or 100000 or
100000 men against it. In the event Of
a war with an enemy strong enough
TO defeat our navy the more men we
might have at Panama the more pris-
oners the enemy would take.
1t is FOLLY to try to protect the canal
by force when we could so easily pro-
tect 1t by international agreement
Times Union.
The Times Unions military expert
must have learned his profession I'M
der Won der Goltz, the scientific in
structor of the Turks
Wars break out, if not Unexpectedly
very suddenly sometimes. That little
Russo Japanese scrap that began nine
years ago this spring is an instance in
point, and prepared enemy might
race troops to Panama as fast or fast
er than we can. Both Great Britain
and France have insular possessions
large enough to mass armies on near
er TO the canal than our home terri
tory.
Twenty-Five thousand men might
not hold the canal indefinitely against
the power of Great Britain, Germany
or France, but they could hold it until
we had a chance to rally. Twenty
five thousand men is quite an army in
some situations 1t is more than half
the force of Beers that it took Great
Britain three years to whip, and the
Beers had no cruisers and torpedo
boats to interfere with the transports
that were constantly bringing more
invaders into their country. With our
resources, our coastline and harbors,
it is not likely that we could be so
hemmed that we couldn't make it
hazardous for troops to be transported
in large numbers from even Jamaica
to Colon. One swift cruiser could play
the very mischief with a whole fleet
of transports. twenty-five thousand
men could hold the canal zone against
$4,000 unless the American soldier has
greatly deteriorated. Great Britain is
the only country that stands much
chance of landing such a force. Great
Britain hasn't any such a force to
send, except a few thousand at a
time as she sent them to Africa. Ger
many with good luck could land
troops enough on the canal territory
to overcome eight or ten thousand
American soldiers, but hardly enough
to overcome $4,000. Japan might do
the same thing, tho it is doubtful.
The only country that has both the
troops to send, the ships to send them
in, and perhaps the ships to guard
them, is France. What possible chance
is there that we shall have a war
with France?
There is not as much chance that
we shall have war with Britain as
with France. The only civilized pow
er we are likely to have war with is
Germany. which nation would have
some chance of destroying the canal,
or taking it away from US for a time
If It was slenderly guarded. In case
Of war. either nation, or both, for an
alliance between them is not impossi-
BILE, would certainly strike at the
canal
To paraphrase the Times Union, the
Star thinks cit is folly to try to pro-
tect the canal by international agree
ment when we can more surely protect
It by force" International agree
ments are generally broken when a
nation finds 1t safe and convenient to
break them. 1t looks like the United
States is preparing to break an inter-
national agreement about that same
canal, and if it does it can't expect
any nation to respect another.