Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
First Torpedo FIotiIa Already
'There-TweIve Wasps Of War
Ordered for Aerial Work.
OVER AND UNDER THE SEA
S375,OO0,000 Glitch" Will Be
lmpenetrable to All Possible
Foreign Attack.
BY SIDNEY ESPEY.

NAShlNG On Jan. I'm uCh
has been written concerning The
need Of Qualifications for the Pana-
ma Canal, on the part Of the army
and the Coast Artillery Corps, but
comparatively little attention has
been paid to the fact that the Navy
Department also r. To take its share
IN protecting the big ditch"
Newspapers through the land car
sied q three-line item about a mou'h
ago 10 the effect thai the first sub
marine hotilla had arrived at Pana-
ma from Guantanamo. Few persons
who read that item realized that this
was the first step taken by Tncle
Sam toward protecting the canal, ana
terrifying it by sea and by land.
The movement of the torpedo no
tilla was not attended by the pomn
and ceremony which greeted the de
parture of the fleet on its Europe an
cruise last fall but IL had a mucn
deeper significance than tina. tour If
peace and prosperity for Uncle Sam =
navy. The movement showed that,
having practically completed the
canal. the United States now is pre-
pairing to hold fl against. all corners
because in time %. war possession ~
the canal would mean much to an
enemy or inns country.
Five Goats in All
The first torpedo hOtilla, consisting
of Al. c., C-3, CT and CO. reach
ed Panama from Guantanamo last
month after an exceptional trip. Of
hcers on board the ozark. the tender
which 'mothered" the submarines
during their Journey. tell me that the
manner IN which the little fighting
craft plowcd through the water and
their freedom from accident Of any
Kind on the trip was truly remark
able,
What is considered more wonder
tul is the fact that the submarines
finished this trip. two or three times
longer than any continuous trip they
were ever designed to undertake. with
their fuel tanks more than half full
and entirely capable OF making the
return trim 20 Guantanamo at once.
To Guard West Entrance.
once they reached Panama the
submarines were stationed Just off
the Atlantic entrance to the canal
where they win remain until after
the formal opening, and a number Of
commercial ships have tested out the
facilities of the big ditch. II is then
planned TO send this hotilla through
ths canal and maintain them on the
Pacific side to guard that entrance.
Another fiotilla OF the "wasps Of the
sea" will he moved down from some
more northern point and maintained
at Panama % guard the Atlantic en-
trance to the canal
But il is not alone upon the land,
the sea and under the sea that the
United States is relying on it's forti-
hcations for protecting the most i'm
portant commercial waterway ever
constructed.
Aeroplsnes To Be Used.
IL is preparing To repulse invaders
by means OF aeroplanes also. The
navy now has contracts for a dozen
of what Secretary Daniels calls
~wasps OF war" which it intends to
maintain on the Isthmus and hold
ready for scouting and defensive work
in the air. The aeroplanes and hydro
seroplanes will be equipped with ev-
cry modern appliance and all will
carry wireless OUTFITS which win en-
able them To signal their information
TO those LeloW at the exact moment
they obtain H. Thus IL is that, even
were an aeroplane destroyed i've min
Otes after IL spotted the enemy, Il
would have rendered an invaluable
service in determining the exact po-
sition OF the attacking feet and In
Informing those below OF the range
and direction OF the attack
By means OF his immense land bat
teries his magnificent fleet his sturdy
rotillas Of submarines and hts air
fleet Of aeroplanes. Uncle sam there
fore will have cause 10 feel that the
canal which he constructed at cost
OF 1915 oo0 GOO will be well guarded
from any possible foreign attack.