The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-05
BIG GUNS At PANAMA
MAY PROVE REAL MENACE
General Edwards Declares Americs
Must Be Prepared to Defend
Canal From Land Attack.
INNATE WEAKNESS OF
OUR COAST DEFENsEs
Many located Where No Enemy
Would Think of Attacking--Few
Important Bases Should Be Made
Invulnerable.

1nNutAGkWbkC'
washington, Feb. 4.--Brisadier-
General Clarence r. Edwards, just re.
turned from the military command ~
the Canal Zone, yesterday told the
Senate Committee on MILITARY Alan
that the big guns mounted II Inc oi
trance 10 the Canal would be an actua
source of weakness unless supplement.
ed with mobile troops. suIicie'' -
ward off an invading force: 4.
He showed how, and told where II
would he easy for troops TO land or
the Pacific side and destroy Mirafores
ana Pedro Miguel Locks unless
proper force OF troops was always
at hand. 49,
c;rneraI Edwards declared that the
proper fertilization of the HaWaiiar
islands and Guam, in connection VIII
the canal would AFFORD better oe-
lenses ~ the coast than harbor de-
lenses could give. He said the army
rad been compelled to abandon its
nrois~t AT Guantanamo, Cuba, be-
csuse n could not be defended from
,hs ,an6 side He strongly urged a
fortified base at Stamina Bay, Santo
Dominxo. as a protection of the canal
from the Atlantic side Many existing
fortifications are placed where no
enemy ever would attack, while cities
liable to attack. he declared, are pro-
tected by guns that either are i'm
properly placed or are not OF sum-
Client power.
Pacific Coast Points.
On the Pacific Coast. General Ed
wards said the only places that should
be defended are San Francisco. the
Coiurnbia River and the Puget Sound
regton. These, he added. should be
completely guarde by every instru-
mentality that military skill can de-
wise.
The importance of the Panama
Canal in our system of national de-
Tense cannot be overestimated, he
said. Its protection should be ade-
auate. Heavy nxed guns, no matter
how many, or how many troops to
defend the canal from land attack. the
guns already mounted are not merely
a we&knees--they are a positive dan
yer To us In the event of war.
The minimum garrison recon-
uasnded should be nine infantry regi-
nasrts one cavalry regiment. two f1eld
artillery regiments and third OF the
Porto Rican regiment.
There 10 a more or less prevalent
belief tina, the jungle OF the Canal
IONA will prove In the event OF war
involving attack on the canal, MIL
itary factor in our favor. through the
difficulties an enemy will encounter in
making his way through IL.
Must Discard idea.
sT am convinced. and all officers In
the zone who hag1 reconno!tereds< the
surrounding country agree \ with
rsA. that the idea that the jungle will
prove q greater handicap to an ad-
vxnctng enemy than TO our DEFENDING
hn At0rM mad
IAN enemy In offered every facility
fcr landing naohila troops and reach
I'M by easy marches me vtsnis Of tine
eaat-4be AfrA1av0 and Pedro
Nlscsf locke. The most casual re-
Election by any military student fla
rniiiar with the facts should show
that we must never let an enemy APP
proach within ten miles of the locks
II we are to save the canal. The only
wav an enemy's attack in this region
could be effectively met would be
through q well-devised system OF In
formation thar would psrrutt orposf.
ton:
FIRST. nj the point OF landing. and
thereafter. II driven back, through the
successive occupation of position Sc
lscted in advance Tor the advantage
they would offer TO the defending
troops.
the canal - the sole reason for the
nclttical existence of the zone itself
Tne strip of territory that constitutes
the none has no other purpose than
70 ensure the efficient operation and
dsfense OF the canal. By acts or Con-
vrass its lands have been appropriated
and the zones depopu1ated. The con-
templated permanent force OF civil
employees Is from 2,o0o to 2.5o0 whites
and 10000 blacks. In the event OF
war likely to involve the canal. 1t IL
nroba Bile that many OF them would
volunteer and be mustered into the
military service of the United States
7 recommend legislation that shall re-
nutre all male civilian employees OF
the canal Of suitab bic age and physical
condition. TO oblgate themselves to
volunteer, and in preparation Tor this
to offer themselves for period OF at
least two months training during the
Hrst two years OF their employment
ana thereafte for ten days each year,
what I have said In respect 10 the
,mnortance Of the Canal Zone. in any
system of national defense and the
necessity Of providing complete protec-
ton. applies with equal rorce ana
almost word for word TO Oahu (Ha-
waiian Islands).
General Edwards said he thought
Guam should be fncluoeo IN thS
scheme Of cefsnse and that recent
events in the Pacific had made this
imperative. With the Panama Canal.
the Hawaiian Islands and Guam Sc
cureiy held, he thought the Pacino
coast would have better defense from
attack from a Pacific power than har-
Dor defenses on the contingent could
give. ALASKA and Porto Rico, ne
thought, should not defended, though
the Porto Rican regiment might be
enlarged and utilized for service In
the Canal Zone and in Hawaii.
As to Coast Defenses.
Taking up the question OF coast de-
Tense. General Edwards went on:
Existing Notifications cover many
places where MOI possible enemy would
attack. places covered by works inn
properly located and Improperly
armed. All these useless fortifca-
tons should be abandoned. Obsolete
armament should be strapped and