Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-04
FOR ADEQUATE DEFENSE
OF PANAMA CANAL ZONE
Brigadicr-GeneraI Edwards Wants
Big Guns Supplemented With
Mobile Troops.
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEES
PROPER Fertilization Of Hawaiian Is
lands and Guam, in Connection
N'th IsthmuS, Better Protection
Tor Coast Than Iinrbor DefenseS.

wards, Just returned from the military
command of the Canal Zone. to-day told
the Senate Committee on Military AZ
1airs that the big guns mounted at
the entrance to the canal would be an
actual source Of weakness unless sup
pieinenicd with mobile troops. sufficient
10 ward OFF an invading force.
He showed how and told where il
"oui'! be easy for troops To land on
the faciiic side. and destroy Mirahorcs
ana Pedro Miguel locks unless :, proper
1orcc OF troops was always at hand.
General Edwards declared that the
proper fortiiication OF the Hawaiian
Islands and Guam. in connection with
the canal. would afford better dcfcnscs
TO The coast than harbor d"fcnscs pos
sihly could give. He said the army
hah bcen compelled to abandon it's pro-
Ject at Guantanamo, Cuba, because il
could not be defended from the land
side He strongly urged Il fortified
base at Stamina Bay. Santo Domingo
as protection of tho canal from the
Atlantic side. Many existing fprtifica-
lions arc placed where no enemy ever
would attack. while cities liable to at
tack. he declared. are protected by
guns that either are improperly placed
or are not Of sufficient power
ON the Pacific Coast General Ed
wards said the only places that should
he defended arc San Francisco. the
Columbia River ana the Puget Sound
region. These, he added, should be
completely guarded by every instru-
mentality that military skill can devise
IMPoRTANCE OF DEFENSE
CANNOT he ONERESTtM tTE:D
The Importance Of the Panama
Canal in our system OF national de-
Tense cannot he overcstimated." he said.
ITS protection should be adequate
Heavy fixed guns. no matter how many
or no" large, can never do this alone.
Without sufficient mobile troops to de-
fcnd the canal from land attacks the
guns already mounted are not merely
weakness. they are :. positive danger
TO us in the event of war.
The minimum garrison recon-
Incnded should he nine infantry rcEi-
1ncnts. one cavalry regiment. two field
artillery regiments ana "a third OF the
Porto Rican regiment
There is Z: moro or less prcvalcp,
belief that the Jungle OF tho canal
Zone Will prove. In the event Of war,
Involving attack on the canal. II mill
tary factor in our favor. through the
difficulties an enemy wili encounter in
making his way through IT.
i am convinced. ana All officers in
thc zone who have rcconnoitered the
surrounding country agree with
me that the idea that the Jungle will
prove a greater handicap TO AN ad-
vancinG enemy than TO our defending
troops. must lee discarded
An enemy - offered every facility
for Landing mohil" troops and reaching
hl easy marches the vitals OF the canal
locks. The most casual reelection by
any military student familiar with the
facts should show that we must never
let an enemy approach within ten miles
OF the locks II We are 10 save tho canal!
The only WAY AN cncmy's attack i'm
this region could bc effectively met
would be through Il wcll-dcv!scd sys-
tenn OF fertilization that would permit
opposition:
First. at the point OF landing and
thereafter. II driven back. through the
successive occupation OF positions
selected in advanc. for tho advantage
they would offer TO The defending
troops
WANT CANAL EMPLOYEES
TO 0DLIGATE THEMSELVES
The canal IS the sole reason for
the political existence Of the zone itself
The strip Of territory that constitutes
the zone has no other purpose than 10
insure the efficient operation and de-
Tense of the canal. BY acts OF Con-
gress, its lands have been appropriate ed
aud the zone depopulatcd. The con-
templated permanent force of civil en-
pioyces is from 1000 TO $500 whites
and 10000 blacks. In the event of war
likely to involve the canal. it is prob
teer and be mustered into the military
service of the United States. ! recon-
mend legislation that shall require all
male civilian employees of the canal,
of suitable age and physical condition,
TO obligatc themselves to volunteer
and In preparation for this TO offer
themselves for period of at least
two months training during thc first
two years OF their employment and
thereafter for ten days each year.
What | have said In respect to the
Importance Of the Canal Zone, in any
system Of national defense and the
necessity of providing complete protec-
ton. applies with equal force and al
most word for word to Oahu (IIa-
waiian) Islands"
General Edwards said he thought
Guam should be included in the scheme
of defense. and that recent events in
the Pacific had made this Imperative
With the Panama Canal, the Hawaiian
Islands and Guam securely held, he
thought the Pacific Coast would have
better defense from attack from n
Pacific power than harbor defenscs on
The continent could give. Alaska and
Porto Rico. he thought, should not be
defended. though tho Porto Rcnn regi-
ment might be enlarged and utilized for
service in the Canal Zone and in
Hawaii
USELESS FOHTIFICATIONS
SHOULD DE ABANDONED
Taking up the question of coast de-
Tense. General Edwards went on:
Existing Notifications covor many
places where no possible enemy would
attack. places covered by works i'm