Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-03-30
IS Fate in War Time Causing
Some Concern to Those in
High Places.
LITTLE DANGER FROM U-BOATS
Real Peril 10 That One or Two Men
Put Ashore From Submarine Might
Make Way Overland and
Dynamite Lock Gate.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

BY EDWARD B. CLARK.
washington Correspondent of the West
ern Newspaper Union.)
WashingtOn.-Anxie Is evident in
places where anxiety means concern
over the fate of the Panama canal in
war time.
1t is believed implicitly that if hos
tilities open the German sea power
will strike at the Panama canal. Now
1t might be said that the German
navy is in no condition to do damage
to the great waterway. The danger
perhaps is not great, but there Is a
danger nevertheless, and it will put
the United States forces on the 18TH
mus to their keenest endeavOr to hold
the locks safe.
Under the present conditions Ger
many can send nothing more fOrmida-
BILE than big submarines to the waters
about Panama. There probably is no
danger at all that these submarines
can enter the canal and torpedo the
first lock at Gatun.
The peril therefore is not so much
from @ direct attack by a submarine
as it is that one man or two men put
ashore from U-bOat might make
their way overland unseen md dyna-
mite lock gate.
The thing for Germany to do, OF
course, from a strategic point of view,
is to close the Panama canal. Through
1t daily pass vessels from the west
coast Of America laden with supplies,
mainly food, for the allied nations of
Europe. If the canal could be closed
Germany would be greatly the gamer.
Now it is possible that an under
the-sea boat might submerge some
where outside of TOro Point break
water and make its way into the
canal, passing below the surface and
of course unseen by the forts. 1t is
not known definitely to laymen. how
ever, whether the water Is deep
enough for a submarine to make this
trip with devastation as its end.
Can Easily Be Protected.
If the way is deep enough Off the
entrance to the canal to permit a
submarine to dive and to make its
way into the canal channel, the
chances are that the precautions
taken by the canal guards would pre-
vent the boat from traversing the wa
terway which is not wide and which
easily can be protected by nets.
A submarine cannot do damage with
it's under-the-water torpedOes unless
1t is fairly close to the object to be
attacked. This, of course, prevents
any U-boat from sending torpedo
against a lock gate. AS a matter of
fact, the first lock gate at Panama on
the Atlantic side is eight miles from
the coast.
When a submarine comes to the sur
face it can use its small guns for as
sailing purposes, but If 1t should come
to the surface at the entrance to the
canal proper it would be too far away
from the locks to do any damage with
its small guns, and moreover, the min
ute it appeared it would be sunk by
the guns which guard the approaches
to the canal.
For the present at least the only
danger of attack on the Panama canal
is from the Atlantic side. The lock at
MirafiOres near the Pacific end Of the
canal is only about mile distant
from the coast. The Pacific end of
things, however, is today a matter of
small concern to the waterways de-
tenders, although, Of course, no means
Of possible attack is being overlooked.
Recently roads have been built out
through the jungle from the waterway
to different points near the coast. 1t
is the intention eventually, and In part
the work already has been done, to
mount batteries to defend these ave-
nues of approach. There was long
discussion at the beginning of things
as to whether or not the jungle should
not be allowed to grow up and thus
form an impeachment to foe who had
landed force somewhere on the coast
with q view to an overland attack on
the canal.
Real Danger to Canal.
The jungle has been cut away In
large part, for the first thought con-
corning it as q means of defense was
given over. In fact army officers say
1t would afford the best kind of cover
for an approaching enemy. The dan
ger to the canal, as dangers look at
present. does not come from the pos
sibility Of an attack by a large armed