New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-25
For Germany, Which Knows in Detail Its
Military Weaknesses, the Canal
Is the One Open Gate
to the Orient

mingo. but thus far their advice has not
been acted upon.
/ There are three nautical gateways
which deep draft ships from Europe EN-
ploy to enter the Caribbean, the Wind
ward. Mona and Virgin Passages. The
first two are partly under our control, and
by the fertilization of SANTANA Bay could
be made wholly ours. With the recently
acquired Danish West Indies fortified, we
would hold the third main gateway. Out
side of those strategic centres there Is
but one other Caribbean possession which
causes serious apprehension among our
naval experts, viz, the Dutch West India
islands of Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba
Apropos of the recent purchase Of the
/ Danish islands, history of our previous
failures to acquire them is interesting and
significant.
Germany's Aggressive Commercial Policy
In 1867 Denmark offered to sell US the
islands, but we refused to buy. In 1901
she offered them again and we accepted
but although the Danish people through
their lower house Endorsed the treaty
| their upper house. as result Of German
pressure. it is said, blocked the transfer.
/ Immediately thereafter the Hamburg
/ American Company made st. Thomas It's
/ West Indian headquarters, and, consider
ably against the wishes of the Danish in
/ habitants, built at that point big docks
coal yards and the like. Germany's ag'
gressive commercial policy in the Carib'
/ bean, of late years, has been exceedingly
disouieting to our susceptibilities. Her in
terests had, prior to the outbreak Of the
war. vastly increased, and she Of all Eu.
ropean powers had been least considerats
of our doctrines. Had it not been for that
war we should in all probability have had
/ diplomatic controversy, if not worse,
with her over those very doctrines of ours
and an examination Of the facts IN the
case will perhaps point a lesson as re-
CARDS the advisability Of completing our
Canal defences without further delay.
Hayti, formerly French, was at the be
ginning of hostilities predominanty Ger
man. She had for some time been bank.
rupt and her affairs chaotic. Just before
the war. to wit, on May 8, 1914, England
presented an ultimatum to the black re-
public and backed it up with ship OF
war 1t had TO do with certain unsatIs'
fed English claims for damages, due to
the reign Of anarchy. It's terms were met
with evidences Of extreme haste.
On the same day the German Minister
began negotiations with the Haytian gov
ernment for loan Of 100000 on behalf
of some German fnanciers. In return he
demanded nothing more nor less than the
control Of certain custom houses and the
right to erect a commercial coaling sta
ton at M6le-Saint- Nicholas. Mole-SaInt
Nicholas is a splendid naval base directly
on the Windward Passage, the high road
TO Panama. In July Of that year the Ger
man government in strong, explicit note
to Washington practically demanded
share in the Haytian customs control
thereby challenging our Interpretation OF
the Monroe Doctrine. With equal direct
ness we refused. 1t was nothing but the
outbreak of the war which put an end to
the deadlock and spared US from-who
knows what?
Events of the last two years have in al
probability convinced Germany that capt
ure of the Suez Canal is impossible. The
other gate TO the Orient is Panama.
What an Invader Could Do
It is the opinion Of our military ano
naval men that in case of war with ar
Oriental power we would surely lose our
Pacific insular possessions unless their de.
fences are immeasurably strengthened.
No doubt that is true, but we could afford
to lose them. We cannot, however, afford
to lose the Panama Canal. Properly forti-
fled and garrisoned, it, Importance in our
system of national defence is tremendous
nay. vital With it, with Oahu and Guam
securely held, our Western coast would be
comparatively safe-certainly safer than
if protected by any number Of elaborate
harbor defences from Seattle % San d.
ego. and Of the three points the canal is by
far the most important. Unless we are
prepared to spend the money and the men
to make it sure we had best blast out our
emplacements and bring sur soldiers home.
We are vaguely aware Of our general
military ineffectiveness; we know that our
fences need some mending. Ii has been
my endeavor to show that the newest
strongest piece of that fence is weak.
Make sure of this: II. under existing con-
ditions, an invader, whether from the East
or from the West. ever comes to our shores
we will lose the Panama Canal, and II we
are forced to buy it back we will pay