New-York tribune., 1920-11-27
Harding Studies
Canal Defenses
On Pacific Side
Confers With Army and
Navy Officers ON Strategic
Policy; Operation Of the
Big Guns Demonstrated
Starts for Home Sunday
Utters Assurances Of L. s.
Friendship for Panama at
Banquet Given by Porras

ANCON, Canal Zone. Nov. 26 (By The
Associated Press) s)-Problems connect
ed with the defense of the Panama
Canal were studied by Senator Harding
to-day during a detailed inspection Of
the fortfications at the Pacific terminus
of the waterway and in conferences
with army and navy officers in charge
Of the zone forces. He spent several
hours making round of the dcfenses
IN company with Brigadier General
Chase w. Kennedy and Rear Admiral
Maroury Johnston. of whom he asked
many questions of the capabilities and
needs Of the establishment.
The operation of the big guns were
demonstrated to the President-elect,
and many problems of strategic policy
were laid before him.
Accompanying Senator Harding were
Senator Frederick Hale, member of the
Senate Naval Committee, and Senator
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, chairman of
the Coast Defense Committee, his
guests on the trip.
Late this afternoon Senator Harding
returned by train to Cristobal, where
on Sunday he Will go on board his
ship to return to the United States,
sailing for Norfolk.
Speaks at Porras BANQUET
In exchanging greetings at the din
ner given in his honol last night by
President Porras of Panama, Senator
Harding said to President Porras:
The cordiality of your greetings
snd the fine spirit Of your good wishes
stir me deeply. 1t is fine thing for
one republic to be so reassured Of the
abiding confidence and friendship of
sister -hol
that l am here as a private citizen,
though l am not permitted to forget,
however much l may wish it, that am
TO come to a great responsibility at a
no very distant day. Is L for that YOU
honor me as you co? Believing that is
the reason, l cannot believe it unbe-
coming to accept, because more cordial
relations between peoples and riveted
ties of friendship among nations is the
call of the great heart of human kind.
Moreover, though bent on this hur-
ried visit mainly for recreation, l
would be insensible to the obligations
Of citizenship if l were Indifferent to
the great sponsorship of my country
This is most attractive land and i
would be deaf to the call of duty as a
public servant in the Senate if | did not
seek fuller understanding of the
developing obligations of our civiliza-
tion as reflected here, and aim to add
TO the friendly understanding which
becomes our two republics in their
exceptional intimacy here
Partners In Great Advance
We are rather more than friendly
neighbors, quaffing the cup of most
cordial association. We are spiritual
partners in one of the gigantic ad-
Vances of the twentieth century,
fTn tot
genius and resources combined to link
the oceans, and the day will come when
the commerce of the world will stage
Its surprising pageant here. One can
not escape the inspirations and the
lmpelllng influences Of commerce and
trade. The adventurous navigators and
discoverers came hither and revealed
a western continent to the Old World
but they came because they were in
spired by trade. Trade has made peo-
pies eminent throughout all time, and
TINS fact IS no less true to-day than in
the past.
In your own republic you are aspir-
ing to enhance your trade. 1he su-
preme problem is to further tlis es-
sential trade. hold it everla ssincly
righteous and not forget the finer
human Accomplishments which are es-
sential to spiritual as we'll as materia!
upbuilding. 1t would be folly to pro-
duce and exchange if we failed to edu-
cate and uplift and exalt.
You spoke of our America being
mirrored here in our Canal Zone ac,
tivItles. | can we'll believe and trust
that you find in the zone reflex of a
righteous America which believes in
that liberty for others which we de-
mand for ourselves. and that you
catch that spirit Of ample justice apd
fair dealing which indexes the best
human relationship.
II need not assure you anew Of the
friendship Of our United States for
your republic. We are deeply inter
ested in the development of your good
fortune. More, we want our proven
friendship for you to add to the con-
fdence of all America, North, Central
and South, in our people and our
government. We crave friendly re-
lations, and we wish to promote them
and make them abiding. We want a
spirit of fraternal Americanism which
rents the American Continent, not in
eelnshness, not in rivalry of the Old
world, but IN mutually of interest
ana helpfulness to one another,
indeed, may speak for our Rcpub-
Hc. We choose peace and amity with
all just peoples, and we crave for all OF
the Americas that happy RELATIONSHIP
and cordial friendship and good vii
which you have uttered tonight. an,
which can 80 sincerely reciprocate ant