The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-01-20
CANAL DEFENSE
PLANS ARE MADE
HOUSE COMMITTEE, HOWEVER, IS
GIVING LITTLE THOUGHT TO
DANCER FROM THE AIR.
TO PROVIDE MORE BIG GUNS
Entrance to the waterway Already
We'll Guarded, but Chief Menace,
say Experts, 10 In Attacks by Bomb
Carrying Planes.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

BY EDWARD Q. CLARK.
washington.-The members OF the
house committee on appropriations for
sea coast defenses and Notifications
"ore virtually agreed upon plan to
make the Panama canal impregnable."
Can II be made impregnable without
great air force? To this question,
seemingly, congress is giving little
thought.
Senator Harding went to Panama
not long ago and came back deter
mined, 1t Is said, that something more
must be done to hold the great water
way safe against the attack of an
enemy. The present plans seem to be
to emplace some more big guns of the
Atlantic and the Pacific entrances to
the canal. There are military men
who say that congress should gay
chief heed to the subject of airplaDes,
and even to the layman there seems to
proposition.
When the canal was completed. and
while II was being built. for that mat.
ter, the question Of defense was I'M
der discussion by the military experts.
Always there must be taken into con-
sideration the possibility. and even
the probability. perhaps, that the
United States will lose command Of
the seas. AS things are today. how
! ever. II would be exceedingly difficult
for an enemy fleet. even II II held the
seas. to get near enough to the en-
trance Of the Panama canal to do any
damage by Smelling.
Entrance Well Protected.
The gray and green defenses on
Toro Point and Marguerhita island on
the Atlantic side and the islands Of
Naon. Flamenco. Perico and Culebra
ON the Pacific side will serve the pur-
pose probably of keeping enemy fleets
at safe distance. 1t Ia proposed now
to mount great guns on an island In
the Pacific which lies about ten miles
outside the present defenses.
An enemy fleet, having disposed Of
! the American fleet, would not be able.
as has been said to even so much a.
approach within ranging distance of
either entrance to the canal, but
there is nothing to prevent the great
fleet from covering landing force
which possibly could make its way over
land through the jungle to the great
commercial highway, and perhaps. II
the force was strong enough, capture
II, or. at any rate, put some part of
II out Of commission before being
! compelled to retreat.
The airplane, probably. is the great.
est menace to the safety of the Pan
anna canal. The United States In the
big war spent lot Of money In get
ting ready to build flying machines.
They are necessary to meet other fly
ing machines to prevent the others
from doing damage. There will, be
nothing to prevent bombing machines
leaving the decks Of enemy ships to
make their way over the Panama canal
and drop bombs In sufficient numbers
to put some one OF the locks out Of
commission.
There will be nothing to prevent this
unless like can be met by like. Anti
aircraft batteries are of comparatively
little service against airplanes. The
great war proved this. The aviators
did not fear the anti-aircraft guns In
the least. II was not "once In life
time" that a plane was brought down
by the fire of ground guns. "Air-
planes to meet airpanes," say the mil
itary men.
When the Panama canal was COM
pleted the question whether or not the
outlying jungle offered a defense or a
menace to the safety of the canal was
a matter of controversy. Some mill
tary authorities said that the tangled
nature of the jungle made 1t almost
impenetrable for land forces. Other
military forces disagreed and said
that II offered the best kind of cover
for an approaching enemy force.
There is difference Of opinion con-
corning the means for guarding the
canal. In 1915 the difference became
so marked that ranking officers of both
field and engineering experience were
/
and to decide between the contro-
versalists.
Preparing for Inauguration Day.
Inauguration preparations are 60
ing on ut a rapid pace. Local COM
mittees have been formed with lists
OF names that read like pages
from. the blue book Of the local
aristocracy and the Congressional
Directory. II any man or woman of
so-called standing has escaped, he or
she probably will be heard from In u
day or two, and an additional name
or two will be blazoned on the rosters
OF committees.
Very soon now the sound Of the
hammer will be heard on the avenue.
The great thOroughfare called Penn.
4 sylvania" which sweeps onward from
the Capitol past the treasury build
ing and the White House soon will be
i linad with grandstands from which