The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-14
CANAL Defense
PLANS ARE MADE
HOUSE COMMITTEE, HOWEVER, IS
GIVING LITTLE THOUGHT TO
DANGER FROM THE AIR.
TO PROVIDE MORE BIG GUNS
Entrance to the Waterway Already
Well Guarded, but Chief Menace,
Say Experts, Is in Attacks by Bomb
Carrying Planes. #@
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-The members of the
house committee on appropriations for
sea coast defenses and Notifications
"are virtually agreed upon a plan to
make the Panama canal impregnable."
Can it be made impregnable without
a 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, it 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 off the
Atlantic and the Pacific entrances to
the canal There are military men
who say that congress should pay
chief heed to the subject of arplanes,
and even to the layman there seems to
be good deal of horse sense in this
proposition.
When the canal was completed, ana
While 1t 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, it would be exceedingly difficult
for an enemy fleet, even If 1t 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 Oh
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 is proposed now
to mount great guns on all 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 as
approach within ranging distance of |
either entrance to the canal, but
there is nothing to prevent the great
fleet from covering a landing force
which. possibly could make its way over
land through the jungle to the great
commercial highway, and perhaps, If
the force was strong enough, capture
1t, or, at any rate, put some part of
it QUE of commission before being
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 viii! be
nothing to prevent bombing machines
eaving the decks of enemy ships to
make their way over the Panama canal
md drop bombs in sufficient numbers
% put some one of the locks out of
There will be nothing to prevent this
lnless like can be met by like Anti
aircraft batteries are Of comparatively
little service against airplanes. The
great war proved this. The aviators
I'D not fear the anti-aircraft guns in
he least. 1t was not "once in life
line" that a plane was brought down
" the fire of ground guns. "Air-
'ianes to meet airplanes," say the mil
tary men. r.,
When the Panama canal was COM
leted the question whether or not the
utlying jungle offered a defense or a
1enace to the safety of the canal was
matter of controversy. Some mill
ary authorities said that the tangled
Azure of the jungle made it almost
npenetrabIe for land forces. Other
Military forces disagreed and said
nat it offered the best kind of cover
Or an approaching enemy force.
Chief Danger From the Air. !,
There is difference of opinion con. i
erning the means for guarding the y
anal. In 1915 the difference became
marked that ranking officers of both
cid and engineering experience were
INT to Panama to study the situation
I'D to decide between the contro.
ersalists. One of these army Off b..
RS was Maj. Gen. William l.. Sibert, \
no built the Gatun locks, dam and
'illway Of the Panama canal, and
no had not only patriotic but a d
interest in their safety. Plans v
r defense against overland attack a
ere made. n
As has been said, an attack from the n
r Is the chief danger to the Panama
nal. OF course If the United States b
w can keep the sea clear there is t,
danger to the Panama canal ex- e,
)t such as would come from the DOS 81
lie work Of an enemy spy. There c
ms to be little inclination on the
It Of congress to do much for the
plane service. Money is to be
mt to put more big guns on Mar p
,rhita. Flamenco and the rest Of the f,
lnds. There are plenty Of military r,
dents who say that thousand dol p