The Jones County news., 1922-04-18
CANAL WIDE OPEN
To AIR ATTACKS
WEEKS PLANS FOR Ai7PLANE
ROUTES TO isTHMUs CALL
ATTENTION TO DANGER.
WATERWAY EASILY BOMBED
Hostile Attitude Of Congress Toward
All Matters Of National Defense May
Block the Efforts Of the Seer etary
Of War;
an enMARp 3. cLARK

BY EDWARD Q. CLARK
Washington. Secretary Of War
Weeks plan 10 open air routes to the
isthmus has brought sharp attention
10 the general matter OF the proper
defense of the panamu cunnl " war
. should come and un attempt should be
nude 70 pat tie waterway ont Of com
mission.
The secretary Of war has said that
he considers tie two most important
points az which this government should
nuntuin troops 10 be Hawaii and the
Panama Canal Zone. When the canal
was constructed the airplnne had not
been developed 10 the high point 0f
efficiency of today Nevertheless prob
able aggressive action by planes
against the canal was taken into CON
siderution. Day by day IN military
circles there has been study of the
defense proposition in connection with
/ the advance OF acronuutics.
II IS recognized that II Uncle
Sans small fleet Is to be divided be-
I
/ the Pacific, the FIRST effort of an
enemy having les sent ln the Pacific
ocean would be 10 damage the water
way IN order 10 prevent the quick
transfer Of ships and supplies 20 the
Pnclnc waters. Bombs from an air
plane naturally are considered the
easiest mems Of putting the canal out
Of commission. The great danger to
the waterway, therefore, Is from a
point above.
The United states has spent large
sums Of money to make the canal safe
from attack overland or from the sea.
II VIII have TO spend more money to
make 20 snfe against attack from the
air. The only way that il can be safe
guarded from bomb-dropping airplnnes
Is 10 supply airplnnes enough To meet
and drive on raiders who are on de-
struction bent
Safe Only From Surface Attacks.
In 1913, the year In which the wa
ters Of Gatua lake we're turned into
the Culebra cut. now called the CALI
ard cut, ana the year in which the
canal was opened for commerce, II
was reported that Panama was immune
from naval attack; thnt tremendous
fOrtresses capable Of repelling sea
forces, no matter how powerful, had
been constructed. and It was believed
( that even If the American navy should
be destroyed by a foreign fleet the
enemy could pot make way, with his
ships past The powerful batteries
which the United States had erected
| IN either ocean.
At that time the problem of defense
from land attack was more acute.
II was realized that enemy ships after
having destroyed the American ships,
could land at points out of rnnge Of
the guns Of the fortihcatlons. forces
strong enough to make their way
through the jungle and TO cripple the
canals activities by short-range artil-
lery fire. even IL the invaders event
uolly were repeled.
Today the War department realizes
that IN enemy wishing to attack the
canal viii not be compelled to employ
/ a landing force. All that It would
have to do, in case the mir approaches
we're not guarded thoroughly by Amer
lean planes, would be to send a bomb
dropping craft from the deck Of one
OF it's ships, depending upon its crew
to drop "a shell where It would do the
enemy the most good and the canal the
most HARM
Queer Attitude Of Congress.
The whole trend Of things in Wash
lngton today seems TO be toward the
doing away with anything which looks
like defense for the people or the prop
critics of the United States. Military
authorities. and the administration It.
self are fearful of the danger which
would threaten the Panama canal In
cuse OF trouble, even with a small
power II the United States We're tC
have some little difficulty with q
minor country ON this continent. ther,
would be nothing to do to prevent thai
minor country from sending an air
plane over the Panama canal TO Dc
its work OF bombing destruction.
Judging from what has happened 4
seems likely that the President an,
his war secretary viii have trouble il
securing sanction for their plan 10 pro
vide means TO protect the great water
way from az least partial destruction
ia case Of war or threatened war witt
any country anywhere. The canal eos
millions; II is essential 90 the safet,
OF the United States in case OF attack
and Il is essential 20 the Regeneration
OF the shipping industries OF the couu
try. Nevertheless, when suggestion {
made that few millions might b
spent In the way of Insurance. tn
words Of seeming wisdom fall upo
unheedlng congressional ears Toda
a renewed study is being made of al
possible methods Of defending the Par
. anna canal against attack from an
! quarter 1t is unnecessary to say tina
: these plans include adequate airplan
b protection.
Daugherty's Camp Grant Plan.
A good many years ago Alto
ney General Daugherty, then law
yer in private practice. became II
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