Evening star., 1924-02-11
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

The very heart of our national de-
Tense is the Panama canal. 1t was
demonstrated recently that that
heart has a shield which will fail
when relied upon. 1t will be impos-
sible, in q crisis, to unite our Pacific
and Atlantic fleets. The two parts
may be overcome. one at a time, by
an enemy fleet, which would be power
less against our grand fleet united. A
single, bomb, say military experts.
dropped from an enemy plane, which
might rise from ship beyond the
horizon, would be sufficient to destroy
the delicate and complicated machin-
cry of one of the Jocks. That alone
would imprison half of our navy in
the wrong ocean.
X 4 x
No layman can comprehend the
scientific maneuvers Of the recent
sham battle. which satisfied military
and naval experts that the Panama
canal is not impregnable, and that
to make it SO will require some
sl5.000.000 for fortifications; also
liberal investments in aircraft and
submarines. Hardly any conceivable
sum would be considered objection
able in case of attack endan gering
the explosion of a well aimed bomb
upon the locks.
This is one of the major issues to
be considered by Congress as soon as
possible. The umpireS of the recent
obi t e. recommend immediate
Strengthening of long-range guns, an
increase of the garrison, especially
nf h1a s~ frn1
elevation of the guns on all ships
to increase their range. and improve
nents of the railroad running
through the Panama district.
In addition to all these measures for
strengthening the defense of the canal
as it is now built, there is a continued
agitation-mostly outside Of engineering
circles-that the present lock canal be
converted into more easily defended
sea level or tidewater strait. and all
month NJ. Bunau Varilla. former chief
engineer of the French Panama Canal
Company, urged the conversion of the
present canal into sea level strait
He claimed that this change could be
made without any interruption OF traffic.
American engineers who have strug-
gled against the persistent landslides
ever since the canal has been dug. re-
fuse to consider possible the recon-
mended sea level strait. 1t would mean
five feet, and to add just that much
weight of sliding mountains to the
shifting slides, against which il has
proved almost impossible to fight even
at the present level. Amateur recon-
mendations that the landslides be
curbcd by great concrete walls are
laughed at by engineers, who reply that
moving mountains would move any wall
that could be built and carry it into
the canal along with the rock and
yel nd 6fr-t xnyhi xxr5lI .yf In.
sliding until they come to the angle Of
repose.
Engineer yarilla's idea of sea level
strait is not new--especially from a
French standpoint. That was the plan
of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, the
original promoter of the Panama canal.
The canal project was begun by the
French in 1880; the digging begun in
January. 1882. Four years later De
spect the work and to curb the rising
tide Of criticism. He returned to
Paris in March. 1886. when the pres
ent writer, then living in that city, in
terviewed him in behalf of certain
American daiiies and cabled his state
ments to this country.
Were the early surveys well done?'
was asked.
Yes OF course. there are slight
changes. but nothing important. The
principal change is, not building
necessary at first, owing to the diff
ference in the level of the Atlantic
and Pacific, which is so little that
locks are not needed. There will be
d slight current through the canal,
but not enough TO interfere with it's
efficiency. We shall save 10000. 900
francs on locks and 1000, 900 on levees