The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-07


must enter the Canal Zone by speci-
fled routes and must land at desig-
mated airports before leaving the
zone. At these places clearance
papers must be obtained and a Gus
toms inspection will be made. Forced
landings at other than these speci-
fled points are forbidden unless it
can be proved they were necessary.
The carrying of arms, ammunition
or other war material is prohibited
and foreign aviators are forbidden
to take photographs.
These regulations were based on
recommendations of the United
States State, War, Navy, Treasury,
Post Office and Commerce Depart
ments. The heads of these depart
ments, all members of the presi-
dents cabinet, were appointed as al
subcommittee to work out aircraft
/ regulations for the Canal Zone. The
committee considers the Zone the
bottle-neck of aviation routes in the
western hemisphere. Through it,
must pass most of the north-south
flights between the two continents.
In its aviation program for Latin
America, the Canal Zone and the
Republic of Panama are an impor-
tant base of operations for the
United States.
| Preparing For War.
! The Canal Zone, which is under
the jurisdiction of the United States
War Department, occupies a five
mile strip on each side of the PAN
anna Canal, extends from the Allan
tic to the Pacific, and bisects the
Republic of Panama. The cities of
Colon and Panama are within these
bounds, but are excluded from
American sovereignty being under
the legal jurisdiction of the Repub-
lie of Panama. However, it is i'm
possible to reach either city by land
except through the American-con-
trolled Canal Zone. Similarly in
travelling between the eastern and
western provinces of the Republic
of Panama one must pass through
the Canal Zone. In 1926 the United
States attempted to control COM
munieations through this region by
inserting in the Kellogg -Alfaro
Commercial Treaty between the
United States and Panama clause
providing for the control and opera
ton of aircraft, radio, and wireless
in case of war. The legislature of
Panama rejected this treaty with al
request for further negotiations.
The United States Senate never
acted upon it.
The Republic of Panama, how
ever, is controlled by the United
States, and two years later (192Sl
when President Aroaemana took Of
flee, he cooperated with the program
of the United States by appointing
a national aviation commission to
work out plans for the construction
of airports and auxiliary fields. This
commission includes Americans
among it's members.
Importance of Aviation Control.
The future .of Latin American
aviation may be judged from the
present state of railway communi-
cation. Few railroads connect one
Central American country with an
other, and there are no motor high
ways, not even across the Isthmus
of Panama. A rail line is under
construction which will eventually
join Zacapa in Guatemala with
4 Santa Anna in Salvatore, but there
are no other international railway
i lines in Central America. On the
Pacific coast south of Panama the
only international rail lines are
4 Chilean, connecting africa and An
j tofagasta with La Paz, Bolivia; and
Valparaiso and Santiago with Men
doza in Argentina.
| Air service has reduced the time
of travelling between cities difficult
to reach by train or boat. Thus the
journey between Barranquilla and
Girardot, both to Colombia, takes
ID to 10 days by train and boat but
! only z hours by air. Similarly, fly
ing has reduced the travelling time
from Havana to Panama from three
days to nine hours; and from Belize
British Honduras) to Corinto
i (Nicaragua) from days to 7 hours.
Keener Competition Ahead.
Coolidge's order permitting for.
eign aircraft to land in the Canal
Zone, under certain restrictions, ap-
pears to support the report that
some agreement has been reached
between the American and German
interests. The order, by establish
ing landing points for foreign air.
craft in the Zone, permits Scadta
to extend its air service northward;
presumably Colombia will not allow
American aircraft to land on its ter
ritory.
i With this prospect Of free air
passage to South America, the Pam
American Always has already con-
cluded an agreement with Peru for
establishing air lines, and is nego-
tiating similar agreements with
Ecuador ard Chile. German Col
ombian capital was unable to obtain
air passage 10 Cuba until American