The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-21

power.
 They also believe that any such defense must be based upon main- tenance of the canal in working or der, and retention of the canal in the hands of a friendly power.
 The area which most military and naval officials of the Ameri- can republics believe would be first attacked in event of an attempted military or naval invasion of this continent from Europe or Asia, or a combination of powers on the two continents, lies in the neighbor- hood of the Isthmus of Pan- ana. It concludes all of Gen. tral America and Colombia and Venezuela on the South American continent, and Cuba, in the Carib- bean.
 "Must" Defense Area
 This is the area which military and naval strategists believe must be defended at all costs by com mon agreement among all the American republics.
 The task of working out this common agreement is one of the most delicate before the delegates to the Eighth Pan American Con- ference. It involves so many sen- sitive national feelings, national traditions, ambitions and hopes, fears and suspicious, that bringing 1t out for general discussion, is like handling a TINT bomb set for detonation at the slightest con- tact.
 It appears unlikely that an at- tempt will be made to reduce any agreement for continental solidar- ity on hemispherical defense to an instrument or instruments in writ ing. It appears that the delegates believe the most than can be hoped for at this conference is an un- written understanding, or series of understandings among the va rious American republics, and that these understandings may serve as baSis for later and more concrete steps to safeguard the national defense of all countries of this hemisphere.
 To Help Colombia
 one of the first of such steps would be to eradicate, insofar as is possible, the influence of non- American nations in the national defense forces of this hemisphere. Steps already have been taken to send U. s. military and naval missions to Colombia to assist in training the Colombian army and navy, and to assist in building up Colombian defenses.
 Similar missions are on the ground in Peru and Brazil. Mis- sions to other South or Central American republics are believed to be under active consideration.
 A second step, it is believed, will be attempted in the form of agreements with Panama, Colom- bia, Ecuador and other nations having island possessions off the coast of South and Central Amer ica to establish listening posts" on these islands. Such listening posts" would be equipped with aircraft dctecttors and anti-air- craft guns. They would also be equipped with bases for aircraft, for use in event trouble threat ened any nation of this hemi- sphere from other continents, and they would serve as a warning net" to the continent, both Tor approaching hostile warships and aircraft.
 Credits Might be Advanced :,
 A third step would be the in- creases of the national defense forces compatible with the na- tional economy of each individual country, with the possibility of material credits to one or two strategically situated governments for immediate expansion of its forces, in event those countries are not now financially in position to finance expenditures for such purposes at this time.
 Such financial assistance may also be agreed upon for the de- velopment of air bases on strate- gically located islands and for the Listening post" equipment. The posts would be garrisoned by troops of the nation to which the islands belong, but they would form an integral part of the warning net for the whole hemi- sphere.
 The proposed arrangement is more of a hope than a definite plan now, although some fairly definite assurances are reparted -