Evening star., 1939-08-30
Canal Defense Plan
Speeded Up in View
Of European Crisis

Expansion Of Garrison
Moved Up a Months,
War Department Reveals
With an eye on the mounting war
clouds over Europe, the War Depart
ment is speeding up Its $82 2,000, 900
program for modernizing and
strengthening the defenses Of the
Panama Canal.
Troop movements which will be
made during September under orders
announced late yesterday will ad-
vance by approximately four months
tho scheduled expansion of the
Canal Zones permanent garrison.
At the same time 1t was said that
plans are being pushed for construc-
ton of new set Of canal locks for
which Congress has appropriated
e14,700,0O0 under a $29 900 900 total
authorization, and for construction
of the new Brujo Point Air Base and
. $l,500,000 isthmian defense high
way.
During September the Army will
move 56 officers and 1,029 men from
the United States to the Canal
Zone. OF this total, 80 officers and
859 enlisted men, all of the Coast
Artillery Corps. will be moved under
terms of the Supplemental Military
Appropriation Act approved July /
which provides $27 ,000,0 900 in appro-
priations and contractual authority
for expansion of the canal garrison.
This will result in an increase in
personnel in the Canal Zone by July
l, 1910, of 272 officers and 1850 en-
listed men.
Importance Emphasized.
The augmentation of the troops in
the Canal Zone and construction
and modernization work now being
initiated there are necessary "be-
cause of the tremendous Importance
Of the canal to the national de-
fense," the War Department ex-
planned
The defense plans include bomb
prooflng of locks and dams along the
canal and the lessening of any pos
sibility ''of sabotage by crews of
ships transiting the canal"
AS an initial step in increasing the
Canal Zone garrison the War De-
partment announced that during
September the following troop move
ments have been ordered:
From the 63d Coast Artillery,
Anti-aircraft, at Fort Macarthur,
Calf, eight officers and 225 en-
listed men. This contingent will
leave San Pedro, Calf, on the
Army transport Hunter Liggett Sep
tember 2.
From the 61st Coast Artillery,
Anti-aircraft, Fort Sheridan, ILL.,,
eight officers and 226 enlisted men.
This contingent will leave Brooklyn,
N. Y, September 13 on the Army
transport st. Mihiel.
From the 62nd Coast Artillery,
Anti-aircraft, Fort Totten, N. Y, IA
officers and 408 enlisted men. This
contingent will accompany the Fort
Sheridan troops on the st. Mihiel
September 13.
ran neCIultlng.
Immediate steps are being taken
by the War Department to restore
the three anti-aircraft regiments to
normal strength through recruiting
under the military expansion pro-
gram.
The Army Air Corps in the Canal
Zone will be strengthened by an in
crease OF 81 pursuit airplanes which
will be flown to Panama 'in the
near future" and by 26 officers and
ITO enlisted men.
In addition to the $27 ZOO, 900 In
the supplemental measure for ex-
panding the canal garrison, Con-
gress has provided $22 200 900 for Air
Corps construction and expansion
and 81 10000 for the new highway.
The Air Corps program includes
construction of the new Brujo Point
Air Base and for improvement of
the existing France and Albrook
Field installations,