Evening star., 1940-12-31
Sudden Enemy Raid Via Pacific
Seen as Threat to Canal
Scientific Association Told of Possible
Strategy by Capt. c. S. Bryan, U. S. N.
BY a Staff Correspondent Of The Star.

BY q Staff Correspondent of The Star.
PHILADELPHIA Dec. 31.-Prob-
able strategy of an enemy attack
on the Panama Canal was out
lined before the American Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Science
here last night by Capt. C. S. Bryan
of the United States Navy.
Capt. Bryan stressed that he was
not speaking for the Navy, but only
as an individual familiar with some
of the major problems of national
defense.
I'm the Pacific" he said, "a sudden
raid by striking force with
aircraft carriers launching bombing
planes against locks from some dis
tance away might give sufficient
promise of success to encourage
an enemy to attempt it."
Any attack on the Panama Canal
from the west, Capt. Bryan said,
would depend on speed and secrecy
in moving capital ships with heavy
guns for long range bombardment,
aircraft carriers and bombing planes,
and troop transports for a direct
attack. This would make impossible,
he explained. use of the great circle
route from Asia which crosses the
Aleutian Islands and continues down
the west coast. There would be no
possible landing places except in
enemy territory.
The most probable line of attack,
he said, would pass far to the south
Of Honolulu. The strategy probably
would be to make final stop at the
Galapagos or on the western coast
of South America, where the ships
would be refueled and a final dash
made for the Canal.
Defense against such an attack,
he said, would require a seaplane
patrol and light cruisers and sub
marines in protected harbors An
excellent advance post, he explained,
would be the Galapagos. Suitable
harbors also could be found in the
Cults of Dulce, Nicoga and Fonseca
on the Pacific coast of Central
America.
Sketches Attack From East.
For an attack from the east, he
said, the procedure probably would
be to proceed with a heavy convoy
from the West Coast of Africa to
South America, where bases would
have been established, and the con-
voy could be left behind while the
hostile fleet sought decisive battle
in open water with the American
Navy. Any other line of attack.
Capt. Bryan believes, would be too
hazardous with the United States
Fleet still in existence. An attack
on the Canal from Bermuda, if that
island should fall into enemy hands,
would, he stressed, be impossibly
hazardous. The hostile expedition
would be subjected to flank attacks
from the American coast for 1000
miles.
The present setup of naval bases,
he pointed out, is such as admirably
to protect the Caribbean Sea from
the north and east. The sea is
separated from the Atlantic, he ex-
planned, by an arc of mountainous
islands, with deep harbors well pro-
tected from the weather. Through
this arc there are only few pas
sages for naval craft-the Yucatan
Channel to the west of Cuba, the
Windward Channel between Cuba
and Hispaniola, and the Mona Pas
sage, between Hispaniola and Puerto
Rico.
Entrance to the Windward Chan
mel is protected by the recently ac-
quired base at Mariguana Island in
the Bahamas. Both San Juan and
st. Thomas in the Virgin Islands
adequately protect the Mona Pas