Evening star., 1941-03-17
the Achilles heel of the United
States military establishment.

the Achilles heel of the United
States military establishment.
Bombing planes have rendered ii
Vulnerable. TWenty-Seven years ago
when it was opened to world traffic
coastal defense guns were sufficient
to protect 1t. Today, the protection
area has been extended to cover a
circle with a radius of 1000 miles.
That would mean, in wartime, the
patrol of an area of 3,150,000 square
miles.
Airplanes are the major threat,
and only airplanes can do a patrol
job Of that magnitude.
How many planes are In or with
in calling distance of the Canal
Zone for emergency use is a mill
tary secret, but their number prob
ably Is considerably below the safe
limit estimates of the armed services.
No United States military air.
drome today is up to its standard
strength. Aid to Britain and the
time required to convert America s
ponderous industrial machinery to
the production of military goods
has held up airplane deliveries.
Flying over the Canal Zone can
be seen medium-weight bombers, a
relatively slow type which has been
used IN turn for coastal protection
exercises, parachute troop trans
ports, tactical training and recon-
naissance work in the United States.
They are stable, reliable airplanes,
but they are obsolescent, and are
to be replaced with bombers having
cruising speeds almost 100 miles an
hour greater. Bombers would have
the task in wartime of attacking
an enemy's fleet concentration, and
especially his aircraft carriers, mov-
ing within striking distance of the
Canal.
They would be expected to destroy
alrdromeS from which enemy bomb
ers might operate and, on long
distance flights, maintain liaison
with other military units associated
with Canal defense. The new air.
naval base in the British colony of
Trinidad will be, when completed
IN the next few years, as much a
part OF the Canal defense system as
the Canal Zones Albrook Field.
ButtresSing the bombers will be
fighting squadrons, designed to beat
on air attacks in the immediate
vicinity. of the Canal. How many
fighting squadrons will be assigned
TO the zone ultimately is prob
lematical, but today the number of
planes which can operate from il
is seriously limited by the airport
facilities available.
Two Army fields are in operation
Albrook on the Pacific side of the
1sthmuS and France Field on the
Atlantic side. A new field, Howard
on the Pacific side, is in the process
OF construction. The Navy uses
harbors on both sides of the isthmus
for water-based patrol planes.
Warning Net Needed.
The Army and Navy have no aux
iliary fields as yet to implement their
air defense of the Canal. Such fields
have been the subject of negotia-
ton for months. At least six and
possibly as many as 18 will be built
If land can be obtained for the pur-
pose from the Republic of Panama.
The Canal defense scheme in
cludes no warning net" of ground
stations to advise headquarters of
the approach of hostile aircraft. 1t
has been on the efficient operation
of such warning nets that the air
defense of London has depended.
1t has no provisions for a balloon
barrage and nearby islands not
owned or controlled by the United
States are so far removed in thought