THE PANAMA CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 916, 8 September 1910, Page 7

THE PANAMA CANAL.

. THE RIGHT TO FORTIFY. ■■■'. -.■■.■■■ ■„... .':-.- '/.■•. : : ■ ■ .'■.,■ By Megraph-Pre&s Association-Copyright. '~': London, September 6. •■■ "The Times" says it is . impossible for. Great -Britain to assent to America iortifying the' Panama Canal without first consulting the other Powers. These, may argue, adds "The Times," that the guaranteeing of. the neutrality .of the Canal should not be in the care of. a single Power. "In; the event of disagreement Great Britain" and the. United States would doubtless ■welcome arbitration." ? . ; The Hay-Pauncefote . Treaty of 1901 gives -the United States the right to maintain such/military police along the' :canal as may be necessary to maintain it;against lawlessness and disorder." .Mr. Foster, Chairman. of the : Committee on Foreign Affairs in the American House of, ■ Kepresontetives, . recently said of the treaty :—"lf th O se provisions mean anything/they mean that, so far as Great Britain -is , . concerned, we ' are bound by solemn, treaty obligations, to',see to it thai the canal shall.be. and remain forever open tb'.i British' ■..chips, in. time . of'. war .as.well as in time, of peace.'.'.-. And ; while W. is probably true'.that no other nation could claim any. advantage by virtue of thisjtreaty; it is also' true that we have thereby placed ourselves under•• moral obligation, to maintain'an open canal for the ships.of all nations jit all times, in war as well .as.in ! peace." : ■.;Fortifications' costing are to be, built to. defend .the, Panama '.'. Canal, the most powerful and elaborate batteries .being iplanted ,to repel attacks from : the ■Pacific Ocean. 'Lying ( off the mouth,-of the canal, are fifteen islands, and three of these .which have been, selected, for fortifioations are between •' ten 'and fifteen miles off-the shore.'' They are Culebra,,.and- Island. ,' On /the coast-line of each side, of tho .canal moutn will be; batteries situated -at Ancon and San, Juan. Six milesyift the canal, from the.Pacific Ocean there, is to be a secondary vbattery.'," This .will: command the principal, lock at.'Pedro Miguel. , At Cule;.bra, about the middle of the canal, 'a military, post.mil be constructed. On the Atlantic side tlie arrangement will be'much/more simple..; A range of hills runs ■;doWi. to the sea, .commanding-the' entrance to the canal. Upon them, at El Boco ; Point, modern'batteries, will be constructed at a cost of. It is pro-' posed;, to ; mount in these" fortifications mbre/than sixty of. the highest power disappßaving.guns.: None of.the these will 'be.of less than ;13in. calib're, arid they will runvas high/as Win. in the main batteries. ..'. '-.'./ ■•' - : '■ ■'.- ■:■' ■ '■" ■'