PANAMA CANAL NEUTRAL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2266, 28 September 1914, Page 6

PANAMA CANAL NEUTRAL

MAY BE USED 'by WAR VESSELS. Washington, August 15. With the passago through the. Panama Canal to-day of tho War Department liner Ancon, the great waterway becomes/'free and. open to the vessels of .commerce and war of; all nations,. on .terms of entire equality." in accordance with tho provisions of the Hay-Pauncefoto Treaty.-. . Vessels drawing not more than thirty feet of water may now make the passage. It would be possible .to put some of the big American' Dreadnoughts through at any time. Any of the "foreign warships now' in the Atlantic aild Pacific waters also could make the trip, but the naval plans of Hho European Powers which have vessels off both coasts of the United States are not known here.' y ■ ; No emliarrass-incnt will faco the United States should one of the vessels of the belligerents seek passage. Strict rules are. laid down' in. the. treaty for the perpetual neutralisation of the canal, and every detail will bo under the direction of Governor Goothals and his staff. Except in cases of absolute necessity, vessels of .belligerent's must make uninterrupted passage 1 , througlr the canal. These may'not coal, re-victual, ■or embark or disembark'troops.in the Canal Zono,- and these provisions also apply to- the terminal .waters at both ends* of tho canal,'within a limit of three miles. Twenty-four hours is the limit of. time a belligerent vessel can remain within the canal, except in cases of distress, and a vessel of war of ono belligerent cannot depart within twentyfour hours from the departure of a vessel of war of another -belligerent.

All of the plants and establishments that are a part of the canal are immune from attack or injury by any belligerents. ■ Vigilant American pilots will 6ee that no foreign vessels make observations of the canal defences. ',; The principal work remaining to be done in completing the canal is the deepening, arid widening of the channel through Culebra Cut, as well as excavation operations at ' both approaches.-— New York "Post."