The Ohinemuri Gazette. MONDAY, MAY 22, 1911. FORTIFYING PANAMA.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2793, 22 May 1911, Page 2

The Ohinemuri Gazette. MONDAY, MAY 22, 1911. FORTIFYING PANAMA.

A very interesting position has arisen with regard to the Panama Canal, which is now ( rapidly approaching completion, relative to the'expressed intention of the United States to erect land fortifications to protect it and safeguard the ships which may have to pass through it. The matter is the more interesting, indeed, as it once again rises in a definite form the celebrated doc-

trine promulgated nearly a century ago by President Monroe, and which, as our readers will remember, laid down for all time the principles of American foreign policy by declaring that no further occupation of territory on the American continent by oversea powers wou'.i be permitted, and that any disregard of this prohibition would be looked upon as an unfriendly act, which, translated into ordinary language, means an act o( war. It will be remembered that the project of cutting a canal from the Carnbean Sea to the Pacific first emanated irom that somewhat unlucky genius, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had already successfully completed a similar undertaking irom Port Said to Suez, and the work was started under vhis auspices and with the aid of French capital. The engineering difficulties, however, proved immeasurably gieater than had been those encountered in linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, and, after years of disappointment and enormous expenditure of capital, the company which had been formed was practically in a state ot bankruptcy. It was at this moment that Americans first conceived the idea ot completing the undertaking themselves. In due course, it will be remembered, they bought out the French Company, leased the sovereign rights over a long strip of country on both sides of the waterway, and, with their usual energy, commenced to piosecute the t work at high pressure ; and they have so tar remained undeterred either by the difficulties or, the expense that it is now confidently asserted that in from iwq to three years from date the Caaal will be formally opened to traffic. Now, as is well known, the Suez Canal is the

subject of an international guarantee, which leaves it open equally to all at all times, so long as they pay the fees and comply with ihe regulations ; and it was supposed that a somewhat similar freedom would be conferred upon the new waterway. Under the Monroe Doctrine, however, the States have decided that no European Power can be allowed to concern itself with an internal American enterprise, and that they will themselves look to its protection by the erection of land fortifications. It is obvious that, to be of any use at all to America, the canal must be passable by United States men-of-war at all times, and as they would have to pass through in single file (an extremely vulnerable position) they would, in the absence of defensive works, be liable to be destroyed—not only at either end but on their way through ; and Admiral Mahan has pointed out that fortification is absolutely essential not only in order to free the ships themselves from " police " work, but also to keep the enemy sufficiently far off to enable either end to be used as a safe refuge or naval base in the event of any ot the ships being crippled in action. That the American point of view is understandible enough goes without saying; but whether the great European Powers will be satisfied with accepting this fresh cry of" hands off" without protest is another matter. It is true that their refusal to do so is

difficult ot insistence, except in the improbable event of their coming to a complete agreement and alliance with each other, and even then their protests would probably be disregarded unless successfully enforced as the result of an

appeal to arms. In any case, as far as can be seen at present, the Americans are absolutely determined to see to it that their great expenditure of labour and treasure, to say nothing of the long list of casualties and fatalities which have

attended the progress of the work, shall not have been made in vain, and the further developments of the controversy will be followed with all the greater interest on this side, inasmuch as on the final decision will hang in a large degree the chances of an effective white control of the Pacific Ocean, for many years to come, becoming a realised fact.