THREAT TO PANAMA CANAL

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14571, 15 January 1948, Page 5

THREAT TO PANAMA CANAL

DEFENCE AGAINST ATOM BOMB

Sea-Level Waterway Recommended

Vulnerability Of Locks

Stressed

Conversion of the Panama Canal into a sea-level waterway at a cost of £800.000,000 has been recommended to Congress as a means of meeting the threat of atomic bomb attack.

In a report submitted by President Truman the Governor of the Canal Zone said a sea-level canal would be much less vulnerable to atomic attack than the present waterway with its system of locks. "After the explosion of an atomic bomb, dropped directly into the canal, traffic could be restored, provided the necessary personnel and equipment were available, within a period of a few weeks, with full allowance for the difficulties involved in removing radio-active debris," the report said. "The use against a sea-level canal of a more powerful atomic bomb, such as may be developed in the future, would increase the time of closure," the report said. The report said that "in no sense" could a sea-level canal be destroyed as might a lock canal. The Governor (Mr J. C. Mehaffey) said that conversion of the Canal "would be a project of outstanding magnitude but would present no unusual construction difficulties." He said the work could be completed in 10 years. Declaring that the present canal is "totally lacking in security to meet the future needs of national defence," the report said that even with ordinary bombs Gatun Lake could be reached and the loss of water there might close the canal for a year. "A single direct hit by an atomic bomb could demolish the twin lock chambers, all the lock gates and the emergency dams," the report continued. "A direct hit could breach Gatun Dam. In either case the result would be loss of Gatun Lake and of the use of the Canal."

"Lingering radio-activity would require the abandonment of the lock sites and new sites, separated a considerable distance therefrom, would be needed if the locks were to be reconstructed," the report said. It added that construction of such locks would require about four years.