THE PANAMA CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1077, 16 March 1911, Page 5

THE PANAMA CANAL.

NEED FOR FORTIFICATION. (By Telesrapli-Press Association Copyfielit) New York, March U. Mr. Eoosovolt, iu a speech at Dallas, Texas, declared that failure to fortify tho Panama Canal would lie criminal folly. Tho only existing treaties were those with. Britain and Panama; other nations were free to destroy the canal in war time. PRESIDENT TAITS POSITION. Tho Special Message scut to Congress by President Taft urging that the Panama Canal should be lortified, and recommending an immediate appropriation of JM,UOO,OUO for the initiation 01 the work, and the important speech jof January 21 on the same subject deserve prominent notice (writes "The Times" ot January 31). The President insisted upon the dei'enc6 of tho cannl not only as a question of national 'expediency; but also as being an obligarion contracted towards (ireat Britain by the second Hay-Paunco-fols Treaty, and his views suggest some interesting questions as'to the policy of fortifying the canal or not. President Taft is evidently on the side of fortification. Last April tho Prosideut sent a Message to Congress iu which he pointed out that it was "the right and tho duty of the United States to defend the woru upon which .it is expending such enormous 6UUIS." Accompanying tho Message was an estimate of tho Panama Fortification. Board calling for nearly c£3,000,000,, for the purpose of fortifying tho canal, and requiring the expenditure of iSOO.OOO to be made at onco availablo to begin the work. Congress, however, adjourned without taking action. Since then tho original estimates have been revised, and the sum now called for has increased to nearly .£1,000,000, while it is proposed to complete the' entire project within three years. Tho board said nearly a year ago that unless the work of fortification was bsgun at onge, there was danger of tho canal being completted before the defences could bo constructed and tho armament placed in position. This suggestion appears to have had no effect upon Congress, and the question must lie threshed out and settled within four or fivo weeks, or it must stand over for another voav, when it \yill have to be dealt with by a Democratic Congress.