PANAMA CANAL FACILITIES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 125, 20 February 1941, Page 10

PANAMA CANAL FACILITIES

Inspection By United States

Minister

PANAMA, .January 2.

The United Stares Secretary, of the Navy, Colonel Knox, has completed his ins[>ection of the naval establishments of the Panama Canal and closed an unusually full programme with a dinner at the'Presidential Palace, given in his honour by President Arias. Colonel Knox discussed the need Ol' placing tanks containing the vital supplies of oil and gasoline for the etinal and the army under ground as a protection against bombing from the air. and suggested the urgency of such action. The tank farms here are placed at the terminals of the canal and are easily visible from the air. though camouflage might reduce this visibility.

Though Colonel Knox said on his arrival that there was no present intention of developing a Pacific naval base at the canal, he stressed the lack of shop facilities here. The shops here are adequate to care for the needs of canal equipment and for transient merchant shipping and some naval work, but considerable enlargement would be needed to provide the facilities required by a naval base. The American Ambassador, William Dawson, met Colonel Knox at Albrook Airfield, and they went to the Foreign Olliee of Panama and thence to the palace to call on the President. Later, Colonel Knox returned to the Canal Zone and was joined by LieutenantGeneral Daniel Van Voorhis and Governor Edgerton, and by high navy and army otlicials, including Major-General Sanderford Jarman. commanding coast artillery in Panama.

The party crossed the canal, inspecting the Pedro Miguel Locks, and proceeded to one of the anti-aircraft posts atop a jungle-clad tropical hill, where luncheon was served. The secretary completed his inspection of Pacific naval facilities and conferred with Rear Admiral Frank 11. Sadler and other naval officers at headquarters of the Fifteenth Naval District.