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Show iSra Estimate Is That United States Will Spend $2,500,000 for Guarding Waterway. THIS WILL INCLUDE SEA COAST DEFENSES Intention Is to Plant Heavy Guns on Both Sides of the Isthmus. By Leased Wire to The Tribune. WASHINGTON, Sept. 17. Plans for tho fortification of the Panama canal, at a cost of $14,140,000, an increase of oi'.276,522 over tho estimate submitted in 3905 .by the National Coast Defense board, of which President Taft was then chairman, were sent to congress lait AwiiJ. The proposed expenditure refers only to "sea-coast defenses for the torminus of the canal," but it is also planned io provide moans of defending tho portions por-tions of the canal other than the terminal ter-minal from attacks to which those portions por-tions might be subjected by forces operating op-erating on land with the object either of getting possession of the canal or injuring tho locks, dams, etc. Twont3'-five million dollars is a conservative con-servative estimate of what tho final plans for the combined scacoast and land defenses will call for, and it is aot considered improbable that tho total cost of the fortifications will bo nearer $40,000,000 than $.14,000,000. Details of Announcement. The scacoast defenses now being urced by President Taft comprise the following armament: Ten 14-inch rifles; twelve 6-inch rifles; twenty-eight 12-inch mortars, besides be-sides an elaborate system of submarine defenses. Six of the fourtcen-inch rifiqs the most powerful and costlj' gun in the world will bo placed in places on the Pacific side of the canal, and four on the Atlantic, in pairs. Although the greatest secrecy is being be-ing maintained concerning the fortification fortifica-tion plans, it is known that tho main fort defending tho Pacific entrance will bo built on Sosa hill and armed with four .14-inch rifles, six six-inch rifles and eight 12-ineh mortnrs. This will be named Fort Amador, after tho first prosidciit of tho republic of Panama. For Fleet's Protection. Two other 14-inch rifles will be placed on Ancon hill, with smaller artillery, and tho islands of Naos and Pcrico in tho Bay of Panama will also bo fortified, forti-fied, with the object of enabling an American fleet to pass through the canal and form in line of battle on the Pncific sido outsido the range of any gun on a ship that can conic within rango of the guns on the islands, which in turn will bo protected and commanded command-ed by tho guns on Sosa and Ancon hills. Tliis plan was adopted to meet the objection of Admiral Evans, who pointed out that if fortifications were not built a fleet passing through the canal would have to come out one by ono, and that "it would bo impossible for a fleet to pass from one ocean to another if there were a hostile fleet awaiting it; the hostile fleet could destroy the vessels as U103- came out." Furthermore, tho original plans for the Pacific entrance of the canal have already been entirely changed for strategic reasons. The locks wore to have been built at Sosa, thus affording the greatest possible convenience to commercial shipping, but Colonel Goo-thals Goo-thals has moved scvoral miles inland in a sheltered position at Aliraf lores, where they arc comparatively safe from tho firo of any warships in Panama East Sido Defonso. The defenses on tho Atlantic side will consist of two twiu emplacements of fourtcen-inch rifles, each roinforccd by six-inch rifles and twelve-inch mortars, mor-tars, so that there will bo practically four forts in all two on tho Pacific and two on the Atlantic side. As on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides approach to the mouth of the canal is onlv possible for large ships through a dredged channel 5Q0 feet wide extending three miles out to sea. the protection of theso channels by submarine mines is easy. On the Pacific Pa-cific side it is also iniendod to mine tho passages between tho islands in the bay of Panama so as to prevent an enemy's ship from taking refuge behind be-hind them. Admiral Dewey, who. as senior member mem-ber of the joint board of officors of army and navy appointed in November, Novem-ber, 1009. to report on tho fortification fortifica-tion of the. canal, approved tho above armament, is on (lie record as opposed l.n the principle of fortification, lie said in an interview some timo ago: "Fortification? Why, of course not. 1 understand it, the canal is to bo and should be a mutual commercial pathway path-way betwen the two great oceans. To fortify it would simply result in making mak-ing it a battle-ground in caso of war. Fortificalions would be enormously expensive ex-pensive and ought to be rejected." CANAL FORTIFICATION IS DELICATE QUESTION Special Cahlo to The Tribune. LONDON, Sopl. 17. Tho report that Embassador Dryce. upon his return from -1110 Isthmus of Panainn, will inform in-form Secretary Knox that Great Britain Brit-ain prefers that the United States shall fortify tbo canal, is not. credited here. Since President Taft in his message to congress in April recommended that the United States fortify tho canal, the foreign office lias been engaged in tho matter. As a result, Embassador Bryco's visit to the Isthmus was decided upon, and an oxehango of views with the powers took place. It is understood that the powers aro agreed that tho Continued on Pago Two. II TO HAVE CANAL I WELL FORTIFIED H I Continued from Pago One. V') frco ad uninterrupted navigation of H .! j! M the canal at all times and its freedom ijlit $ from obstruction or damage by acts of H - i war are matters of importance to all ral I nations. l, No' Tepresentations have been made Hb' j '1 io government of the United States H rt 'i; (f nor will any be made unless the con- Hi' ij If gress of the IXnited States takes some Hif' - 3!' action incompatible with the terms of Hii'USf 33 the Hay-Puaucefort treaty, tho pur- 1 I'M Uli 'n0EC of wn5cn 'rvas to faciltato the con- Hriln' tip struction of the Panama canal and ex- H'Vjl !Q elusive control by the United States 'litf M therof of an inter-occanic canal "with- H ''3 1 Is out mPa5rnB e general principle - of HritK -neutralization established in article pHjjg VIII. of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty." |