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Show 'DESTROYERS WILL GUARDJHE CANAL ACTIVITY OF BELLIGERENT WARSHIPS WAR-SHIPS WILL RESULT IN PATROL PA-TROL OF BIG DITCH. United States Torpedo Boat Destroyers Destroy-ers to be Used at Each End of Panama Canal to Prevent Violation Vio-lation of Regulations. Panama. Colonel George AY. Goe-thals, Goe-thals, governor of the canal zone, was impelled to suggest to the government govern-ment at Washington that two swift American torpedo boat destroyers be stationed at the Panama canal, one at each end, by the recent activity of belligerent warships and colliers in the vicinity of the isthmian waterway. The action of the Australian collier Mallina, which left Balboa without clearance papers, and the fact that this and other colliers have shown a disposition to disregard the canal zone shipping laws actuated Colonel Boe-thals Boe-thals to take a decisive measure to preserve the neutrality of the canal. Nearly all the colliers which have gathered in canal waters arrived without health certificates, and in several sev-eral instances the ships sailed without with-out clearance papers. It is presumed that the steamers met and coaled the Australian and English fleet, which concentrated recently in the vicinity the Pearl islands, which lie sixty uiiles southeast of Panama city. The United States torpedo boat destroyers de-stroyers requested by the governor are expected to do patrol duty and to .promptly overhaul' any belligerent craft attempting to disregard the canal regulations. Alleged violations of the canal shipping ship-ping laws have, it is said, been the subject of complaint to Sir Claude C. Mallet, British minister to Panama, and also have resulted in causing orders or-ders to be given the fortifications to prevent unneutral colliers remaining in ports on the canal zone in disregard disre-gard of the orders of the canal authorities. |
