PANAMA CANAL SAFE AGAINST ALL ATTACK

"Heaven help humanity if this nation ever becomes imbued with the spirit of conquest for conquest's sake", said Colonel C. E. Kilbourne, U. S. A., at the close of a talk on the "Defensive Strength of the United States" given yesterday afternoon to students taking Government 18 and others interested in the subject. The address was open to the student body through the courtesy of Professor A. B. Hart '80, who conducts the course.

Colonel Kilbourne declared that if it was necessary the United Sates could put and maintain a larger army in the field than any other nation in the world. China and Russia might be able to raise a greater army, he admitted, but neither one of them could maintain it for the length of time we could. He attributed the enormous potential military strength of America to our population, government, strategic position and resources.

Canal Protected On Both Sides

The early development of the United States was unhampered by the national of Europe, who were too busily engaged in struggles among themselves to molest the rising young country in the west, according to Colonel Kilbourne. By the time they had settled their own difficulties, this country had just emerged from the Civil War with an unequalled military and naval machine, and no national in the world dared to attack us. Since that time, he said, we have enjoyed comparative peace because of the strength of our latent resources.

Colonel Kilbourne then took up a detailed discussion of the strategic power of the geographical situation of the United States, particularly with reference to the Panama Canal. He dismissed completely the possibility of an attack from the east, showing that our control of the Caribbean is so complete that it would be "military suicide" for any other national to attempt to attack the canal from that side.

Hawaii a Weak Spot

Our situation in the Pacific is just as strong, he declared. "A major attack from the west against the canal would be a 'strategic absurdity' as long as we held Hawaii," he said, "unless the attacking national had an ally on the west coast of South America." The possibilities of such an alliance were very remote, in his opinion, because of the improved relations between South America and the United States which have existed since the government paid a large sum of money to Colombia for the loss of Panama.

Hawaii, the other weak point in our defensive system, needs a larger garrison, Colonel Kilbourne said. "The fortifications there are strong enough to ward off any attack, but there are not enough men stationed on the islands to man all the defenses," he stated.

Colonel Kilbourne derided the jingoes who are continually predicting a war between Great Britain of Japan and the United States. "Neither of them contemplates any struggle with this country, because they know that our present economic strength is so great as to make such an action almost suicidal, and because they have seen our peaceful intentions as displayed at the Armament Conference."

Speaking of the influence that the United States could exert toward maintaining world peace, Colonel Kilbourne said that every nation in the world knows that if we throw the weight of our resources on either side in any contest, the side we support will win. "The influence, and power of the United States, if tactfully used, could go a long way toward suppressing wars among the other nations."