March Across Panama

ARMY & NAVY

Neither the hoariest monkey nor the most venerable boa constrictor on the jungle shores of Gatun Lake had seen such a sight as took place on that cobalt body of water last week. For 48 hr. a file of warships in pairs, by the dozen, by the score streamed steadily westward through the Panama Canal.

The U. S. Fleet had just ended its two-year vigil in the Pacific by a cruise down the West Coast and a mimic attack on Panama Bay. Thousands of officers and men were on shore leave, pending a leisurely fortnight's "fleet march" through the Canal, when Admiral David Foote Sellers, Fleet Commander, suddenly decided: "The presence of the Fleet at the Canal . . . presents an excellent opportunity to execute a movement involving rapid transit such as might be necessary in case of emergency"

All leaves were instantly canceled. Admiral Sellers got in touch with the Canal's Governor Julian L. Schley, who called off an officers' ball, mobilized all his facilities for the unprecedented mass movement ahead. Wartime regulations went into effect. No civilian was permitted near the locks and, to add a final authentic touch of war, the Army Intelligence Division spread a spy story.

Lead ship was the light cruiser Milwaukee. Up she went 85 ft. through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks to Gatun Lake. Forty-eight hours later the training-ship Melville ended the procession of the in ships. Canal capacity had been estimated at 48 ships in 24 hr. Admiral Sellers and Governor Schley congratulated all hands on raising the record to 55 ships.

While 15,000 bluejackets swarmed ashore at Colon to celebrate their delayed leave, the Tokyo Press, aware that all U. S. naval strategy centres around Panama Canal operations, sneered at "the American Fleet's failure," declared that "passage through the canal in 24 hr. has been proved impossible."

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