Washington, Oct. 2.
The United States has taken extraordinary steps to guard against espionage and possible sabotage at the Panama Canal, the nation's lifeline of defence.
Officials stressed that the assignment. of additional guards at strategic locks and control houses is purely a precautionary measure and that there have been no indications of foreign plots against the canal.
The safeguards coincide with the start of a huge defence programme in the Canal Zone, including construction of another air base, extra antiaircraft and coast batteries, enlarged garrisons and supplementary locks which will cost $277,000,000.
The posting of extra guards at vital spots along the canal is part of the general "preparedness" developed by the Army and Navy to meet the European war emergency. Details of the new vigilance measures are being treated as military secrets.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.