Washington, May 8.
The War Department, in response to inquiries concerning the closing of the Panama canal to all but US. shipping. yesterday announced its plans to keep the canal open to commercial shipping indefinitely. No orders for closing the canal have been issued. said the War Department, which also denied having heard Tumours to the contrary.
Colonel Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, termed the closing rumours "more back stairs gossip."
Observers here recalled that similar reports frequently have been circulate ed in the past and always proved erroneous in view of the announced defence policy of keeping the canal open at all costs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.