 weapons coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier stands ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country you the American people against aggression this is the big picture an official television report to the nation from the United States Army now to show you part of the big picture here is sergeant Stuart Queen a thin sliver of water which separates the great land masses of the Western Hemisphere is one of America's most important outposts the Panama Canal foreign trade and responsibilities in the Pacific and the Caribbean make it imperative to preserve the security of the canal that is the primary mission of our armed forces in the canal zone it's being carried out with unrelenting vigilance by our soldiers in Panama duty in Panama one of the Western Hemisphere's most critical defense areas part of a force which guards the shortest land bridge in the Americas between the two great oceans I'm part of the detachment at Fort Kobe it's one of the army posts that protects that narrow channel which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean our outfit goes through its paces and close-order drill at a spot right close to an airstrip maintaining the security of this indispensable waterway against attack from land sea and air is the main job of the defense establishment down here the services work in close cooperation headquarters for the unified command is at quarry heights it's located in a colorful tropical setting close by as the headquarters of the canal zone governor by tradition the governor has always been an officer of the Army Engineer Corps this practice has assured that the important position is always held by a person with engineering ability most of us find that life here in the canal zone is to our liking we live in comfortable barracks and find plenty of ways to enjoy ourselves in off-duty hours American style radio programs are brought to us by the armed forces radio stations the mechanics of living here is just about the same as back home our supermarket is the army commissary store sells everything and it doesn't take long for the latest fashions to arrive and make the ladies happy sports are the major recreation for most and there are many good facilities the golf links and the tennis courts get a good play there are some excellent bowling alleys in the zone and some darn good bowlers to play them for those who like to ride there are trails leading into the interior with miles of beautiful scenery and for sightseeing the towns of Panama are hard to beat many ancient cultures have merged to create an individual atmosphere that is world-renowned it's easiest to fly into Panama and a great many people get their first glimpse of Panama City and Balboa from the air you just can't help being impressed by the tremendous variety of sites all jammed into a tiny Republic which is just about the size of the state of Maine it's impressive from the moment you arrive at to Kuman National Airport and get to know the prominent landmarks such as the building housing the National Assembly and the many examples of modern architecture which are springing up all over the country the homes are up-to-date and comfortable the National Theater has been the scene of much intense comedy and drama the works of the greatest playwrights have been performed here most of the population of Panama is in its cities and many thriving businesses make their living through working for the canal company of the nation's three quarters of a million population 60 percent are of mixed Spanish and Indian blood sometimes called mestizos but there are many other races which have contributed to the making of a Panamanian the National Lottery plays a big role in the lives of those who hope for a quick change of fortune tickets are sold on street corners and the high spot comes every Sunday morning at 11 o'clock when the winning numbers are drawn the streets are normally bustling with activity but from 12 to 2 each afternoon it's difficult to find a soul it's siesta time Panama's Republican government is a half century old once a part of the country of Colombia the country has been turned by an accident of geography into one of the Western world's most critical defense areas an independent republic was set up in 1903 when Colombia refused to ratify a treaty permitting the United States to build a canal across the isthmus the current government is elected and consists of a legislature a judiciary and an executive the presidential palace is a show place which has had many short term tenants in this land of low political boiling point Panama has no official army at her command a police force numbering about 2,500 maintains watch over the citizenry the country receives protection from foreign invasion through the Monroe Doctrine and other treaties which guarantee hemispheric aid the new university near Panama City is an impressive series of structures all built in the modern vein like other countries of central and South America Panama has recently awakened to the fact that a higher standard of education is needed if she is to take her place at the council tables of the world the functional and streamlined look of these university buildings mirrors the forward approach Panama is taking toward the entire subject of education courses are part of a cooperative education program between Panama and the United States and they're designed to ensure a free exchange of democratic ideas the promises of education have brought a new outlook for many but there are also old beliefs with great influence religion is closely tied to the daily life of most Panamanians long processions lead to the churches as the holy days are celebrated with great fervor the architecture of many places of worship shows the influence of early European settlers ruins of the Church of San Domingo recall the exploits of the buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan who sacked Panama City in 1671 and who carried away much of the treasures which had come over the Kings Bridge from Peru for shipment to Spain yes there are plenty of relics of historic Panama which linked the people to 15th and 16th century Spain when the conquistadors discovered the ismas and left their imprint on the land and its people this monument is to the explorer Balboa who in the year 1513 became the first European to gaze upon the Western Ocean which was later called the Pacific Panama splendor has many different forms scenic beauty is one and another is at carnival time celebrations are held traditionally in the spring as a preface to the Easter season and they are notable for the intense excitement of the music and dancing the beat of the bongo drums throbs through the city during the days and far into the night at fiesta time nightclubs are another source of entertainment and the bill of fare is just about the same caliber as one can find in any large city back in the States but life in Panama is not all play though industrial activity is somewhat limited because most natural resources are in the interior and hard to get at panamanians are making a big effort to expand manufacturing capacity this giant cement plant represents one of the initial attempts to expand to a point where the country will become less dependent on imports and able to exist on what they produce Panama depends on the United States for much of its subsistence it is important to our government that the Central American Republics have a healthy economy and the vigor to resist the plague of communist infiltration in the Western Hemisphere workers in the cities are gradually learning to operate the complicated machinery of modern manufacturing plants but it is not the same story in the interior as you discover when you leave the concrete highways and push back into the agricultural regions bananas are the principal crop and form the backbone of the export trade the harvesting machine here is a sharp machete one slash and the fruit is off the tree and taken to be washed then it's on its way to be eaten at the tables of the world the yellow fruit is Panama's top item of her export list most of the plantations are financed by American business firms and the United States is the principal purchaser of each crop the loading on to refrigerated boats is done by means of specially designed conveyor but bananas are not the only source of revenue there's a small gold trade and some attempt is made to dig out other minerals one other natural resource is the alligator the skins of the big reptiles are used in the manufacture of many kinds of articles smaller members of the Gator family are used in their entirety after processing is completed the skin of the young alligator has been transformed into an attractive handbag which is sold all over the world among Panama's many interesting peoples are the Montunos whose villages are in the interior they are a shy industrious yet friendly group the men use their machetes for just about everything modern ways of life are taking a long time and making themselves evident in the patterns of the Montunos coffee is another product of importance the stubby trees cling to the slopes of volcanic peaks which divide the isthmus the climate of the Cherokee Hills is just right for producing the beans which eventually find their way to the coffee pots around the globe even though Panama produces for international consumption civilization has barely touched in the Indian tribe which continues in a primitive way of life on the islands of San Blas those citizens of the Panama Republic the Indians live according to ancient tribal laws and customs a big part of Panama's future lies in the development of power big hydroelectric projects like the plants at the Madden and Gatun dams are part of Panama's tomorrow these installations furnish power for Panama City and the canal so it's an impressive site when the sluice gates open and the water pours over the dam and rages downstream the United States is helping many other Latin American countries in their search for tomorrow I'm an instructor at the Yusar Caribbean school and that's the first look my students get a fort gulik most of them arrive by air when they come here to attend the Latin American students division of the school these students come from countries in Central America the Caribbean and South America they're screened by members of our military missions in their countries and if they are qualified can receive instructions which supplement the training programs of our missions they represent the best of their respective countries and are an important part of their nation's hopes for a secure future they all start this part of the journey the same way a little tired from the trip but excited about what lies ahead now they're on their way to work with the latest tools of the soldier it's the beginning of an experience that is important to the student his country and the entire spirit of Latin American cooperation Fort gulik is on the Caribbean side of the canal and is the home of the Yusar Caribbean school which is a consolidation of all United States Army schools in the Caribbean area it offers students from Latin American armies a wide variety of military courses students are assigned to quarters and issued a certain amount of basic equipment they attend classes in their specialties the military police course teaches the details of traffic control water purification is the responsibility of the engineers a constant and important problem in the tropics the engineer division conducts one of the lengthiest courses instruction is over a period of 20 weeks and students must have a thorough knowledge of mathematics soldiers taking the courses in cooking and mess management feed all personnel in the school the chow line is a very popular place as many of the students from far off countries learn to eat some of our foods for the first time an interesting problem for the young engineers concerns building a footbridge across a 300 foot river members of this class cooperating on a common project are from three different countries of South America Bolivia Paraguay and Columbia it's slow going at first but once they learn the secret of working with prefabricated parts the assembly of the pontoon bridge goes faster it takes just eight minutes to complete the span so that troops can cross the river without inconvenience it is important to the preservation of our way of life that men learn to work together on battlefields or athletic fields at the usa carib schools soldiers of many Latin American nations learn to cooperate for their mutual protection the big reason for the interest of the United States in Central America is a thin sliver of water the dream of a canal through Panama dates from as long ago as the beginning of the 16th century at one time or another many powers considered plans for connecting the two great oceans but it wasn't until 1903 when the United States signed a treaty with the new republic of Panama that a plan was adopted and eventually completed 300 million cubic yards of earth were excavated in seven years of construction that concluded with the building of the tremendous locks a narrow ditch across the tiny stretch of land became the means of solving a major problem of inter-ocean travel ships no longer needed to sail around Cape Horn the savings in time distance and money were tremendous a tiny insect had been the deadly enemy of the builders it was the anopheles mosquito product of the swamps carrier of malaria and yellow fever that had caused the French attempt of the 19th century to be abandoned rigid health regulations and sanitation methods instituted by Colonel William C. Gorgas solved the problems which had stymied the French the fight against disease has never been relaxed a vigilant insect control program for the canal zone brings the attack right into the swamps to places where disease is born every resource of medical knowledge has been brought into the fight against tropical sickness sickness which if left unchecked could endanger the security of the Americans incidents of formerly fatal tropical diseases of Panama have all but been eliminated due to constant protective measures aimed at destroying the insects breeding ground a major achievement in the building of the canal was the disease was conquered first about 5,000 ships make passes through the big ditch each year the route is 50 miles long through a series of locks which lift a vessel 84 feet above sea level gleaming white towers are the nerve centers which control progress through the locks the ship's movement is recorded on special instruments housed in this tower which enable the operator to control it every foot of the way electric locomotives called mules pull the ship they weigh 50 tons and move along at 2 miles an hour with the ship inside the first block the tower operator turns the switch which closes the seven foot thick gates and fills the lock the ship is traveling in fresh water from the time it goes through the first block until it is let down to sea level again in another ocean because the locks are too narrow for present-day superliners and for our larger aircraft carriers plans are being made to modernize the canal either by building a third set of locks or by converting it to a sea level canal today the importance of the canal has grown increasingly vital in a world which has taken sides using this shortcut to many of the world's ports saves time and money for both the military establishment and commercial trade operating the canal keeping the passage open is the responsibility of the Panama Canal company maintaining its security is the job of the armed forces on duty when a simulated alert sounds everybody knows what they're supposed to do it's into action on the double the smoke pots are fired up they're a key part of any plan for the defense of the canal minutes after the sound of the alert the entire canal zone is alive with activity units set in motion on their way to take up positions in accordance with plan great clouds of smoke bellow out in a protective cloak to hide the vital waterway the pots are positioned to completely obscure the canal no matter which direction the wind blows our maneuvers spread over the jungles which surround the government strip a concession granted by the republic when we withdrew our land forces from Panama after World War two but retained the right to hold exercises on its territory these are fast mobile units training to the top of efficiency their sharpness a constant guarantee for any military emergency tanks based at Fort Clayton crashed through the dense jungle growth to take up their position against the simulated aggressors air cover is an important part of the unified operation as one of our country's most important outposts indispensable to our defenses and to the collective security of the Americas the Panama Canal must be kept open and operate this is the mission of the United States forces the mission of the soldier in Panama vital mission protecting the Panama Canal that thin ribbon of water which has proved to be one of our most valuable assets in both peace and war this is sergeant Stuart Queen tune in again next week to this station for another look at your army in action on the big picture the big picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the army at home and overseas produced by the signal core pictorial center presented by the U.S. Army in cooperation with this station you can be an important part of the big picture you can proudly serve with the best equipped the best trained the best fighting team in the world today the United States Army