Why Panama was not an escape route for von Spee

If von Spee's squadron stayed in the Pacific, could Sturdee use the Panama Canal to pursue it, or would neutrality prevent passage?

The pursuit route would change, but United States neutrality made American waters dangerous for von Spee because his ships could be interned rather than allowed to refuel and depart.

If Maximilian von Spee remained in the Pacific, Sturdee would have to follow a different route and find a practical place to intercept him. The answer argues that entering United States-controlled waters would risk internment rather than provide safe passage, because the United States could enforce its neutrality with its own battleships. The exchange highlights fuel access and neutral-port law as operational constraints as important as fleet speed.