Gift ofthe Panama Canal VfcsH

Vol 6 No. 11 BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE, JUNE 1, 1956 5 cents

A

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE GOVERNOR OF THE ZONE

William E. Potter

Starts Busy Life

As Head Of Canal

Governor William E. Potter

is receiving a thorough indoctrination this week into the

busy life a Governor of the

Canal Zone leads.

Meanwhile, a comparatively large seg- ment of his new employees and Isthmian

residents have had brief glimpses of the man selected to head the Panama Canal

organization for the coming four years. The new Governor arrived in the Canal Zone Tuesday afternoon, barely 24 hours

after taking oath of office. This was ad- ministered in the Office of the Secretary

of the Army who is designated representative of the President for the supervision

of the administration of the Canal Zone Government and is the Stockholder of the Panama Canal Company. The Governor of the Canal Zone is ex officio President of the Panama Canal Company.

Leaves Tomorrow For Omaha

Governor Potter is scheduled to leave by plane early Saturday morning for Omaha, Neb., where he has been serving

as Division Engineer of the U. S. Army

Corps of Engineers Missouri River Division. He will return to the Canal Zone for permanent residence on June 20 aboard

the Panama liner Cristobal, accompanied

by Mrs. Potter and their two daughters, Jo Ann and Susan Ruth.

The purpose of Governor Potter's trip to the Isthmus this week was to attend meetings of the Budget Committee of the Canal Company's Board of Directors to consider the Canal budget for the fiscal year 1958. Members of the Committee scheduled

to attend were Robert P. Burroughs,

Ralph H. Cake, and Maj. Gen. Julian L. Schley. Also here to attend the meetings

are Edward A. Bacon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil and Military Affairs who handles Panama Canal

matters in the Office of the Secretary,

and W. M. Whitman, Secretary of the Panama Canal Company.

Meets Members Of Staff Despite the Memorial Day holiday in the Canal Zone on Wednesday, a busy

four- day schedule had been arranged for Governor Potter this week. While subject to change, some of the principal as- pects of his trip to the Isthmus when this edition of The Review was closed, are outlined below. Governor Potter had an opportunity

to meet the principal members of his

staff on the afternoon of (See page IS)

MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM E. POTTER

Maj. Gen. William Everett Potter this week became the twelfth Governor of the Canal Zone since the permanent Canal

operating organization was formed in April 1914 and the third President of the Panama Canal Company.

Governor Potter succeeds Maj. Gen. John S. Seybold who took the oath of

office as Governor of the Canal Zone on May 27, 1952. He is one of the youngest men to hold

the office of Governor and is the only one

to hold the rank of Major General in the

TJ. S. Army Corps of Engineers when he took office. Four others, former Governors Goethals, Edgerton, Mehaffey, and

Seybold, were promoted to Major General's rank while in office. Governor Potter is taking advantage

this week of his visit to the Canal Zone

to meet the principal members of his

staff in the Canal organization and to

orient himself generally with his new

duties. Although he has never served in the Canal Zone, several of his old friends and

former colleagues are here, including Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull, Jr. Two of those who

previously have served with Gov. Potter

are Col. Hugh M. Arnold, Director of the Engineering and Construction Bureau,

and Anthony R. Nard, Chief of the Civil Engineering Branch of the Engineering

Division. Colonel Arnold was his Executive Offi- cer from 1948 to 1950 when the new

Governor was Assistant Chief of Engineers for Civil Works. Mr. Nard

worked with him from 1945 to 1948 in Kansas City.

The new Governor is one of three who

were only 50 years old when they as- sumed the top position in the Panama

Canal organization. Governor Potter

will be 51 on July 17. The other two

50-year-old Governors were Col. Chester Harding who became Governor in Jan- uary 1917, and his immediate successor,

Col. Jay J. Morrow who served as Governor from 1920 to 1924. Governor Potter was graduated from

the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1928; five years later he

received his Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology. He has also attended the Army Engineering School, the Command and General Staff School,

and the National War College.

Rotating between civil works and mili- tary assignments, Governor Potter has had wide experience in (See page is)
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1,1956

Visit Of Presidents And OAS Meeting

Centers World Attention On Isthmus

night outside a New York theater soon

after the latter's return from Europe.

The General recalled his association with Mr. Green 20 years earlier in the construction of the Fox Conner Road to Camp Gaillard as well as his canoe trip

through the Canal while stationed here. He promised to revisit the Canal Zone,

actually making the trip only a few weeks

later.

'

Although the average American resi- dent here will have a more personal in- terest in the visit of President Eisenhower,

the commemorative meeting of the OAS

is one of great significance, both from the

historic and future viewpoints. Because of the great amount of interest which will be generated in the OAS meeting and the visit of the American Presi- dents, many Canal Zonians may wish to

visit the site of the Panama Congress of 1826, since the hall in which the historic gathering took place is still standing.

The building, which is being restored

to its original appearance by the Pan- ama Bolivarian Society, is adjacent to the San Francisco Church on the opposite side of the street from Bolivar

Plaza toward the sea. This plaza is lo- cated in downtown Panama only a short distance from the better-known

Cathedral Plaza. The building, known as Colegio San

Augustin, which houses Bolivar Hall, was the capitulary hall of the Convent

of St. Francis at the time that delegates

from the several American Republics

gathered at the invitation of Simon Bolivar. For many years later it was used

as a schoolroom by the Catholic Order,

being given to the Bolivarian Society

in 1926, the 100th anniversary of the meeting which became known as the first Pan American Congress.

The Panama Congress of 1826 has

special significance in the history of the Panama Canal for it was that occaA WELCOME BEFITTING a General of the Armies—and a former Isthmian—was given to President and Mrs. Eisenhower when they last visited the Canal Zone in 1946. Here the President, then a five-star general, is waving to crowds at the Administration Building at Balboa Heights.

Canal Zonians will have grandstand

seats this month for one of the most

spectacular gatherings ever held in the Western Hemisphere as well as one of great historic significance throughout the

world. The event will be a meeting of the Organization of American States in commemoration of the 130th anniversary of the first Congress of American Republics

called by Simon Bolivar, the great South

American liberator. It will be climaxed on June 24 and 25 by the attendance of the majority of the Presidents of the 21 Republics at the invitation of President

Ricardo Arias E., of Panama.

Of special interest to the American

residents in the Canal Zone as well as their fellow countrymen in Panama

will be the visit of their Chief Executive,

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a former resident of the Canal Zone

and a visitor here in August 1946. President Eisenhower will be the fourth President of the United States to visit the Isthmus while in office, the others being

Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William

Howard Taft, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The visit will be the first, in 16 years by a President of the United States. The last was when President Franklin D.

Roosevelt was here in February 1940, for

his fourth visit while in office. Many Canal employees will recall the

visit of President Eisenhower to the Canal Zone as General of the Army in 1946 soon after his triumphal return from the

battlefields of Europe. While the wel- come given him in New York on his re- turn from Europe was bigger and louder,

it was no more warm-hearted and enthusiastic than that in the Canal Zone as thousands lined the streets along which

he and Mrs. Eisenhower drove in an open

car through the Pacific side communities.

While many changes have taken place

in Panama and the Canal Zone during

the past 32 years, many scenes he and

Mrs. Eisenhower saw heie in the 1920's

and again on their 1946 visit will be familiar ones. He and Mrs. Eisenhower lived from

January 1922 until September 1924 at Camp Gaillard on the west side of the

Canal which has long since been abandoned to the fast-growing jungle He

was then a Major of Infantry serving as Personnel Officer with the 20th Infantry Division of Puerto Rico. An informal invitation to General

Eisenhower to revisit the Isthmus and

make another canoe trip through the Panama Canal was extended by the late George W. Green, then Municipal Engi- neer of The Panama Canal. Mr. Green

encountered General Eisenhower one

PRESIDENTS cf the American nations will meet this month in this historic building, the Colegio San Augustin, where the Panama Congress was held 130 years ago. The Colegio is adjacent to the Church of San Francisco on Bolivar Plaza; the hall where the 1S26 Congress was held can be seen

at the left of this picture
June 1, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

1-

SIMON BOLIVAR Y PONTE, South American lib- erator, is honored by this statue near the National Theater in the eld section of Panama City. The

statue was erected in commemoration cf the centennial of the Congress of 1826 when Bolivar called the American nations together in Panama City.

sion on which the first official recognition was given by the United States of a need to join the two oceans through

the narrow Isthmus of Panama.

Although the possibility of a canal had

been given consideration by Benjamin

Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and other

leaders of the young nation, Henry Clay, then Secretary of State, urged consideration of the Panama Canal by the 1826

Congress.

Although two United States delegates

to the Congress were appointed by Presi- dent John Quincy Adams, the appoint- ments were not ratified by the Senate in time for them to attend. One of the del- egates, Richard Anderson, died in Cartegena, Colombia, en route to the Congress, and the other, John Sergeant, did not sail from the United States because

of the lateness of Senate action. Although the first definitive action

by the United States toward the construction of a Panama Canal came to naught, it became one of the little- known but interesting highlights in the

long history of the international water- way which today serves the maritime

traffic of the world. This original spark of official interest, however, was followed only a few years

later by Senate and House resolutions urging action. The fruit of these expressions by Congress was the Treaty of 1846

with New Granada which guaranteed the United States and its citizens the right

of free and open use of any mode of communication across the Isthmus, the first and precursor of the various treaties under which the Panama Canal today is operated by the United States Government.

Annual Budget Review

Being Made This Week

By Board Committee

Eight Insurance Firms Asked To Make

Proposals For Group Health Insurance

Eight insurance firms licensed to do

business in the Canal Zone have been

invited to submit plans for group health insurance for U. S.-rate employees in the Canal organization.

The insurance companies have been

furnished various data on which to base

their offers, including a summary of the

results obtained in the questionnaires fur- nished all employees. Approximately

Although there are still a few old- timers in the organization who began

work while the Canal was being

built, approximately half of those now

employed were born after the Canal was opened in 1914. More than half of the United States

citizens employed on the Panama

Canal rolls are between 35 and 50 years

of age. This odd bit of interesting information came to light in a recent survey

of age groups prepared in connection

with the proposed plans for group

health insurance. Of the 3,717 employees covered in the survey 1,912 are between 35 and

50 years in age. In the chart of employee ages from 18 to 62 years, the curve describes an almost perfect para- bola with the apex being in the 41-45

group. There are only 24 employees be- tween 18 and 20 years old, while 81 are over 60 years of age. The numbers rise gradually from these two lows.

half of the employees now in service completed and returned the questionnaires

and the tabulation of their replies indi- cated that approximately 95 percent are

interested in participating in a group

hospitalization plan.

The questionnaires were prepared by.

a Hospitalization Insurance Committee

appointed by the Governor to determine

if there is sufficient interest among U. S.- rate employees for such a plan and to determine the approximate cost. F. G. Dunsmoor, Administrative Assistant to

the Governor, is chairman of the committee and L. M. Brockman, Programs Coordinator, is secretary. Members repre- senting the Canal organization are E. A. Doolan, Personnel Director, and Floyd

Baldwin, Chief of the Fiscal Division. Thomas Sellers and Charles McG. Brandl

represent Civic Councils on the committee, and Shepard S. Clark is labor rep- resentative. The questionnaires were prepared so that "yes" or "no" answers could be

given to all questions. Some of the per- tinent questions and the numbers of re- plies received were:

Do you favor a hospitalitalization insurance plan ? Would you participate at

a reasonable cost with

maximum coverage?

Would local-coverage-only

satisfy your requirements?

Would coverage here and

Yes

1,581

1,571

No

80

63

EDWARD A. BACON

154 1,418

The annual review of the Canal budget

and capital expenditures proposed for the coming fiscal year is being made this w: eek by the Budget Committee from the Board of Directors. Morning and after- noon sessions were scheduled for three days in the Board Room of the Administration Building.

Attending the sessions again this year

is Edward A. Bacon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, who has visited the Isthmus on several previous occasions during the past three years. Three Board members, Maj. Gen. Jul- ian L. Schley, Robert P. Burroughs and

Ralph H. Cake, and W. M. Whitman,

Secretary of the Company, are here to attend the meetings. General officers of the Company on the Isthmus who are attending the sessions are Lt. Gov. H. W.

Schull, Jr., Vice President, and Philip L.

Steers, Jr., Comptroller.

Meetings of the Board's Budget Committee on the Isthmus have been held annually for the past few years. The

meetings provide an opportunity for the Committee members to meet personally

with the various Bureau Directors and

other members of the Governor's staff, at which time budget plans for the indi- vidual units are presented for review. Following the Committee's review here the budget will be presented to the full Board for approval before its submission

to the Bureau of the Budget.

70 days in the U. S. for you and your family at

$4 to $5 a month be at- tractive enough to warrant your participation?. 1,370 208 Of those returning the questionnaires,

1,244 indicated they would prefer insur- ance with higher monthly premiums to cover major medical and surgical treat- ment, while 244 voted for lower prem- iums with minimum coverage for treat- ment. Of over 1,600 replies received,

1,318 said they want coverage for themselves and their families. In forwarding the material to the various insurance firms, the committee said that payroll deductions (See page is
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1,1956

Successful School Year Ends

Next Week For 6,915 Students

GUS MELLANDER, left, who was recently elected president of the Canal Zone Junior College Student Association, shakes hands with the defeated candidate, Antonio Noboa. With them are

their campaign managers, Michael Zimmerman, center left, and John Thomas.

The last school book will be read and

the last report card for the 1955-56

school term- will be given out next week

to 6,915 boys and girls in the Canal Zone

U. S. schools. Schools will close officially Friday, June 8, for the vacation period

ending September 6. For 248 students in the Cristobal and

Balboa High Schools and for 38 in the Canal Zone Junior College, next week

will be graduation week.

Commencement exercises for the stud- ents graduating from Balboa and Cris- tobal High Schools will be held Thursday

evening. The Balboa High School cer- emony will be held at 8 o'clock in the Balboa Theater; the Cristobal exercises

will be held at 8 o'clock in the High

School Auditorium; and the Junior College graduation will be held at 10:30 Thursday morning in the Balboa High

School Library. Baccalaureate services

will be held for all three graduating clas- ses Sunday, June 3. Junior High Exercises

Closing day exercises for the students

in the eighth grade of Balboa Junior High

School will be held at 1:30 o'clock next Tuesday afternoon in Balboa Theater. For

the eighth grade students of Cristobal Junior High School, Class Day exercises are scheduled for 5 o'clock Tuesday after- noon in the High School Auditorium.

There are more high school honor students this year than ever before. Of the

class of 176 graduating from Balboa, 38

are honor graduates. In Cristobal there

are 16 honor students in the class of 72. During Awards Day ceremonies in May

a number of students received honors for high scholastic averages as well as for prominence in numerous extra-curricular

activities. In January, official notification was re- ceived that the Balboa and Cristobal High Schools would continue to be ac- credited by the Middle States Association

of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The

accreditation of the two high schools, covering the period to December 31, 1960, means that graduates will be accepted

for admission to most colleges without

entrance examinations or other qualifying

rules. Formal notification of the Junior

College accreditation was received in May.

At the beginning of the school year,

two organizational changes in the Division of Schools were made. They included

the consolidation of principalships of several elementary schools and the elimination of a separate Physical Education and

Recreation Branch.

Combined Administration

In addition to the changes in the ele- mentary schools, the administration of the Balboa Senior and Junior High

Schools was combined under the principal

of the Balboa Senior High School, who

is assisted by two assistant senior high

school principals. Increased physical education activities

in all the elementary schools was a prominent feature in the year's program and

in line with this expanded physical education program, kindergartens were moved

during the year from the gymnasiums at Diablo Heights and North Margarita to other buildings. Several physical changes were made in the school plants. One of the most important was the sound conditioning of some rooms in the Diablo Heights Ele- mentary School, which was carried out as an experiment. Several of the schools were painted and the buildings at Ancon,

Balboa, and Gatun were rewired to im- prove the quality of classroom lighting.

Summer Recreation Program

As in other years, the Division of Schools has planned an extensive summer

playground program for the benefit of those boys and girls who will not be leav- ing the Isthmus during the vacation

months.

The program will start June 18 and

will continue until August 31. Registration will be held at all gymnasiums June

13, 14, and 15 during regular office hours.

Activities to be offered during the sum- mer will include swimming, tennis, basketball, archery, volleyball, shuffleboard,

newcomb, kickball, table tennis, tumbling, bowling, handicraft, and supervised

play.

The blue flag bearing the white letters P. C. has been in use on the Canal's marine equipment since 1915.

Miss Kam Named To Receive

Highest Award Of College

Miss Virginia Kam will be given the Canal Zone Junior College Honor Award

next Thursday at the graduation cere- monies.

The award is the highest given by the

College. It is presented each year to the member of the graduating class of the Canal Zone Junior College who has contributed most to its spiritual, intellect- ual, and extra-curricular life. Miss Kam will have her name inscribed on a plaque at the entrance to the college

building along with the names of 21 other young men and women who have been

similarly honored. The plaque was pre- sented in 1935 by the first class which was

graduated from the Junior College. Born in Colon, Miss Kam is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Kam of Colon. She attended high

school in Cristobal for two years and was

enrolled in Balboa High School during

The maximum civilian population of the Canal Zone was 61,279, in 1912.

VIRGINIA KAM

Junior College Honor Graduate

her junior and senior years, graduating

fifth in her Class of 1954. During the time that she has been in Junior College, she has been a member

of Phi Theta Kappa; the National Junior

College Honor Society; a member of the Student Association Executive Council;

secretary of the Freshman Class; president of the Sophomore Class; member of the Tropical Collegian staff for two years, and of the college yearbook staff during

her sophomore year. She also has been a member of the Canal Zone Junior College

Chorus and has been active in sports. Miss Kam has been majoring in secretarial science and after her graduation,

expects to continue her studies in the Gradwohl School of Laboratory Technique where she will take a course in medical technology.

The names of the other Honor Award

winners follow in chronological order, be- ginning with the first in 1935: Fred E. Banan, Jr., Marjorie Ann

Young, Winnie Frances Anderson, Mary

Margaret Haw, Ruth Curtis Wright,

Tomas Paredes, Bert Jack Shelton V., Mary Ann Hunt, Eleanor J. Sullivan,

Virginia Rose Keenan, Mrs. Shirley Dyer

Cutter, Alice Fairbrother, Leona Ruth

Smith, Robert R. Harvey, Jr., Alice J. Sullivan, Jennifer Lee, Frances Farrell, Patricia Kelly, Yvonne Kuperman, Hector Miranda, and William Bingham.
June 1, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Canal's Only Traffic Engineer Says Psychology

And Highway Grades Are Both Vital In His Work

Melvin Bierman believes the study of psychology and human behavior is highly

important in the scholastic training of any

traffic engineer as well as the study of engineering.

Highway grades and curves, knotty

parking problems, stubborn pedestrians,

and reckless drivers can cause accidents

either singly or together, he says. For

this reason, it is important to recognize

the probable reaction of drivers and pedestrians to any given traffic condition. Mr. Bierman is one of the relatively

few "singletons" in the Canal service and

is the subject of this, the third in a series

of Review articles on persons who are the only ones of their kind employed.

His philosophy about psychology and

safe driving has been arrived at by his college training and over six years experience as a traffic engineer here and in the

States. A native of St. Louis, Mo., he was graduated from Washington University in his home city and then took a year

of postgraduate work in traffic engineering at Yale University.

Employed In St. Joseph

After two years service in the U. S. Navy during the war, he was employed

in 1950 as traffic project estimator on the

St. Louis expressway project. Six months

later he went to St. Joseph as City Traffic Engineer and held that job until his employment in April 1953 as Traffic Engineer in the Engineering and Construction Bureau. As a profession, traffic engineering is a

relatively new field. There was little need for, and certainly little thought

given to, traffic problems only a few dec- ades ago. They were not acute in the days of rutted roads and hitching posts. Many of the problems today stem from

that era since roads and streets were built to accommodate wagons and buggies.

Many of these old streets are still in use even though paved.

The traffic engineer of today has to cope with this problem complicated by

100-miles-an-hour automobiles.

Since he holds the only job of its kind

in the Canal organization, Mr. Bierman

finds his time fully occupied and does

business with a diversity of individuals

MELVIN BIERMAN

Traffic Engineer

and organizations. In the broad outline, some of his duties are: To keep under a continuing study the volume and movement of traffic throughout the Canal Zone; To review plans for the construction of new streets; To work with the Building Sites Committee in determining if a proposed build- ing will bring new traffic or parking

problems which might be avoided; To answer complaints on traffic conditions and hazards; To keep under constant scrutiny the

Traffic Rules and Regulations which were recently completely revised; To work closely with other Canal units, such as the Police, Safety, Maintenance,

Schools, and other divisions or units on

a variety of problems; To assist and advise on traffic prob- lems such organizations as the PTA,

Civic Councils, The Federal Safety Council, and others interested in this phase

of community life; and To coordinate his work with that of

the Armed Services and the National

Guard of Panama where mutual prob- lems exist.

Although the traffic problems in the

Canal Zone are myriad, they are generally less acute than those in a big city of today. Mr. Bierman thinks the worst trouble spots in traffic on the Pacific side today

are the Tivoli Avenue-J Street intersec- tion in Ancon; the Balboa CommissaryService Center area; and the area in and

around the intersection of Frangipani

Street and Gaillard Highway in Ancon. He expects traffic conditions in the latter area to be considerably improved when

the street work and installation of traffic signals—in progress now is completed.

On the Atlantic side, he put his finger on the map where Cristobal Commissary

is located and said the parking of cars

in that congested area is the knottiest problem. This will, of course, cease to be

a vexation after the Commissary is closed. However, this event will only transfer the problem to Margarita and this is one

of those future questions on which he will work with other Canal people concerned.

In his daily dealings with the public, Mr. Bierman says that the commonest

complaints or requests are for reduced

speeds in residential areas so children can

play in the streets (which gives him and

the Zone Police cold shivers), and for additional crosswalks at street intersections. If all the requests for the latter were granted, he says, vehicular traffic would be brought to a virtual standstill. Crosswalk Privilege Abused

On the subject of marked crosswalks, he deplores abuse of the privilege by pedestrians who fail to observe common cour- tesy rules by stepping off the curb when

an approaching car is near the crosswalk,

by needlessly stopping a stream of traffic, and similar infractions of courtesy.

Not all of Mr. Bierman 's days are sad- dened by traffic problems. He is specially

gladdened when he sees some improvement or solution to a given problem. On

this side of the ledger, he is already pointing with pride to the new-type traffic- actuated signals which are to be installed at the four traffic intersections and two

grade crossings formed by Gaillard High- way, Walker Street, and Diablo Road.

These, he believes, will be a delight to the motorist and materially speed up

traffic. The new traffic (See page 12)

ONE OF the worst traffic trouble spots on the Pacific side, in the opinion of the Canal Company's Traffic Engineer, is this intersection—the Tivoli

Avenue-J Street corner near the Ancon post office. Between 4 and 5 p. m. on week days traffic is exceptionally bad.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW Junel, 1956

FOR YOUR INTEREST AND GUIDANCE IN ACCIDENT PREVENTION

PARAISO SAFETY FIELD DAY

On April 21, 1956, the Paraiso Civic- Council sponsored its second annual

Safety Field Day. Following the raising

of the American Flag and the Safety Flag

on the new flagpole situated on the bank

of the Canal behind the Service Center,

Ellis L. Fawcett, President of the Council,

made appropriate opening remarks before introducing G. 0. Kellar, Chief of the Pan- ama Canal Company Safety Branch. Mr.

Kellar expressed his sincere appreciation

to the Council, and the Committee which was headed by Alfonso E. Alexis, for the splendid work they accomplished. Mr.

Kellar then introduced the principal speaker, Col. Charles 0. Bruce, Health Director

for the Canal Zone Government. In his

talk, Colonel Bruce pointed out that "what we call accidents are really events—pre- dictable events, and if they can be predicted, they can be prevented." Colonel Bruce further said: "No set of rules can

substitute for common sense and good

judgment in the prevention of accidents." The 29th Division Band, under the di- -«< 'jh

HONOR ROLL

Bureau Award For BEST RECORD

APRIL

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

HEALTH BUREAU

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

YOUNGSTERS had their chance to show that they are concerned with safety when they demonstrated

safe bicycling at Paraiso's Second Annual Safety Day.

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

Civil Affairs 3 Health 3 Engineering and Construction 1 Supply and Employee Service 1 Transportation and Terminals 1 Marine

Division Award For NO DISABLING INJURIES

APRIL

COMMISSARY DIVISION

HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

MAINTENANCE DIVISION

SERVICE CENTER DIVISION

DREDGING DIVISION

INDUSTRIAL DIVISION

ELECTRICAL DIVISION

RAILROAD DIVISION

MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION

STOREHOUSES DIVISION

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

SANITATION DIVISION

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

Aids to Navigation 4 Motor Transportation 4 Sanitation 4

Service Center 4 Storehouses 4 Commissary 3 Electrical... 3 Hospitals and Clinics 3 Industrial 3 Maintenance 3 Railroad 3 Dredging 2 Navigation 2 Housing and Grounds 1 Terminals 1 Locks _

rection of Lt. William Bradberry, played

during the opening ceremonies, and selec- tions were sung by the Fine Arts Choral

Group, directed by MauricioH. Heywood.

Many interesting safety exhibits and

demonstrations were presented by the various divisions of the Canal Zone Government-Panama Canal Company, as well as the Army. Ribbons were awarded the Housing and Grounds, Service Center,

and Maintenance Divisions. The Fort Clayton Civil Defense Distaff

First Aid Team tied with the Mainte- nance Division for first place in the First Aid Contest, with the Paraiso Civil Defense Distaff Team second, and the Motor

Transportation Division third. A line-throwing contest conducted by

the Locks Division proved to be a big

attraction and expert heaving-line throwers were selected from the three Locks to compete. Points were scored for distance, accuracy, and height, as well as fotm. Manuel Rodriguez of Miraflores Locks won first place; Juan Gorzon of Miraflores second; and Esteban Canizales, of Pedro Miguel, was third. We turn the Safety Spotlight on the town of Paraiso, its Civic Council, and

its Safety Committee. They, together

with the Safety Committeemen of the various Bureaus and Divisions and the Safety Personnel of the Army, are de- serving of congratulations for the time

and effort they gave to making their Safety Field Day such a success.

APRIL 1956

Engineering and Construction Bureau

Health Bureau

Civil Affairs Bureau

Supply and Employee Service Bureau

C. Z. Govt. -Panama Canal Co. (This Month)

Transportation and Terminals Bureau

Marine Bureau

C. Z. Govt.-Panama Canal Co. ( Last 3-Year Av.)

Number of Disabling Injuries 6

Disabling Injuries per 1,000,000 Man-Hours Worked

(Frequency Rate) 10 20 Id

O

£

, ., . . !

| ::->:.1

I a

I sr

i

3 i

3 i

6

11

i i 10 £0 30

Man-Hours Worked 2,322,748 LEGEND

Amount Better Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Last 3- Year Average

Amount Worse Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Last 3-Year Average

RSSSSS8a Accumulative Frequency Rate This Year
June 1, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

OF CURRENT INTEREST

Official Panama Canal Company Publication

Published Monthly At

BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE

Printed by the Printing Plant Mount Hope, Canal Zone

William E. Potter, Governor-President H. W. Schull, Jr. Lieutenant Governor

William G. Arey, Jr. Public Information Officer

J. Rufus Hardy, Editor

Eleanor H. McIlhenny

Assistant Editor

SUBSCRIPTION—$1.00 a year SINGLE COPIES—5 cents each On sale at al! Panama Canal Service Centers, Commissaries, and Hotels for 10 days

after publication date. SINGLE COPIES BY MAIL—10 cents each BACK COPIES—10 cents each On sale, when available, from the Vault

Clerk, Third Floor, Administration Building, Balboa Heights.

Postal money orders should be made payable to the Treasurer, Panama Canal Company, and mailed to Editor, The Panama

Canal Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z.

CHIEF SURGEON

FIRST CIVILIAN' to head the Surgical Service at Gorgas Hospital since 1945 i3 Dr. Evganie P. Shiro- kov, above. Dr. Shirokov, who has been on the Gorgas Hospital staff since 1948 with the exception

of a year of study at Memorial Hospital in New York, wa3 appointed last month to succeed Col. William W. Nichol who was reassigned to Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio, Tex. The new chief surgeon was born in Harbin, China, and is a graduate of the

University of California Medical School. He has had

training at Johns Hopkins, Miriam Hospital in Providence, and Memorial Hospital in New Y'ork. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.

Governor' s Goodbye

CADETS from the Junior ROTC unit of Balboa High School formed a guard of honor at the Balboa

Heights railroad station May 19 when the outgoing Governor, and Mrs. J. S. Seybold, boarded a

special motor car enroute to the Panama liner aboard which they sailed for the United States. As

the Seybolds left Balboa Heights the Balboa High School band played Auld Lang Syne. Another

guard of honor, this one from the Cristobal High School ROTC unit, was drawn up at shipside in Cristobal where the Cristobal High School band played the final Auld Lang Syne as the SS Ancon

pulled away from the pier.

Although the Balboa Theater is being

completely redecorated interiorwise, it continues to show its nightly movie perform- ances without interruption. A condition in the contract, held by the Tropical Paint Company, called for the work to be done

so that there is no interference with the movie shows. The contractor is using scaf- folding which can be removed each day.

The theater itself, the foyer, and the lobby are all scheduled for repainting. The

color scheme is not being changed and the murals will not be redone. The work is to be completed before June 30. Repainting of the Balboa Theater is one

of several maintenance projects now under- way in the Service Center Division. Others

include replacement of part of the Balboa

Service Center roof, installation of a tile floor and wainscoting in the Service Center

Bakery, and repainting of the Balboa Service Center kitchen, lobby, and dining and

soda fountain areas.

of licenses, by the License Section of the

Civil Affairs Bureau. The cost of renewal,

as in past years, is Si. Renewal forms and forms for original

applications are available at the License

Section at the Civil Affairs Building on

Gaillard Highway.

Householders who requested that topsoil be delivered to their homes some weeks ago and now find themselves unable—for lack

of time or other reason —to spread it over

their lawns or flower beds may ask to have

this dirt removed.

According to officials of the Housing and

Grounds Division, a recent survey of the

Pacific side showed that some of the topsoil, delivered in March, was still in the

piles in which it had been dumped. The

weight of the earth and the lack of sunlight are killing the grass underneath. The topsoil which will be removed from

quarters where it cannot be used will be

redistributed to those whose requests for dirt could not be filled at the time the deliveries were made several weeks ago.

In other cases, where the topsoil has been

distributed, it has been mounded around

plants and shrubs. According to Walter R. Lindsay, agronomist, this is detrimental to the plants. The excess topsoil will either

kill plants around which it has been heaped

or will force the roots upward where they

will suffer during the next dry season.

Hunting and Gun Club permits, which

are issued on an annual basis, expire this month and must be renewed by June 30, according to officials of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Heretofore, the hunting licenses have been issued by the Canal Zone Police. Now

they are being issued, as are all other types

Registration for the 1956 summer session

of the Canal Zone Junior College will be

held next Thursday in the Canal Zone Junior College office from 12:45 to 4:15 p. m. and from 6:30 to 8:30 p. m. Classes are scheduled to begin June 11 and will continue until August 4. Morning classes will include business and

commercial subjects, engineering, English,

history and social studies, mathematics, and

Romance languages. During the late after- noon and night, classes are scheduled in business and commercial subjects, English,

engineering, history and social studies, mathematics, and Romance languages.

With the exception of morning engineering classes and the course in auto mechanics, which are to be held Saturday mornings

from 8 a. m. to 12 noon, all summer session

classes are scheduled for Mondays and

Thursdays. Courses which fail to enroll at

least 10 students on registration day will be

canceled, it was announced.

One woman doctor is among the 16 new

interns due to arrive in the Canal Zone during June from various medical schools in the United States to begin a year's training

at Gorgas Hospital. She is Dr. Gloria S. Garner, who was graduated this year from

Tulane University.

The names of the other new interns and

the schools from which they were graduated

follow: Dr. Ralph E. Payne, University of Oklahoma; Dr. Martin R. Plaut, Boston

University; Dr. Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., University of Oklahoma; Dr. Everett R. Rhoades, University of Oklahoma; Dr. Floyd L. Pollard, Jr., Baylor University; Dr. Robert N. Smith, University of Kansas;

Dr. Gerald L. Ehringer, Tulane University; Dr. Clifford S. Reusch, University of Kansas; Dr. Irving D. Bornstein, University of Virginia; Dr. Ralph E. Adams, University

of Oregon; Dr. Robert H. Buker, Colorado

University; Dr. Benjamin P. Keitzman,

University of Indiana; Dr. Norman Schlager

University of Colorado; Dr. Chester L. Trent, University of Kansas; and Dr. John

K. Sass, University of Iowa.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1,1956

CHASE MANHATTAN'S Balboa branch stands at the corner of Balboa Road and Barnebey Street, on the site of the old Balboa Post Office. First occupied in August 1940, it was later enlarged.

Chase Manhattan Handles Varied Banking

Business For Canal And Zone Residents

United States coin and currency brought

to the Isthmus. During the construction period, the Isthmian Canal Commission imported

the coins and currency for its own needs,

but The Panama Canal discontinued this practice some years after the waterway was opened. As early as 1933, Chase

Manhattan then simply the Chase National Bank was bringing currency in million-dollar lots to the Isthmus. A

newspaper story of that period reported

that six small boxes were all that were needed to hold $1,000,000 which had

been shippped via Pan American Airways

to the Chase Bank in Panama.

Currency Destroyed

The bank's officers have also had a

part in the destruction of unfit currency. Today, dirty and tattered old bills are returned to the United States to be des- troyed by the Treasury Department.

But between 1941 and 1945 when sub- marines lurked in the Caribbean, plane

schedules were not what they now are, and the Axis wouldn't have cared how

old or dirty a United States bill if they

could only get it into their hands, the Canal Zone's worn-out currency was

burned in the furnaces of the Mechanical

Division in Balboa.

Louis Gomez, now an Assistant Vice

President of Chase Manhattan but then Manager of the Balboa branch; his counterpart from the National City

Bank; the Finance Officer of the Army;

and the Paymaster for The Panama

Canal spent many hours sitting by the

furnace, making sure that every bill was

burned down to the past penny. It was

a hot, all-day job.

Four Different Names

The bank which is now known as The

Chase Manhattan Bank has operated in the Canal Zone under four different names. It was, first, the Commercial

National Bank. In 1917, the Cristobal branch was transferred to the American

Foreign Banking Corporation and other branches opened in the Republic of Pan- ama. In 1925 the name of the bank be- came the Chase National Bank of New

York and, last year, after a merger with

the Bank of Manhattan Company, the parent of the Canal Zone's branches be- came the Chase Manhattan Bank.

The Isthmian branches have successfully weathered the changes of name, and

signs and stationery have been altered

to the new nomenclature. The grillwork on the windows of the Balboa branch,

however, still bears the intertwined ini- tials "CN" although it would be a safe bet that not one visitor in a thousand

realizes it. Oldtime Isthmians believe that the Chase Bank has undergone a number of metamorpheses in its character as well as

in its name. In its first phase, it was a

friendly, definitely informal bank -wit- ness its first deposit which offered some

services which may have been unique in banking circles. Pacific siders, who banked at the branch in Panama City long before there was a bank in Balboa, recall that when

they went on vacation they used to leave a deposit at the bank to cover their standing order for lottery tickets. A

bank messenger bought the tickets; the

One day, in 1915, a dray loaded with

silver pesos pulled up alongside the Masonic Temple building at the corner of Bolivar Avenue and 11th Street in Cristobal. The carter unloaded his precious cargo into the newly-opened Commercial

National Bank, told bank officials that

the money was to be credited to a certain private account, and that the depositor

would be along later. That drayload of pesos was the first deposit in what is today the Cristobal branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank,

one of two branches maintained in the Canal Zone by the parent bank in New

York City.

Chase Manhattan's connections with

the Isthmus are several years younger

than those of the other banking institu- tion which has branches in the Canal

Zone, the First National City Bank of New York, but paradoxically Chase's

Cristobal branch was the only bank in the Canal Zone for over 20 years. The first bank in the Canal Zone was

in Empire where the International Banking Corporation, now the First National

City Bank of New York, opened a branch

in 1908. This branch was closed about

a year before the day, in 1915, the

cartload of silver pesos opened the banking services of the Commercial National

Bank in Cristobal. Construction-Day Banking

Under its former name, Chase Manhattan's connections with the Isthmus

predate by several years its physical presence here. Old Canal Zone files contain a letter from Commercial National's Washington offices to W. W. Warwick,

Examiner of Accounts, which says in part: "Our institution has recently been des- ignated as the official depository of the Government of the Canal Zone and at

this time we have $1,121,668.78 of their funds on deposit."

The same letter offered facilities for "banking by mail" to the Isthmian Canal

Commission force. Today, Chase Manhattan's connections

with the Panama Canal and its employees are much closer than those mail-order banking days, although there are still a good many depositors who do not set foot in their bank from one year to another. Their pay checks are mailed di- rectly to the bank and receipt acknowledged by the bank, by mail. Through

standing orders, the bank will transfer money from a local account to a States bank, for the support of dependent par- ents or sons and daughters in college, and debit the Canal Zone depositor's account for the amount transferred. Through other standing orders, govern- ment bonds may be purchased regularly,

and the bonds mailed to the buyer.

But Chase Manhattan's services, even though they comprise every type of banking service, except savings accounts with

interest, are not limited to these minor

transactions from an overall financial standpoint. Each month Chase Manhattan in the Canal Zone guarantees the

tolls for at least 300 of the ships which

transit the Panama Canal. And -a little- known fact the bank imports every bit of

WILLIAM C. SCHMITT

Manager, Balboa Branch
June 1, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

purchase price was debited against the Zonian's account and any winnings

credited. As early as 1916, Canal employees

were being paid with Commercial National Bank checks upon request, and

the checks could be deposited by mail in their accounts. This tied in with another

early-day service financing vacations. In those days, an oldtimer said, it was

the usual custom to borrow money from

the bank to finance vacations. The loan was repaid with pay checks paid into his account while he was away. No other

collateral was required. Cars And Christmas Trees One long-time Zonian said the other day that the Chase National Bank, al- though it was not known by that name

in those days, undoubtedly financed the purchase of most of the first automobiles

in the Canal Zone. The bank still lends money to buy cars. The only difference is that $250 then bought a good used car. After the American Foreign Banking

Corporation became the Chase National,

its attitude became somewhat frosty,

according to a former Zonian who had

daily dealings with the bank. Today, Chase Manhattan's smile is more than professional, and its sense of humor has been restored. The staff of the Balboa branch was able to accept, with a wry grin, the kidding of its cus- tomers some years ago when the bank

blossomed out with an all-red Christmas

tree; the customers considered red unsuitable for an institution which laid such emphasis on remaining "in the

black." And the bank's officials can even

look with tolerance, if not complete understanding, on such customers as the one who, notified of an overdraft in his checking account, wrote a check on the same account to cover the overdraft. Handles Panama Canal Finances

While its comparatively small personal accounts number well into the thousands,

the bulk of Chase Manhattan's Canal Zone business has to do with the Panama

Canal, its operation and protection. For many years the largest single activity of the Cristobal branch has been the finan- cing of tolls and other expenses for vessels transiting the Canal or calling at terminal ports. "The statutory provision that tolls had

to be paid in cash in advance," a bank

official says, "led the early management

of the branch to realize that this created

a situation completely different from that

existing at ports in the rest of the world. They developed a system of handling

such payments, thereby simplifying and

making more economical for the owners

the payments of a vessel's charges. At

the same time they relieved the steamship agents of the burden of financing such expenditures -a standard practice

of those days throughout the world." Chase Manhattan's Cristobal branch

has never moved from its original location

in the Masonic Temple building, although

it has expanded considerably from the two rooms to which it was first assigned. In its very early days, the bank ran into some difficulty getting the proper door

for its big vault. This problem was

solved when the bank "accepted for use"

the door which had hung for many years on the vault in the old Panama Railroad

building in Colon. The Cristobal Branch was opened by

George Schuyler Schaeffer, for years a leading figure in banking circles here.

W. FRITZ HUMPHREYS

Manager, Cristobal Branch He remained in Cristobal for only a few

months and was then transferred to the Panama branch where he was stationed

until 1942. During this period, he had

charge of all Chase Bank operations on

the Isthmus. He also became the first Chase official to be elevated to a vice presidency on the Isthmus. Employees Are Well Known

Other managers of the Cristobal branch

have included J. Edward Healy, Jr., now a Chase Vice President in charge of

all Isthmian operations, and Mr. Gomez,

who served in the Cristobal branch from

1926 to 1934. The present manager is Texas-born W. Fritz Humphreys. The W

stands for William, which he never uses. He has been with Chase for 30 years, 27

of them on the Isthmus. Outside of banking hours, he is a crack tennis player.

Other oldtimers in the Cristobal branch

are

' the number-one teller, Augustus

Kam; Mrs. Eunice Robles, who handles

travelers' checks, new accounts, loan applications, and similar matters; and Mrs. Miriam McDade, who is secretary to the manager, in charge of the confidential

files, and sometimes helps out in the

front office. Chase Manhattan's first Balboa branch was not opened until 1938. It was

located in the building which had been,

until a few months before, the Ancon

Police Station. This building, since demolished, stood approximately at the corner of Ancon Boulevard and Frangipani Street.

It was a two-story frame structure, with screened porches and little protection for the amount of cash needed for banking operations. The bank at first thought of renting large safety deposit boxes at the Administration Building and

storing the cash in these, but this plan was never followed through. Instead, all cash and some records were conveyed to Ancon from the Panama branch every morning and carted back to Panama City

again at the close of the business day.

New Building Occupied In 1940 In February 1940, the bank began

construction of the white, air-conditioned,

wedge-shaped building which stands at

the junction of Barnebey and Pearson

Streets and Balboa Road on the site once

occupied by the Balboa post office. The

bank moved into its new quarters on August 29 of that year. Within a short time the bank had out- grown its new building and an addition was made at the rear. It was in this building that the branch's staff carried the heavy load of the war and postwar

periods. It was not at all unusual for the

staff to work from 7 a. m. to 10:45 p. m., getting home just before blackout time

at 11 o'clock. Mr. Gomez was the first manager of the Balboa branch. Now, as Assistant Vice President, he supervises the operations of both Balboa and Cristobal branches. The present manager is William C. Schmitt. He served with the Army here during World War II and has

been with Chase since 1945. His assistant manager is Horacio C. Aleman who was

born in Panama and has been with the bank ever since he finished school. He

has been at the Balboa branch for over

17 years and before his recent promotion was its chief clerk. Another of the Balboa staff who is well known to its customers is Miss

Lillian Gray, whose duties are generally

similar to those of Mrs. Robles at Cristobal. She has been with the Balboa

branch since 1942 and prior to that time was secretary to Mr. Schaeffer. Also

well known to those who deal with the Balboa branch is Aldrich Lowe. He is on duty at a window just to the right of the entrance door where he handles all notes and the sale of U. S. savings bonds.

AN UNLIKELY PLACE to find a bank would be a police station, but this was the site of the Chase

Manhattan's branch in the Canal Zone when it reopened during the late 1930's on the Pacific side. The old building has since been demolished. Driving on the left side of the street was still in effect.
10 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1,1956

BILL O'SULLIVAX, official translator for the Canal, plays Uke, or thrown one, to Mary Lou Engelke's

Tori, or thrower, in a practice session of the Judo Club. She has used a "leg hook" to put him off balance.

Newly Organized Judo Club Teaches Ancient Art

To 21 Members Now Seeking Badge of Proficiency

Some people covet Cadillacs, and some

people hanker for cabin cruisers, but the material object most desired by a score

of Canal Zonians is a black belt.

It is not an ordinary black belt. About

twice as long as what one would normally

wear, it goes twice around its owner, and

is tied in a knot in front. It symbolizes the

highest grade of proficiency in Judo. The 19 men and two women to whom

the black belt means so much are the Canal Zone's Judokas, or members of the Canal Zone Judo Club. Since last September 1 when the club was formally

organized and affiliated with the Panama

Judo Association, they have been practicing falls and holds and throws, first at the Balboa gymnasium, later at Diablo

Heights, and more recently at the Olympic

Pool in Panama.

The belts which indicate their skill in Judo are worn with their Judo-gi, or practice costumes which look much like a rather loose pair of white pajamas. All novice Judokas wear white belts. As

they become more proficient, they are given tests, progress to higher grades, and

are entitled to belts of different colors.

Belts Denote Proficiency

Next step above the white belt is one

of yellow followed, in turn, by orange,

green, blue, brown, and black. Both of the women in the club and several of the men have won their yellow belts. One

Judoka has his orange belt, one a green

one. The grading used locally for the

tests and for the belts is that used

throughout the western hemisphere and

is not precisely that of the major Japanese Judo school. Judo was brought to the Canal Zone

a couple of years ago by Robert A. Engelke of the Canal Zone Police Force. He had had his first taste of the ancient

Japanese sport when he was sent to the Military Police school at Camp Gordon,

Ga., for two months under the organized Reserve Training Program.

When he returned to the Canal Zone

he interested several of his friends in Judo. Little by little the group grew but

it was not officially termed a club until

last fall. Up until that time the Judokas

had been practicing without expert in- struction; late last summer, they found

a man qualified to serve as their instructor. Today they are put through their paces by Mario Gaudiano, a student in Panama University's School of Medicine.

He learned Judo while he was a pre-med

student in Montreal and is entitled to wear the coveted black belt. Two Women Members

When the club was formed, Mr. Engelke became its first president. One of the other officers is one of the two women

members, Mrs. Barney Hidalgo, a slender, attractive brunette. The other woman

member is tiny, pretty Mrs. Engelke. Because Judo is a solemn, ceremonious

sport, its followers take it solemnly and

ceremoniously. There is never any smoking in the Dojo, or practice hall. Before each class begins, the Judokas kneel and

bow at the edges of the practice mats as a sign of respect to the "highest belt"

present, and the session ends with this same ceremony. Before a match, each

contestant bows to his or her opponent.

First thing a Judoka learns is how to

A TOMOE-NAGE, or circle throw, is performed

here by Louise Hidalgo, one of the Judo Club's two women members. She drops to her back, puts one

foot in her opponent's left hip, and then throws him.

fall so that he will not hurt himself. This sounds simpler than it actually is and is technically known as a "break

fall." There are carefully prescribed steps

for each fall; in the backward fall, for in- stance, the novice learns to bend his head

forward so that he does not strike it on

the mat as he falls. After he has learned to fall backward

and forward and sideways—the novice is ready for the next step. During this sec- ond period, he learns how to break the balance of an opponent and use that ad- vantage to throw him. First he learns the proper instant to set his opponent up

for the throw; then he is taught to judge

the time to put his opponent off balance; and finally the exact moment to accomplish the throw itself.

It is not until after he has mastered

these preliminary steps that the Judoka

begins to learn the basic throws, the foot- sweeps and the other prescribed motions

of Judo. These are similar in theory to the "school figures" of ice skating, or the

prescribed master dives in a diving contest. Judo manuals list 40 throws, each

of which must be done in a carefully pre- scribed fashion. All of the 40 must be mastered before a Judoka may be considered an expert. Judo itself, Mr. Engelke explains, has a creed of performance which every Judoka must learn. This is: Minimum

Effort, Maximum Efficiency, and Mutual

Benefit. The first two phrases mean that a student of Judo learns to use his opponent's own energy and momentum to throw him, and accounts for the way that someone as small as Mrs. Engelke, for instance, can throw a man much larger

than herself. Winner And Loser Benefit

Mutual Benefit Mr. Engleke explains

like this: Each contest has two participants, a Tori, or thrower, and a Uke, the thrown. When the Tori throws the Uke,

the Tori is improving his throws but the Uke, at the same time, is improving his

falls. Each, therefore, benefits from the

contest. Since the club was organized, several

of its members have appeared in public

exhibitions of Judo. One of these exhibitions was at the American Legion Club

and another was a match at the Diablo

Heights gymnasium with a Judo team

from the French cruiser, Jeanne D'Arc. Their most recent public performance was

on April 14 when members of the Canal Zone Club and Panama Club participated

in an exhibition with the Panamanian

National Guard.

Judo, according to one of the foremost

textbooks on the subject, is a modern

adaptation of the Jujitsu tradition, "one

of the martial arts of old Japan and one

of the priceless legends of the Samurai."

It has been known by a dozen different names and has had many schools, each

distinguished from the others by its own

individual features. In 1882 Dr. Jigoro Kano took all the

fine points of each school and with his own improvements formed the now famous Kodokan or Institute of Judo in
June 1,1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 11 Music Helps To Make Life Worth Living;

So La Boca Alumni Chorus Keeps Singing

Without music, life would be a mis- take," an author once said. That is exactly the way the members of the La

Boca Alumni Chorus feel. The chorus, which today is the sole adult singing aggregation in the Canal

Zone, came into being because its members didn't want to stop singing. More

exactly, they didn't want the high school commencement exercises of 1949 to dis- band the chorus which had been organized the year before by the school's music

director, Emily Butcher, under the sponsorship of Mrs. Helen C. Baker, then in charge of school music. Today the La Boca Alumni Chorus is called upon whenever there are festivities of any size or importance in the Canal

Zone. In April the chorus sang at the La

Boca Junior College commencement exercises. A few days earlier it had sung

during the Easter morning program of the Caribbean Forces Network. Late in March

it had been presented in Panama City by

the United States Information Service. In Person And On The Air The group was featured at inauguration ceremonies for Governor Seybold in 1952, and at the Goethals Memorial Cele- bration in 1954. The traditional Hour of Music at Christmastime started with the chorus and became a popular and much

anticipated holiday season activity in the

local-rate communities. For years the Alumni Chorus has sung in the Hanging

of the Greens ceremony at the Balboa

YMCA.

In addition to all of these special events, the chorus has appeared many

times over the air, in concerts at the Jewish Welfare Board in Balboa, and

at a number of Army posts. Its members

have visited hospitals in the Canal Zone

to sing to patients and have made at

least one trip to Santo Tomas Hospital

in Panama City. One of its major

activities was the one and only Spring

Sing at the La Boca school grounds in 1952. The attendance was over 2,000. Members Scattered

The La Boca Alumni Chorus today

has 35 members, who range in age from

19 to the late 30's. Most of the original chorus lived in La Boca but today only two or three still reside in the fast- disappearing town. The rest are scat- tered all over the Isthmus; some of them come from the Atlantic side for rehearsals twice a month or so in the La Boca High

School study hall. The 35 choristers hold all kinds of

PLEASING TO EAR and eye, the La Boca Alumni Chorus appeared at the commencement of the La Boca branch of the Junior College. They are, beginning with the bottom row and in the usual

order: Icilyn Smythe, Irma Henry, Dorothy Powell, Pearl Simon, Joycelyn Gooden, Zelma Lee, Vivian

Hall, Emily E. Butcher, director; second row, Sibyl Henry, Cynthia Wilson, Earl Braithwaite, Stanley

Hall, Carlyle Edghill, Doris Greene, Doris Cox; third row, Alden G. Cockburn, Ruby Carter, Hilary

Clarke, Fred Howell, Gilburt Burrows, Hyacinta Tait, Lilybelle Fawcett; back row, Hugh Adams,

Cecil Carter, Robert Joseph, Fred Wason, Frank Russell, Olive Joseph, Ruth Mae Springer.

Japan. The Canal Zone Judo Club fol- * lows the traditions of the Kodokan school, but uses the Kawaishi method of belt grading.

Jujitsu, basically a system of bare- handed fighting, was developed by Japanese warriors as a means of defending themselves should they loose their swords

or spears. It was revived toward the end

of the nineteenth century when an Imperial Decree abolished the wearing of swords, and barehanded jujitsu was again

brought to the fore as a special art of

self defense. Modern Judo, about as it

is practiced today, was developed during

the latter part of the last century.

Jobs. Some are teachers in the Canal Zone schools; some hold clerical positions; others work in the commissaries; a few

are employed at Army posts; and some

are housewives. A number of the original

members have left the Isthmus and are

living or studying in the United States and some of the men are serving in the United States Armed Forces. Because men's voices are "heavier"

than women's, there are usually fewer men than women in the group. People

who have been inflicted with "musical"

neighbors are apt to think the world full of sopranos and bathroom tenors, but,

strangely, Miss Butcher sometimes has

difficulty in finding the proper number

of tenors or soporanos to balance the

chorus. High Voices Scarce "The altos and basses seem to stay

with us," she said the other day. "But

quite frequently we have trouble finding

enough of the higher voices, both men's and women's. Right now, though, the group is beautifully balanced."

Occasionally, if an event calls for a smaller group than the full chorus, a group

of 10 singers who, Miss Butcher says, "by themselves possess perfect balance" appear in place of the chorus as a whole. The Melotones, a well-known male

quartet, is an offshoot of the chorus. Like their parent organization, they have

sung at several Army posts and during

civic programs, as well. Miss Butcher, who is a graduate of the La Boca Normal Training School and

holds a Master's Degree from Columbia

University, is the first and only director

of the chorus. Today she wields her baton with the expert air of experience,

but things were not always so, she recalls. In her early days in school, she sat at her piano leading the chorus by nodding

vigorously, winking first at tenors and

then at altos. It took all of Mrs. Baker's

persuasion to overcome her shyness and

get her on her feet to do a proper job.

Three members of Miss Butcher's graduating class of 1944 are still singing

with the chorus. They are Mrs. Mary

Callender, Mrs. Lilybelle Fawcett, and

Cecil Carter. When the demand for a chorus was revived by the graduates of 1949, most of the present members were

still in school, but nine '"49ers" are still with the chorus. They are Doris Greene,

Zelma Lee, Irma Henry, Earl Brathwaite, Robert Joseph, Doris Cox, and

Vivian Hall, all living in Panama City;

Cynthia Wilson of La Boca; and Dorothy

Powell from Gamboa.

Rehearsals Are Fun

Rehearsals are fun, Miss Butcher says, and much work is crowded into one evening when the date of a public performance

draws near. However, she added, "we

have the same old problems of irregular attendance and late-comers common to group meetings everywhere."

The members of the chorus, advised

by Miss Butcher, select the music they

will sing. Somethings the songs they

choose are those they have heard on

records or over the radio. Sometimes

they are songs they have heard about. And sometimes, she says, "it is just

music." At first the chorus sang entirely in English but recently some Spanish songs have been added to their repertoire.

Once in a while they have presented some of the songs typical of the West

Indies. They sing either a capella or with an accompaniment on piano.

Their first regular accompanist was Wilma D. Butcher, of La Boca. She is now studying music in the United States. Today their accompanist is Hugh Adams

who is an accomplished pianist as well

as a graduate of La Boca High School.
12 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1, 1956

New Paraiso High School Will Open

Monday; Dedication Planned June 16

ONE OF THE kitchen units in the home economics room of Paraiso High School is inspected by

Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull, Jr., accompanied by school officials.* Sigurd E. Esser, Superintendent of

Schools, is at the left. Back of the Lieutenant Governor is Henry L. Donovan, Civil Affairs Director. Ellis L. Faweett, Principal of Paraiso High School, stands at the right.

Transfer of the Latin American high

school on the Pacific side from La Boca

to Paraiso will take place over this weekend. The 476 students now enrolled will report Monday to their new classrooms. The new high school is located at the

intersection of Paraiso Road and Ada

Street in Paraiso. The shell of a large

building used as a storehouse by the Locks

Division, it has been completely trans- formed into a modern school plant.

Its classrooms and facilities rival any

of those in the Canal Zone schools system.

Adjoining the main building and connected to it by a covered passageway is a new building which will house a soundproof music room and a large open-construction building for shop classes. Dedication June 16

It is planned to dedicate the new high

school at special ceremonies on Saturday, June 16. Details of the ceremony will be announced later but plans are to have the top Canal officials, school authorities, and

community leaders participate.

With the transfer of the high school to Paraiso, the building in La Boca will be used for the elementary and junior high

school of that community. This transfer

will take place sometime later, perhaps

about the end of this month, after which

Canal's Traffic Engineer Says Psychology

And Highway Grades Are Vital In His Work

(Continued from pan: 5) signals, the first of this type to be installed on the Isth- mus, will count the number of cars from

all directions and automatically give pref- erence to the heaviest flow. Another thing which helps brighten his job is the excellent cooperation he receives,

particularly from the Canal Zone Police Division. "Traffic engineers," he says, "can dream up fine solutions to difficult

traffic problems but it is the police who

handle the job and solve the problems

on an immediate basis when they arise. In this category, the Canal Zone Police do an admirable job."

the older elementary school building will no longer be used. The new Paraiso high school will be

far more conveniently located foi the majority of the Latin American students in high school on the Pacific side than the one in La Boca. Most of the students now live in Paraiso and Santa Cruz. Cost $125,000

Designs for the new high school were

prepared by the architectural staff of the Engineering Division. The construction work was performed under contract by

Dillon & Hickman. The total cost was

approximately $125,000.

The main high school building contains

ten regular classrooms, each 20 by 32 feet, located on the sides of the main corridor

which runs the length of the building. Also in the main building are the home

economics room, library, physical science and biology rooms, a teachers' room equipped with kitchenette, a clinic, two rooms

for storage, and the school office. The school library is to also be used

as a community library for Paraiso. This

is located on the northeast corner of the building and is provided with a separate entrance so that it may be opened to the

public outside of school hours. The home

economics room is twice the size of the other classrooms and is equipped with

three unit kitchens. The biology and sci- ence rooms are fitted for laboratory work.

All of the rooms open on the main cor- ridor which has an "egg crate" ceiling

with lighting above the sectional aluminum grillwork. The aluminum grating

is painted to give the hallway a luminous

effect with the overhead lighting.

Modern Touches

The classrooms are sound-proofed with

high celotex ceilings and partitions of concrete-block construction. Colorful paints

of various colors have been used on the

walls of the classrooms, several of which are equipped with light green blackboards

which reduce eye strain and which are being used for the first time in the Zone.

In the reconstruction of the building, the outside walls of galvanized iron have

been replaced by concrete block walls at the base. Above this base each classroom

is fitted with tinted glass jalousies which

will reduce the glare and above these

large opaque glass windows provide

additional ventilation and light.

Did You Know?

The first foreign vessel to transit the Canal was the SS Daldorch, a British- registered freighter, carrying wheat from

Tacoma to Ireland. The date: August

20, 1914.

The lighthouse at Cape Mala was

placed in service in July 1915.

Vessels of 15 nations transited the Canal during its first year of operation.

FIRST AID DEMONSTRATION

. &i -

gF&0*J?*l^

;.li-u^afc^

SPECIAL EMPHASIS is given to first-aid training of employees throughout the Canal organization. The interest shown in first-aid is demonstrated by the throng of spectators on the porches of the Paraiso Service Center shown above watching the first-aid demonstration by various employees at the recent Field Safety Day held at Paraiso under the auspices of the Paraiso Civic Council.
June 1, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 13

THREE TO REPRESENT CANAL IN NATION-WIDE CAREER SERVICE COMPETITION

COMPETING with thousands of Federal employees from all branches of the government will be these three Canal employees who were chosen last month to participate in the Second Annual Career Service Awards Program.

Left to right, they are: E. B. Stevens, Engineering Division; C. W. Kilbey,

Service Center Division; and Vincent Biava, Dredging Division. The program is sponsored by the National Service League, a non-partisan citizens' organization for good government, and is designed to increase the prestige

of public service by focusing national attention on some of the distinguished

careers in federal service. Only ten individuals from among the many

thousands nominated will be selected to receive national awards.

The Governor Of The Canal Zone

(Continued from page l) engineering design

and construction of major water-resources development projects in many parts of the United States. One of his early

assignments of this sort was with the Pittsburgh Engineer District where he worked on the construction of the Tygardt

and Emsworth Dams in the Ohio Valley

Project. Later he was District Engineer

at Kansas City. He comes to the Canal Zone from Omaha, Neb., where he has been Division Engineer for the Missouri

River Division, in which are some of the

largest flood-control and river-development projects in the world. He has been

serving as Chairman of the Missouri

Basin Inter-Agency Committee, which

coordinates the comprehensive water-re- sources-control program authorized by

Congress in 1944. During World War II Governor Potter served briefly as Executive Officer in the Psychological Warfare Division in the European Theater of Operations and

then was named Assistant Chief for plans

and operations in the European Theater

of Operations during the period of the Normandy invasion. His other overseas assignments have

included three years in Nicaragua, be- tween 1929 and 1932, during the last of which he was in charge of the hydrographic studies of the drainage basin for the proposed Nicaraguan canal, and some

time in Alaska, where he was in charge

of the construction of large military

installations.Mid -Westerner

Governor Potter, born in Wisconsin, is the sixth Governor who may be called a Mid-westerner; beginning with Gov.

Clarence S. Ridley, in 1936, every Governor has come from the central part of the United States. Governor Potter's 11 predecessors,

their home states, their terms of office, and thsir ages when they became Governor follows: George W. Goethals, 1914-17; New

York, N. Y., 56

Chester Harding, 1917-20, Mississippi, 50 Jay J. Morrow, 1920-24, West Virginia, 50

Meriwether L. Walker, 1924-28, Virginia, 54 Harry Burgess, 1928-32, Mississippi, 56

Julian L. Schley, 1932-36, Georgia, 52

Clarence S. Ridley, 1936-40, Indiana, 52 Glen E. Edgerton, 1940-44, Kansas, 53 Joseph C. Mehaffey, 1944-48, Ohio, 55

Francis K. Newcomer, 1948-52, Illi- nois, 58 John S. Seybold, 1952-56, Kansas, 54

Several Moves Scheduled

For Accounting Division

The Machine Accounting Section of the Accounting Division of the Office of the Comptroller will soon be moved from

the first floor of the east wing of the Administration Building to the basement of the east wing of the same building. The move will involve a number of bookkeeping machines and 12 employees.

William E. Potter Starts Busy Life

(Continued from page 1) his arrival at a reception given by Mr. Bacon at the

Tivoli Guest House. At eleven o'clock Wednesday morning, Governor Potter met in his office with

the presidents of the Canal Zone Civic

Councils. The Budget Committee began its re- view of the Canal budget on Tuesday

morning and sessions were scheduled also

for Wednesday and Thursday. An ex- change of calls between the Governor and

various top officials of the Canal Zone

and the Republic of Panama were listed for Thursday and Friday.

Among the official functions planned

for the week were a reception by the United States Ambassador at his resi- dence Thursday night to meet officials and guests from Panama, and a military

Honor guard ceremony for Governor Potter at Quarry Heights Friday morning.

Junior Intern Nominees

ONE OF this group will be selected to represent the Canal organization at the eighth Junior Management Intern Program which will be held in Washington from September .10 to next January 25. The group of nine is one of the largest ever nominated and, for the first time', includes three women.

Left to right in the bottom row are: Bertha I. Frensley, Earl W. Sears, Mrs. Frances L. Jourvvey, William R. Graham, and Mrs. Rosemarie J. Kenealy. Top row in the same order: Dr. Daniel j.' Paulucci, Training Officer; Stephen A. Bissell, Richard S. Brogie, Evlvn W. Brandt, and Gerald r!

Fruth. Miss Frensley, Mrs Journey, Mrs. Kenealy, Mr. Brogie, and Mr. Bissell are with the Office

of the Comptroller; Mr. Graham and Mr. Fruth with the Transportation and Terminals Bureau; Mr. Sears with the Supply and Employee Service Bureau; and Mr. Brandt with the Marine Bureau.'
14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW June 1,1956

PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

April 15 through May 15

Employees who were promoted or trans- ferred between April IS and May 15 are

listed below. The names of those employees

who were transferred back to their regular

jobs following the Gatun Locks overhaul and within-grade promotions are not listed. ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH

Mrs. Constance L. Bishop, from File Clerk (Typist) to Passenger Traffic Clerk. Transportation Section. CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

Mrs. Jane T. Fugua, from Substitute Teacher to Element. u\ School Teacher.

Division of S hools. Earle M. Stone, from Commissary Supervisor, Commissary Division, to Customs

Guard, Customs Division. Burris J. Rice, from Guard, Locks Division, to Distribution and Window Clerk, Postal Division. . Mrs. Janet L. Jeffrey, from Clerk-Typist

and Substitute Teacher to Substitute Teacher and Extension Class Teacher, Division of Schools.OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER

Miss Rose A. McGuigan, from Clerk- Stenographer, General Audit Division, to Clerk (Stenographer), Accounting Policies and Procedures Staff. Mrs. Chiquita C. Cassibry, Clerk (Sten- ographer) from Accounting Policies and

Procedures Staff to Office of the Comptroller. Miss Shirley A. McNall, from Bookkeeping Machine Operator to Accounting Clerk, Accounting Division. Mrs. Dana B. Bissell, from Accounting

Clerk to Transportation Rate Accounting

Clerk, Accounting Division. Edward C. Coyle, from Construction Cost Accountant, Plant Inventory and Appraisal

Staff, to Rates Analyst, Budget and Rates

Division. Mrs. Ruth Peterson, Clerk-Stenographer, from Comptroller's Office to General Audit

Division. Mrs. Grace E. MacVittie, from Clerk- Stenographer to Voucher Examiner, General Audit Division. Robert H. Hicks, Voucher Examiner to

Fiscal Assistant, General Audit Division. John A. Morales II, from Fiscal Assist- ant, General Audit Division, to Accountant, V< ounting Division. David I. Kelleher, from Accountant, Accounting Division, to Auditor, General

\udit Division. Mrs. Yolanda E. Valencia, from Stenographer to Clerk-Stenographer, Accounting

Division. Mrs. Muriel H. DeYoung, from Accounting Clerk to Supervisory Clerical Asmm ml. Accounting Division. Jose G. Gonzalez, Accountant, from Methods and Relief Assignment Staff, to Reports and Reconciliation Branch. Miss Isabelle M. Diaz, from Bookkeeping Machine Operator to Bookkeeping Machine Supervisor, Accounting Division. ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

Victor L. Sanger, from Tractor-Bulldozer Operator to Tractor-Bulldozer and Con-

,'in in. ii Equipment Operator, Maintenance

Division. Estle H. Davison, from Bulldozer and

Construction Equipment Operator to Pumping Plant Operator, Maintenance Division. James M. Reeves, from Pumping Plant Operator to Filtration Plant Operator, Water and Laboratories Branch.

Louis L. Seldon, from Electrician to Hospital Electrician, Maintenance Division. Woodrow G. Torbert, from Accounting

Assistant to Accountant, Maintenance Division. William W. Wood, from Supervisory Ac- counting Assistant to Supervisory' Accountni. Maintenance Division. Henri E. Moehrke, from General Supervisors Storekeeper to Accounting Clerk, Dredging Division. Edward A. Cox, from Mechanical Coordinator, to Power Plant Equipment Specialist, Electrical Division. Elmer J. Moolchan, Electrical Welder,

from Industrial Division to Dredging Division. Walter E. Benny, from Mechanical Supervisor, to Power Plant Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Division. John R. Smith, from Generation and

Transmission Supervisor to Power Plant Supervisory Electrical Engineer, Electrical Division. William J. Carson, from Foreman Plumber to Quarters Maintenance Lead Foreman,

Maintenance Division. John A. DuVall, from Apprentice Cablesplicer to Cablesplicer, Electrical Division. Claud M. Kreger, from Pump Operator

to Rotary Drill Foreman, Dredging Division. Gale A. O'Connell, from General Esti- mates Engineer to Structural Engineer,

Engineering Division. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-PRESIDENT

James G. E. Maguire, from Statistical Assistant to Organization and Methods Examiner, Executive Planning Staff. Thomas E. Burrow, from Organization

and Methods Examiner to Supervisory Organization and Methods Examiner, Executive Planning Staff. HEALTH BUREAU

David C. Mcllhenny, from Funeral Director to Hospital Administrative Officer, Coco Solo Hospital.

MARINE BUREAU

Robert J. Straus, from Lock Operator

(Machinist) to Towing Locomotive Operator, Pacific Locks. Robert A. Hanson, from Boilermaker to Towing Locomotive Operator, Atlantic Locks. Milton M. LaCroix, from Machinist, Industrial Division to Lock Operator (Machinist), Atlantic Locks. Leonard E. Case, from Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Division, to Machinist,

Industrial Division. Charles A. Parks, from Towing Locomotive Operator, Locks Overhaul, to Guard,

Atlantic Locks. Frank R. Costanzo, Towing Locomotive

Operator from Atlantic to Pacific Locks. James A. Fraser, Jr., Tom P. Reed, Jack Simon, Towing Locomotive Operaor from

Atlantic Locks Overhaul to Pacific Locks. TRANSPORTATION AND TERMINALS

BUREAU

Stuart M. Fisk, from Gauger and Crib- tender to Liquid Fuels Gauger and Foreman

Ciibtender, Marine Bunkering Section. William D. McArthur, from Gauger and

Cribtender to Liquid Fuels Gauger and Foreman Cribtender, Marine Bunkering

Section.

Clair E. Ewing, from Supervisory Administrative Assistant to Assistant to the Superintendent, Terminals Division. Jimmie Scott, from Checker, Atlantic Locks Overhaul to Guard, Terminals Division.

JUNE SAILINGS

From Cristobal

( ', istdbal Ju'ie 2

Anion - June 9 Panama - -June 16

Cristobal June 2i

. 1 „i on . - June 30

From New York Panama June 7

Cristobal J tine 14

,1 neon J une 2

Panama June 28

1 North- and south-bound ships are in

Haiti Mondays).

ANNIVERSARIES

Edward P. Walsh, Filtration Plant Operator at Mount Hope, w-ho completed 40

years of government service in May, has

the distinction of being not only a con- struction-day employee, but also the son of

-N

EDWARD P. WALSH

a construction-day employee. He came to the Isthmus in 1909 with his parents and

lived for many years in Gatun where his father, John J. Walsh, was General Fore- man at Gatun Dam.

Not one to sit around and twiddle his thumbs, Mr. Walsh got his first job in 1912 with the Commissary Division as a Checker. With extra time on his hands, he worked

as a Doorman at the Gatun Theater and as

a Volunteer Fireman with the Fire Protection Service in Gatun. He received $1 an hour on this job—when he was working.

During the years that he worked with the Commissary Division, Mr. Walsh received

a number of promotions and was Foreman

in 1930 when he resigned his job to go to the

LTnited States. He was reemployed in 1933 with the Maintenance Division and has been Filtration Plant Operator at Mount

Hope since 1946. All of his 40 years of service and his 43 years of Canal Zone resi- dence has been on the Atlantic side.

25 YEARS

Three of the four employees who completed a quarter of a century of government

service in May, have had continuous service with the Canal organization. They are Edward E. Bernsee, Jr., Abraham Daisey,

and Mrs. Mattison G. Macaulay. Mr. Bernsee was born in New Orleans,

La., and spent most of his service as a clerk with the Commissary Division. Since 1955, he has been a Clerk-Typist with the Maintenance Division. Mr. Daisey, a native of Philadelphia, was

first employed in the Dredging Division and

is now Chief Towboat Engineer with the Navigation Division. Mrs. Macaulay is from Bostrope, La., and was first employed as a Playground

Assistant. She has been with the Commissary Division since 1940 and at present is a Cash Accounting Clerk. The fourth 25-year employee is Leo J. Eberenz, who first started working with the Canal organization in 1918 on vacation jobs. He was born in Fort Thomas, Ky., and he

presently is Supervisory Storekeeper with

the Locks Division.

20 YEARS

Ten employees completed 20 years of government service in May, eight of whom

have continuous Canal service. They are: Robert S. Bowen, Auditor. Office of the Comptroller; George E. Coleman, Sheet Metal Laverouter, Industrial Division; Ralph L. Davis, Conductor, Railroad Division; James A. Dorsey, Construction and

Maintenance Superintendent, Railroad Division; Charles T. Jackson, Jr., Administrative Officer, Marine Director's Office; Martin S. Sawyer, Marine Traffic Controller,
June 1,1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15

Timing Equipment Repair

Work To Be Discontinued

Effective July 21, the Industrial Division is discontinuing repair work on clocks and chronometers, according to an an- nouncement by the Marine Director. Organizations which have timing equipment which requires repairs have been

requested to submit their work orders as soon as possible so that all repair work

will be completed by July 21. Repairs to cloc'cs, chronometers, and

other timekeeping equipment has been a longstanding operation of the Instrument Repair Shop. The shop's first foreman

back in 1904, was a professional watchmaker who doubled as an electrician. At one time a large number of timepiece

repair jobs were done by the Instru- ment Repair Shop each month but the number of these has decreased gradually.

Navigation Division; Paul S. Stewart, Policeman, Police Division, Cristobal; and

Lt. Stewart P. Trail, Police Division, Balboa. Also completing 20 years of government

service are William H. DeVore, a native Zonian, who is an Accountant in the Ac- counting Division, and Mrs. Marie K. Corrigan, Nurse at Gorgas Hospital.

15 YEARS

Half of the 14 employees with 15 years

of Government service at the end of May

have unbroken Canal service. They are: John W. Acker, Auto Repair Mechanic, Motor Transportation Division; Mrs. Ruth

R. Campbell, Security Assistant, Internal Security Office; Mrs. Marion F. French,

Telephone Operator, Communications

Branch, Raymond A. Davidson, Lock Operator, Pacific Locks; Ralph R. Grassau, Budget

Analyst, Office of the Comptroller; William

A. Hadarits, Towing Locomotive Operator, Locks Division ; and Capt. Samuel E. Johnson, Pilot, Navigation Division. Other 15-year employees are: Mrs. Elsa

L. Bailey, Supervisory Personnel Clerk, Personnel Division; Edwin J. Compton,

Welder, Maintenance Division; Henry W.

Frazier, Iron Worker, Aids to Navigation

Section; William J. McKeown, Gauger,

Division of Storehouses; Charles E. Staples,

Lead Foreman of the Tiie Reclaiming Plant, Motor Transportation Division; Erling E. Verner, Commissary Supervisor, Commissary Division; and James A. Wood, Sheet- metal Worker, Maintenance Di\ision.

HUGE CARRIER DUE HERE THIS MONTH

RETIREMENTS

Retirement certificates were presented

the end of May to the following employees

who are listed alphabetically, together with

their birthplaces, titles, length of service, and future addresses: Thomas J. Breheney, Ireland; Lead Fore- man, Hyacinth Control, Dredging Division;

21 years, 7 months, 2 days; Fort Lauderdale,

Fla.Mrs. Dora J. Coleman, Boston, Mass.; Medical Technician, Coco Solo Hospital;

13 years, 10 months, 29 days; Costa Rica. William F. Cunningham, Pennsylvania;

Auditor, Office of the Comptroller; 17 years, 9 months, 10 days; Pittsburgh, Pa. Miss Alida Drew, North Dakota ; Teacher, Balboa Elementary School; 30 years, 4 months, 29 days; undecided. William H. Gaines, Kentucky; Pipefitter, Industrial Division; 23 years, 9 months, 5 days; undecided.

Alfred Hval, Minnesota; Diesel Operator-Machinist, Electrical Division; 15 years,

2 months, 18 days; Southern California. Wilfred Morris, New Jersey; Construction Inspector, Contract and Inspection

Division; 16 years, 6 months, 5 days; Pan- ama.

Frank Sulc, New Jersey; Lead Foreman

Wireman, Electrical Division; 19 years, 5 months, 24 days; New Jersey.

ZONIANS will have another opportunity late this month to see one of the biggest ships in tin- I

States Navy when the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosmlt arrives in Balboa from the \\ est coast. At the time of the ship's last visit here, in February 1954, the Roomelt was reported to be the largest ship ever to dock in Balboa and the record still stands. This time the 45,000-ton, 986-foot-long

carrier will have a somewhat different appearance than she did during her last visit; her flight deck was recentlv angled in accordance with current aircraft carrier practice.

FIVE CREDIT UNIONS LIST

ASSETS OF OVER $335,000

There are now nearly 4,100 members

of the five Federal Credit Unions formed

by local-rate employees of the Canal or- ganization who hold shares or savings

totaling over $335,000.

A report on the financial status of the

five credit unions has just been made for the annual examination by representatives of the Federal Credit Unions regional

office in Atlanta, Ga. The examination was completed early last month by Harry

O. Bennett, of the Miami office, and Al- fredo Canino, of the Puerto Rico office. Of the five unions now in operation, the one in Cristobal was listed with the

largest assets, totaling over $133,000. Total assets listed after the annual examination for the other four were, Paraiso,

$120,000; Balboa, $86,000; Gamboa, $59,- 000; and Gatun, $45,000.

MEET THE MACAW

PROMOTED

TROPICAL color, on the wing, is provided for

visitors to the Experiment Gardens at Summit by

this gorgeous macaw, one of three which live in cages near the Garden entrance. They are removed occasionally for the benefit of photographers. This is Roberta and, like all females, she talks. Guillermo and

the unnamed third macaw, also a male, are speechless.

CLAIR E. EWING, whose service with the Cansl

organization began almost 31 years ago and who has never worked for any other organization except the Terminals Division- or its predecessor, was promoted

last month to a high post in that unit. As cf May 6, he became Assistant to the Superintendent of the Terminals Division in Balboa, succeeding Anson G. Kinsman who retired the end of April. Ohio-bcrn,

he went to work for the Receiving and Forwarding Agency of the Panama Railroad in September 192.5.

Eight Insura nce Firms Asked To Make

(Continued from page 3) could be authorized for any group hospitalization plan

adopted. It was also stated that hospitalization on the Isthmus should be avail- able for employees in either Canal Zone

or Panama hospitals.

The Hospitalization Insurance Committee plans to hold another meeting

when replies have been, received from the insurance firms solicited. At that time

it will be decided what further steps may

be taken to implement a group plan.

While only about half of the Canal employees returned the completed questionnaires, it is believed that the percentage

of participation might be somewhat higher

if a satisfactory, low-cost hospitalization insurance plan is offered.
16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW Junel, 1956

SHIPS « SHIPPING i ^

Transits By Ocean-Going Vessels April 1956 1955

Commercial 692 685 U.S. Government 27 14

Total 719 699

Tolls* Commercial .$3,025,809 $2,946,726

(

'. S. Government. _ 92,700 49,121

Total— . .-$3,118,509 $2,995,917

Includes tolls on all vessels, ocean-goiug and small.

Commercial traffic was continuing to move through the Canal at a record high

level during May and in the first three weeks of the month there were 476 transits by ocean-going vessels. Only an abrupt change in the traffic- trend would result in failing to reach new

records in transits, tolls, and cargo for a

full fiscal year. The record number of

transits, 7,997, was established in the

fiscal year 1955. Up to May 21 of this year the total number was reported at 7,308 ocean-going vessels in transit or less than 700 of a new record. Commercial

transits have been averaging nearly 700

a month during this fiscal year. New records are also indicated for this

fiscal year in the amount of cargo shipped

through the Canal and in commercial

tolls.

Although the cruise season is over for

this year, two large cruise vessels are scheduled to visit Canal waters this month. The SS Nassau is scheduled to be here today and the SS Ocean Monarch

is expected June 23. Arrangements have

been made to take cruise passengers from

both ships on a ferryboat trip through

Gaillard Cut.

The ore carrier Ore Prince, the largest cargo vessel ever to go through the Pan- ama Canal, made a transit the first day

of May. The big vessel, loaded with

35,736 tons of iron ore from Peru, was

enroute to Baltimore. The ship had a loaded displacement tonnage of 52,000

tons, only about 4,000 tons less than

battleships of the New Jersey class. Ten

locomotives were used to handle the Ore

Prince in the locks.

New Marine Director Due

To Arrive Here This Month

Capt. Warner Scott Rodimon, USN,

who will succeed Capt. Frank A. Munroe,

Jr., USN, as Director of the Marine Bureau, is arriving here June 9 aboard the USNS Gibbons. He will be accompanied

by Mrs. Rodimon and their eight-yearold son, Scott. Captain Rodimon is a native of Northampton, Mass., and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in the Class of 1929. His previous

assignment has been Commander of Destroyer Squadron 8 of the United States

Atlantic Fleet. Captain Munroe, who has been Director of the Marine Bureau for the past

three years, has received orders assigning

him to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

in Bremerton, Wash. He will be Adminsitrative Officer of the Yard.

He and Mrs. Munroe, with their daughter, Joan, will leave within the next few weeks for their new home.

Historic Marine Engine Powers

One Of Canal's Frequent Users

HER ENGINE transited the Panama Canal years before the Kirk-C did.

Old soldiers never die, they say, and

neither, apparently, do old marine engines!

A frequent visitor to the Panama Canal

is a 477-ton refrigerated-cargo ship which

is powered by a diesel engine used more

than a score of years ago in the Antarctic

ship, USS Bear. The craft is the MV Kirk-C, which is owned by the Kirkconnell Company of Tampa, Fla., and Cayman Brae in the

British West Indies. The Kirk-C carries refrigerated cargo from the Central and

South American republics to ports as far north as Norfolk, Va., and as far south as Brownsville, Tex. The Kirk-C was built in Cambridge,

Md., and commissioned by the U. S. Army as the FS 105 in 1944. After the

end of World War II, she was decommissioned and sold as surplus. Her ori- ginal engine was removed by a firm from

Pascagoula, Miss., and the hull was pur- chased by the Kirkconnell Brothers. According to M. I. Kirkconnell, one of the members of the firm, he found a suit- able engine in Connecticut and discovered

that it had powered the old icebreaker Bear during one of Admiral Byrd's Antarctic expeditions. The engine had per- formed remarkably well but did not have

adequate propelling power for a ship the

size of the Bear. It was stored by the U. S. Navy and later disposed of. Mr. Kirkconnell purchased the diesel engine in 1948 and had it installed in the Kirk-C in Mobile, Ala.

Another Queen Transits Canal

^is£:!: -

'XJMB

ARRIVING LATE LAST month on her maiden transit and to begin regular runs through the Panama Canal was the Reina del Mar, above. Owned by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company,

she will supplement the older Reir.a del Pacific*) on the England-South American run. The new

a Reina grosses 20,225 tons.