The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-23
ROOSEVELT lNSTRUCfS
 CANAL COMMISSION
MUST PERFORM THEIR DUTY
 WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR.
Chosen Regardless of Political Afiii,a- uons aud They Are Warned to Do Their Work in the same kpirit-Are Entrusted With the Accomplishment of the Greatest Engineering Feat Hitherto Attempted.
Hitherto Attempted. A


 Hitherto Attempted.
 Washington, March 22.-Preliminary work was begun to-day by the 18th milan canal commission. The first full meeting of the commission was held in the offices of Rear-Admiral Walker, the chairman. The session resolved itself into an informal discussion of various features of the preliminary work ana of preparations for the first visit of the commission to Panama.
 General instructions to the members of the commission were contained in letter from President Roosevelt to the commission under date of March 5. The letter (which was read at the meeting, is as follows:
 White House,
 washington, D. C., March s, 1904.
 "Sirs-I have appointed you as the commission which is to undertake the most important and also the most for midahle engineering feat that has hitfl- erto been attempted. You are to do a work the doing of which, if well done, will reflect high honor upon this nation, and, when done, will be of incalculable benefit, not only to this nation, but to civilized mankind. As you yourselves must individually know, I have chosen you with reference to nothing save my belief, after full and patient inquiry, that you are among all the available men of whom I have knowledge those best fitted to bring this great task to a successful conclusion. You have been chosen purely because of your personal and professional regulations for integ- rity and ability. You represent the whole country. You represent neither section nor party. I have not sought to find out the politics of a single one of you, and indeed, as to the majority of you, | have not the slightest idea what your political affiliations are. I believe that each one of you will serve not merely with entire fidelity, but with the utmost efficiency. If at any time feel that any one of you is not render ing the best service which 1t is possible to procure I shall feel called upon to disregard alike my feelings for the man and the mans own feelings and forth- with to substitute for him on the conl- IlllSSlOtl SOtttt OluCl llldlt Wl1OtAt I dCCtiA capable of rendering better service. Moreover, shall expect. if at any time any one of you feels that the work is too exhausting and expressing for him to do in the best possible manner. that he will of his own accord so inform me in order that l may replace him by some man who. to the requisite ability, joins the will and the strength to give all the effort needed. But so long as you render efficient service of the high est type in the work you are appointed to perform yau may rest assured of my hearty support and backing in every way.
 s'These are the conditions under which you have been appointed and under which shall expect you to proceed. shall firmly expect you to apply pre- cisely the same principles in the choice and retention of your subordinates who do the work under you as I have ap- piled in your choice and shall apply in your retention. l shall expect you to appoint no man for other reasons than your belief in the aid he can render you ndigging the canal. If, having ap- pointed any man, you find that your expectations about him are not fulfilled, or that from any reason he falls short of his duty, I shall expect you to dis miss him out of hand. I shall expect that under such circumstances you will pay not the slightest heed to any back ing or influence the man may have. I assume as a matter of course that in dealing with contractors you will act on precisely the principles which would apply in any great private business nu- dertaking. There Is no man among you to whom I think it is necessary to say a word as to the standard of honesty to be exacted from every employee or contractor, for if I had had the slight est ground for suspicion that there was need tos ay such a word to any one of you I should no have appointed him. But do wish to emphasize the need of unceasing vigilance in the performance of this great work.
 ''As to the details of the work itself, I have but little tosay. It is to be done as expeditiously as possible and as economically as is consistent with thoroughness. There is one matter to which I wish to call your special att tention, the question of sanitation and hygiene. You will take measures to se- cure the best medical experts for this purpose, whom you can obtain, and you will, of course, make the contractors submit aa implicitly aa your own em- ployees to all the rules and regulations Of the medical department under you. IT presume you will find it best to have one head for this medical department, but that shall leave to your own judg- ment.
 The plans are to be carefully made with a view to the needs not only of the moment, but of the future The re- ports are to be supervised as vigorously as if they were being made for a pri- vate tecorporation dependentfor it's profits upon the returns You are to secure the best talent this country can afford to meet the conditions created by every need which may arise. The methods for achieving the results must be yours. What this nation will insist upon is that the results be achieved.
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT. "The Isthmian Canal Commission