The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-14
SECRETARY w. H. TAFT
 IS INTERVIEWED ON PANAMA

of being either Chief Justice of the Sumpreme Court or the RepuDilcan nominee for President in 1903.
 'Yes," he replied in answer to a question, "I am satisfied with my visit to Panama. The possibility of any friction between the governments of the United States and of Panama has been removed, I think An agreemet has been reached which Is satisfactory to the United States and satisfactory alike to President Amador of the Republic OF Panama and the people of Panama. These differences, as you probably know. came of the tariff and revenue question. When the ten mile strip across Panama known as the Canal Zone. was annexed to the United States, the Dingley tariff was put into imme- |diate effect.
 The situation was peculiar one On either side of the Isthmus were two towns, on one side Anacon and Pan- anna. on the other Cristobal and Colon. On both sides the two towns are prac- tically one town, but the United States controls one and the Republic of Pan- anna the other. Goods coming in the American town were charged tariff un- der the Dingley act. This gave some
  ernment of Panama the opportunity of charging that the United States was building up Chinese wall with the tarin and trying to get the advantage Of the Government of Panama. F Whatever charges were made were fully answered, however, by the prop osition made by the United, States Government and accepted by the Gov ernment of Panama. The United States Government proposed to let the Gov ernment of Panama collect all the rev. enue charges in both the American and the Panaman towns. Our Govern ment of course provided that the Pan- anna Government should not collect du- tres on goods which were billed to go through the canal to points beyond. And we also reserved the original right secured to us by the first treaty of bringing into the Republic of Panama and into the Canal Zone all material used by the Government in the con- struction of the canal
 Tn willingly accepting this propo- sition the Government of Panama re- duced its tariff charges from 15 per cent. ad valorem to 10 per cent. ad val orem.
 "An agreement was also reached up- on the question of stamps, which was
 
 United States Government agreed to use in the Canal Zone the stamps of the Panama Government. but out of the sale of which the United States Government Is to receive 40 per cent of the total sales. On the other hand, the Panama Government agreed to re- duce the cost of its postage from Pan- anna to the United States to cents. the former charge having been cents."
 Political Conditions.
 What are the political and govern mental conditions on the Isthmus now?" was asked the Secretary.
 ..'very orderly and very satisfactory. We have convinced the people of Pan- anna that we are not land grabbers. We have brought them to know that the only thing that we are after is the dig ging of the Panama Canal"
 Did the retirement of General Huer- tas to private life have anything to do with the restoration of peace and se- renity?" I asked the War Secretary, remembering the charges that had been made in public print that the fiery lit- tie commander of the Panaman army trouble in the possible hope that he might be made President or Dictator to succeed President Amador.
 Secretary Taft smiled Quizically at this question. well, I can't say that that had any particular bearing upon the matter" he said. but the army of Panama has been disbanded and Gen eral Huertas. who now has no com mand, is living upon a farm. You see. Panama has no need for a standing army. The United States is pledged tU preserve order in Panama. Under the Constitution of Panama the President Is given the right to call upon the United States for assistance in pre- serving order and under the treaty be- tween the two Governments the United States can step in at any time and re- store order. if any trouble shall arise. There will be no such revolutions as in the past. The United States will not stand for any 57 revolutions in 54 years, such a record as has been estab- lished on the Isthmus in the past. The people can overthrow the government of Panama if they so desire, but they must do it in an election as we do in | tins country and not by a military revolution. Good order must be main- tained on the Isthmus. Everybody un- | derstands and accepts that now" As to Canal COnstruction. What is the status of the canal construction work?" was the next ques- | tion.
 Very satisfactory At the present l time there are 5000 men at work upon the canal. This force Is. of course, not near so large as that which will be required when the plans are finally completed and the actual construction | work begins in earnest Chief Engi- neer Wallace is now engaged in mak- l ing an exhaustive examination of the topography of the country. with refer ence to the size, number, depths and locations of the locks along the canal His report and the report of the, canal commission will be made at the earli- est possible time and the construction work will be pushed with rapidity."
 'The problem just now confronting Mir Wallace and 1t is a large one is the organiza tion of the large engineer ing force necessary to the building of the canal. The problem Is one demand ins executive ability of a high order an executive ability which Mir. Wallace possesses to an eminent degree And when this problem of organiza- tion has been solved another one arises. This is the disposition of the material | which will be dug out of the ground in the making of the canal What d. to with all that dirt is one of the | most serious, if not the most serious question connected with the building of the canal"
 Has any satisfactory estimate been made of the time 1t will require to build the canal?" Secretary Taft was asked.
 The final plans for the construc- | tion of the canal have not been made or accepted as yet. but 1t has been es-