New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-21
NEW PANAMA BOARD.
THE PRESIDENTS PLAN.
Maroon To Be Governor and " al
lace Engineer in Charge.
LrroN rnE raIpuxE RrREAU.l

Washington. March 2o-The President is ear
nestly engaged in recasting the Panama Canal
Commission. and a programme has been out
knee although the details are not deflnltely
settled The plan. so far as outlined, provides
far 2 commission composed of three executive
officers and four practical engineers. The chair
man Of the new commission remains TO be Sc
lected but it is practically decided that Judge
Charles E Magoon. law officer of the Bureau
OF Insular Affairs and general counsel OF the
commission and John f. Wallace. now chief
Engineer will be members of the commission
Judge Magoon viii become Governor or the
Panama Canal zone. succeeding Major General
fieorge w Davis. who will resign, and Mr. Wal
lace will be the engineer in charge. Some or the
engineer members Of the commission may be re-
tanned. but are not likely TO be selected as exec
Gtive officers OF the commission. 1t is I'M
aerstood that the President is seeking the ser
vices OF a business man of experience and ability
to complete the trio which will dominate the
affairs of the commission.
& The present commission is regarded as IN
viedy. and the President believes that. while
the law requires the technical selection OF
commission of seven members. the most salts
factory progress can be made with an organlza-
ion dominated by three able members the
others being expert engineers and VlrtuSiiS
subordinate TO the direction of the first three
II IS also probable that the oTlces ol IoNeiii''
of the zone and Minister to Panama VIII De
combined in the person of Judge Magoon. thus
relieving Minister Barrett and AVOIDING d ount
authority on the isthmus which has thus Tar
ser4ed only complcate the SITUATION anu
render tbs relations between the new repuplio
and the United States difficult
* is one Of the singular and gratifying Ieat-
r1r%4@ sof the situation that the demand 1or JuuSe
Alsgoo1 as Governor comes from Panama the
people Of the republic having formed warn
attachment for the legal adviser or the Secre-
iarv OF War and having expressed to secretary
Taft both directly and through their Minister
ia washington, their confidence that with judge
N q rooD as Governor the utmost harmony would
Tr1TE{u on the isthmus and the people or ran
anna would benefit from the wise counsel OF the
t;overnor as much as the residents Of the zone
ITSELF =.
T,fe selection of Mr.. Wallace as member OF
4s, ayx- commission follows the favorable nm
r,ression which as chief engineer, Mr. WalAce
made not only on Secretary Taft, but on the
members of the Congress committee when
visited the canal zone last fall. The President
also has great confidence in Mr.. Wallace, re-
e1spaiT1g him as "a man who does things
Secretary Taft has transmitted to the PIeSi-
dent with comment OF his own. the report Oh
Or. Reed recently published, severely crlticislng
che ma ma cement of affairs in the canal zone py
the Panama Commission. The President AFTER
reading the papers, returned them TO the w ar
1)e1artment. with an Endorsement. and they
viii be made public in a day or two.