The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-27
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

"""S w" - ~ J"ib %, iVOS'
The proposal to put Gen. Wood
in charge ofthe Panama Canal Zone
is one that is sure to awake wide
spread discussion in the country.
1t probably will revive the Joke that
was sprung on Gen. Co: bin at one of
the Gridiron Club dinners last win.
ter after he had been made Major
General. General" he was ask
ed, IF you have reached the grade
of Major General after forty years
service in the Army, what would
be your rank new if you had start
ed in as physician to :he President"
Looked at seriously, if General
Wood is given the governorship Of
the canal zone, it will be one of the
strongest evidences of the efficacy Of
personal pull with the administra.
ton. AT the same time it will put
that versatile ex.army surgeon in
the most trying responsible position
he has ever held in his life and if
he makes good his name will be as
closely associated in history with
the Panama Cana! as will that OF
the engineer who builds it.
XIV
There are scores of officials in
Washington now who are betting
that the Panama Canal will never
be built. 1t seems useless to talk
in this vein after the American gov
ernment and American people have
said it is to be done. Of course the
transcontinental roads are covertly
throwing every obstacle in the way.
They as much rs anyone are circu-
lating statements to the detriment
of the canal plans and there Is not
a move made of any sort but what
there is chorus of criticism for the
government which is planning it.
1t is claimed that reports now in
possession Of the government show
that there is absolutely no founda-
ton but mud for the canal anywhere
across the isthmus and that its
building is physical impossibility.
Xxx
This may or may not be true.
Chief Engineer Stevens who was
appointed to succeed Engineer
Wallace when the latter made up his
mind that SOS, 900 in the United
States was better than $25, 900 in
the Panama, holds the old engi-
neering theory that with sufficient
amount of money, nothing in the
engineering line is impossible.
This, like every other dogmatic
statement, is true only within limits.
1t is said that there is dead body
under every cross tie of the Panama
Ry. This is almost literally true.
But the Canal is to be built under
American auspices and the first and
greatest work will be to clean up
the isthmus. Here is where Gen.
Woods ability is expected to come
in. There is no denying that Wood
is strong personality and he did
a good Job of municipal cleaning
at Santiago. The town was in a
lamentable condition when he took
hold of it and he made it into a
decent. habitable city. Whether he
can do the same at Panama if he is
given the chance is another ques-
ton.
a*.
Conditions at Panama are worse
than they ever were in Cuba, and
that was bad enough. General
Leonard Wood is not a gentleman
who cares so much for methods as
for results. He probably did good
many things in Cuba that were ir-
regular and would hardly stand the
scrutiny of court or Treasury
auditor. But roughshod disregard
for precedent is not a bad thing
sometimes if it gets results. Should
Wood be sent to the Isthmus, he
will have a job that his worst enc
mics will not envy. At the same
time he will have chance such as
few Americans have ever had. The
American people as a whole will
not care much one way or another.
But they want that canal built.
Xxx
The President is having a nice,
restful time on his vacation. He
has the Peace Commission afloat
and coming his way, and almost
wound up the row in the Depart
ment of Agriculture without firing
either the Secretary or the Chief