Milford chronicle., 1905-07-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

BY nave AOAAOWSu the details leading up
al to the resignation of John F. Wal
lace, Chief Engineer of the Panama
g Canal and member of the Canal
m Commission, sufficiently closely to
9 appreciate the full measure of his
: lack of loyalty in throwing up his
office to accept position which of
tered greater remuneration, but no
+ one can read the terrible arraign-
b ment of the former Chief Engineer
which Secretary Taft delivered to
him in person, without gathering
some idea of the size, mentally |
rather than physically, of the Sec
retary of War, of the high ideals
which inspire his every action, of
his high conception of loyalty to
his government and the business and
manliness which pervades the man.
Briefly, the circumstances were T
these. Wallace, at his own solici- +
tatiOn, was made a member of the ,
commission. His every suggestion r
was received with respect and in r
practically every instance, was car h
ried into effect. As recently as Nav o
20, Wallace wrote to the chairman e
of the commission that he was en- n
tirely satisfied. delighted" in fact NJ
with everything that had been done
and would throw himself into the
work with his whole heart and soul.
The Chairman had urged him to so
organize his engineering force as to -
provide for such an emergency as
his illness, his being suddenly called Ipa &c
away from the isthmus, etc. and -a'
had promised to do this. ey' W
Then, twelve days after his letter ca .@l
II May 20, he accepted a proposition tao ,e'
rom New York concern and. ac- 'Oo
ording to his own statement. his . -ne
My stipulation, when asked if he ~! ~!
7ould accept the new place had , ~"
cen, ut is simple matter of terms l' ;t
nd conditions. i" Il
When Secretary Taft had heard lrie r,
hat Mr.. Wallace had done, heard 'aUi
from his own lips, he proceeded ana
express his opinion of the Chief -
conduct in unvarnished stui
rms. lie never lost his temper VI y
the conservative character of his ueal
marks demonstrates, but he did paru
It spare his auditor. There is spun
thing so repugnant to the Secre- -A"i
ry of War as disloyalty and in sseu
5 judgment Mr.. Wallace had been iereo
lily of the gravest sort of dis i"lli
yalty and of a dishonorable sell iunel
bness which wos co,,ta,,,I4;I.1a - her 4
d the Secretary proceeded to tell - ne
Il so. MS u
The new Engineer, John F. great
svens, appointed as successor of ana
lllace, is regarded as a man of gave
ability. He constructed ical s.
Rocky Mountain division of the Elm
eat Northern Railroad, which is prosp
arded as one of the best built the ol
DIS in the country, perhaps in merry
world. Stevens spent between pioye'
600 600 and SO ooo 90 Co. I divorC
Hill and Mr.. Hill was so we'll sat They
I'd that he recommended Stevens comm
ne in the highest TERMS" said II al
Shonts. chairman of the con, here "
sion, to your correspondent, and sor,
added. 'Could anything be near
er test of a man S ability Those compl'
} know Jim" Hill will unani- died, tc
lsly answer no. well "
What we want on the isthmus four ia
great big, brawny man, capable and De
xerting great driving power" old anC
inued Mr.. Shonts. "He must on thel
man capable of handling men, be able
know enough to know what cases, i
xpect from subordinates and Our
! possess the faculty of inspect also ou
hem with enthusiasm. He must what h
10 big a man to lose the per but he
i've of his work by confning lot of
ttention to minor details, or to handsoI
lore abstruse engineering prob have b
of the great enterprise. We may OPP
goo board of expert engineers bic on a
here in Washington for no Maste
purpose than to work out spent hi
intricate problems and the vacation
Engineer should utilize that ney.
lization for all it is worth" " Willie
d who would be the assistant tain Cha
engineer, Mr.. Shonts said Monday
y, Il don't know. You see, mother,
| ask man to do work ex- works al
lin to do it. I don't care how very har
es it, what man or what tools on that ,
es so long as he does the work Miss \
is satisfactory when he gets last weel
gh. Now am going to tell fred Sho
IS to go ahead and organize Mrs. c
N force, perfect his machine daughter
Ig. Then l shall look to him mington.
suits and the personality of WIN. She
sistants and s;rifor dato;Ie Joshua
:. - who have
- eii1irSiy WIN uin' business,
'etary Iatt LETT Washington for a shol
.,iorT,t for 4Ia Df.sfs...ss..1.