Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-30

meht with discussion lasting halt an nour
regarding conditions on the isthmus and
the work on the canal When he finished
Secretary Taft thus addressed him:
Secretary Taft's Indignation.
Mr.. Wallace l am inexpressibly disap-
pointed. not only because you have taken
this step. but because you seem so utterly
fnsensible of the significance of your con-
duct. You come with the bald announce
ment that you quit your task at a critical
moment, on the eve of important work and
in the midst of reorganization plans under
which you accepted your position, with your
department unprotected In organization
and when you know, too that my public
duties call me to the Philippines for sew
eral months. L must be allowed to remind
you that when you were employed by the
commission little over year ago you
were only receiving $4,000 per annum I'M
der your former position and that your
salary was fixed at the sum demanded by
yourself. $4,000. That was for constant
service on the isthmus, where the con-
struction work was to be performed and
your services were required You knew
the risks to yourself and to your family. If
they went with you, in the work you as
sumed an obligation to do. II you had not
desired the position you need not have
sought nor accepted II, but l understand
that quite the contrary was the case. l
can refer more positively to recent events
within my own knowledge. When the
President found 1t necessary to make a re-
organization of the former commission, you
were consulted in the frankest manner
about every feature of the reorganizat ton
and were encouraged freely to express your
opinions. Indeed, your voluntary sugges-
lions from the isthmus embraced the pro-
posal that you, yourself, be made a men,
Der of the commission and chief engineer
on the isthmus. The substance of the plan
of reorganization, as afterward embodied
in the Presidents executive order of April
l. was cabled to you by me and you cabled
me your fullest approval of II and your
thanks, for 1t included the appointment of
yourself as a commissioner, as you had
solicited. and a member of the executive
committee. The new plan of organization
was warmly accepted and Endorsed by you
when you arrived in Washington. and you
expressed your hearty approval OF 1t in the
most unequivocal manner, not only to the
President and myself, but to members or
the commission and it's counsel, and Just
before sailing for the isthmns you called
upon us and voluntarily thanked me In the
warmest terms for what had been done IN
the reorganization Of the canal work and IN
the positions which had been given you
You co-operated for all these weeks in the
work of reorganization and accepted the
position assigned you under the PRESIDENT ;
order of April l. The President ana myselI
Aied upon this fact in making up the
plans and the other members were selected
with that in view Now. within twelve days
after your arrival upon the isthmus, you
send me a cable which, read in the light OF
what YOU say To-Day, Sl5IillleS your pliStiNoi
acceptance of an offer of another position
inconsistent with the performance OF your
duties on the isthmus. l am astonlShed
that you should be so disregardful or the
splendid opportunities of the position which
would have made you famous the world
over by the honorable performance OF your
duties of chief engineer
No Thought of the Government.
For mere lucre you change your position
overnight without thought of the embar-
RAISING position in which you place your
government by this action. when the en-
gineering forces on the isthmus are left
without a real head and your department
is not perfected in organization; when the
advisory board of engineers Is to assempie
under call of the President within two
months and when | am departing Tor the
Philippines. on public duty. All this you
knew as well as l know it; but 1t has not
had the least influence upon your action:
You have thought Of yourself and yoursen
alone. | consider that by every principle
Of honor and duty you were bound to treat
the subject differently. You nave permit
ted the President and all of US to proceed
in the full confidence that you would per
form the functions of chief engineer, ana
now, in an hour you drop your great du-
ties and throw them back upon US as II II
were a matter of no consequence, an! All
this for your personal advantage solely.
"Mr, Wallace, / do not agree with your
idea of YOUR rights nor with your idea as
to your duties. l do not agree that the
Presidents original order giving him the
right to discharge an unfaithful commits
siOner gave YOU the right 10 abandon your
duties at critical moment but indepen-
dent of that original order you accepted
the duties of chief engineer on the 18TH
mus under the recent order of April L,
which was made in cooperation with you
and to suit your views. More than this,
your duty in the premises is not measured
by your legal contractual rights. 1t should
be measured by the high obligation of a
public officer with a sacred allegiance to
the government it should be his honor and
his pleasure to serve. You were therefore,
In honor bound by all that has proceeded
to continue to perform your duties upon
the isthmus until such time-a year at least
as could have afforded US reasonable OPP
portunity to select competent successor
and prepare him for the great duties of
that office.
You make not the least complaint
rior-Q know of no possible ground for
anyD You are influenced solely by your
personal advantage.
Great fame attached to your office but
also equal responsibility. and now you de-
sert them in an hour. Even from a stand
point of policy. you are making profound
mistake If you could withdraw from your
new arrangements, which | do not suggest,
now your conception of duty that you
would not in the future repeat the same
act at a moment even more critical, when
the consequences might be even more en-
barrassing and injurious to the govern
ment.
Under these circumstances, Mr.. Wallace
and with great personal pain and disap-
polntment l am bound to say that 1 con-
slider the public interest requires that you
tender your resignation at this moment,
and turn over the records of your office to
the chairman of the commission"
Mr.. Wallace replied that The was deeply
disturbed at the view taken by the Score
tary; that he had considered that he had
a right TO retire when he chose, but that
he DESTROYS of talking il all over and
making some arrangement whereby the
government could use his services in some
capacity"
Taft Refused to Dicker.
The Secretary answered: Further talk
Is useless. 1t would be to dicker I can
not decker on such a grave subject I have
assumed that you had given this subject
the greatest consideration. and you have
approached 1t deliberately and stated to
me your action in set and definite terms