New-York tribune., 1905-01-09
THE IsTHMIAN CANAL COMMISSION.
Everything Else Should Be SubOrdinated to
Construction Work
10 the Editor Of nc Trtbune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: learn from the daily press notably from
your leader OF to-day entitled Panama Caral
Control" that momentous question is now befors
the country. through it's representatives in Con-
gress-nothng less than the eLtire reconstruction
of the present commission. even 70 the extent OF
aho!shing the same. The American public has
become so accustomed TO hear OF the formation
and reconstruction OF boards. commissions etc
that Is to say. OF the aggregation or individuals
usually possessed OF political pull. and drawing
large honOTariums. for the purpose OF inquiring
into and managing certain institutions or enter
OF graft" etc--that the creation and continuance
Of one more seems to be matter Of small mo-
ment.
In other words the Panama Canal Commission
has not been taken sufficiently seriously Probably
a majority of those who have given the matter
any thought at all have regarded the commissions
members lot OF lucky fellows. who have sue
cceded IN securing lucrative sinecureS, in cOnsid-
Grafton OF which they willing TO be set up ss
marks for all sorts 81 abuse. which after all breaks
no bones, and which they more than wiling
to endure. so long as /. does not interfere with
the regular recurrence OF payday. for indefinite
period OF time
You have put the Eist Of he matter in few words
when YOU say; The sole reason OF our going 70
Panama at all Is to construct canal Everything
else is subordinate 70 that" Now. Il Is very easy
to pronounce the words construct a canal az
Panama" but we must remember that the Panama
doleelI ore, II has ths history OF an auspcious
beginning and d!sgracefuI and disastrous ter-
mnatiOn. IL Is up to that IN this case
history does not repeat itself So far and far
government IS concerned procedures have
been perfectly correctly taken The preliminary
work comPrvhcnded the study OF a variety OF
spec cial conditions. and required a number Of men
OF various gifts and qualifications to do Justice
10 IT, EUt the question now Is. Has not this stage
OF the business passed and should not the present
commission be aOn0rably discharged and re-
organ tZsiton effected fitted 20 deal with present
actualities9 Wills as YOU remark no sspersion
rests upon the ehtsacteT Of any OF the hoHora1ls
forget that already grave errors OF aministra-
ton are charged ami an amount OF fr4ction be-
chiRery has been limited ~ that II existent must
Inevitably destroy its efficiency for useful work
Sometimes an apparently difficult and eonpiissa..
Cd question, can De solved BY the 2ppiietton Ss,S -,
gen@Sal principle Il would seem 10 be ss.s-
evident proposition that IL the commission, as co
be done the sthmus. and not at WaShinStote
To speak pamly. u Is impossible that the prosecH-
zion Of the work can be forwarded. st.u less eoI..
great tser qualifications. assembled az point ~ ~
thousand or taTee ~ usand miles rom the tness -S
pOlnt ard not scattered over wide area PeIr,-
suing tker usual vocauens. Indeed. u Is not 9D IL
this way; II Is impossible that Il shall not be ham
pered, d, q.
fouad that certain conditions have always prodHes
certain results. 10 Is fair 10 conclude that 80
matt ematical occurrences OF these results Is ~ es,s
cedeut conditions. Thus the military history -
the world shows that the attempt to conduct enas
paigns from distant soyernnsntai aeaaJ ,nSsnf
with disastrous results The phenoTasnal s1eSSe Ses
y the French armies under Nspoison wa ws' asnd
70 act to hts trarseeadent ability 70 &C. -
the right dirsction- great engineering sAHaaA's'