The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-07-06
NEW CHIEF ENGINEER WILL NOT
BE MEMBER OF THE CANAL
COMMISSION.
WALLACE REPLIES. TO TAFT
RESENTS CHARGE THAT FiNAN
ciAL MOTIVES PROMPTED
HlMTo QUIT.

Washington. July John F. Stew.
ems, formerly general manager Of the
Great Northern system and later Sec
ond vice president of the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad, has
been selected 10 succeed John F. Wal
lace as chief engineer of TIE Panama
canal. He has accepted the position.
Mr.. Stevens also will be made gen.
eral manager of the Panama railroad.
He resigned his position with the
Rock Island May l and was appointed
as an expert for the United States
government to go TO Manila with Sec
rotary Taft and his party to make
report on the feasibility of the con-
struction of about 1000 miles of rail-
way in the Philippines.
The selection Of Mr.. Stevens was
made Thursday night and he accepted
the offer by wire yesterday morning.
He will come 10 Washington at once
and enter upon his dutie-. His salary
will be $4,000 and he is not TO be a
member of the isthmian canal COM
mission. His proposed trip to the
Philippines with Secretary Taft has
been abandoned
Will Put Plans Into Effect.
The technical plans of the canal are
to be determined by the canal commits
sion as body. with aid of the advis-
DRY international board Of engineers
recently appointed by the president,
and these plans. as decided from stage
to stage. will be executed on the 18TH
mus by the chief engineer.
With the chief engineer combining
himself to the actual work of con-
struction and operation and concen-
trating upon the execution Of the
plans as adopted by the commission.
it is believed that the canal work will
be more actively prosecuted.
Mr.. Stevens is to accompany Chair
man Shonts To the isthmus in the i'm
mediate future and it is expected that
all necessary data will be available
in time for the meeting Of the consult
ing engineers on Sept. l. A meeting
of the canal commission will be held
in Washington to-day.
Wallace Replies to Taft.
New York. July John F. Wallace,
who resigned as member and chief en-
gineer of the Panama canal commits
sion. and whom Secretary Taft
charged with leaving the canal work
at a critical moment, gave statement
to the Associated Press last night, re-
plying TO Secretary Taft. After max
ing the statement public Mr.. Wallace
left the city. He said he was going
to take a much needed rest and vaca-
ton, and did not expect to return
during the summer.
Mr. Wallace would not make public
any Of his future plans. and said that
the work he is to take up will be an
nounced by the officials Of the Or
ganization with which he is to become
connected when they deem il proper.
Mr.. Wallace says in part:
Resents the Charge.
"The primary causes which led me
to tender my resignation as chief engi-
neer of the isthmian canal commits
sion were underlying and fundamen
tai, and l most emphatically resent
the charge that my motive in leaving
the work was a financial one.
"a careful consideration Of the en-
tire subject had brought me to the de-
cision that | should disconnect my
self with the work at the earliest pos
sible date that it could be done with
out embarrassing the administration
OF injury to the work 1t is unneceS-
sary to state the reasons for this de-
ciSion except that in fairness should
say that they involve no criticism Of
any act of the president or the secre.
tary Of war"
Acting Engineer Appointed.
Panama, July Wv. E. Duchy, who
has been the engineer in charge of the
Culebra division of the canal work,
has been appointed acting chief engi-
neer. The resignation of Chief Engi-
neer Wallace caused a disagreeable
surprise, principally among the en-
Moves Of tho canal commission