The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-07-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

me extraordinary course OF JOnn r.
Wallace, Chief Engineer of the Panama
Canal and member of the Canal Commits
sion, in resigning his position for one
that offered him greater remuneration,
Secretary Taft's scathing arraignment of
Mr.. Wallace and the Presidents virtual
dismissal of the Chief Engineer have
practically monopolized public attention
in Washington during the past week.
Wallace's dismissal was immediately fol-
lowed by the appointment of ]. F
Stevens, the Engineer who constructed
the Rocky Mountain division of the
Great Northern Railroad, and who was
later general manager of the Chicago,
, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, to sue
coed him as Chief Engineer, but the place
which Mr.. Wallace vacated on the Com
mission will remain untitled for the pres
emf, probably until Secretary Taft returns
from the Philippines, late in October.
x*x
With characteristic frankness, Secre-
tary Taft made public the full details of
the events which led up TO Wallace's
resignation, not excluding the scathing
arraignment which the Secretary deliver
ed to the Chief Engineer when he learned
his purpose, and men old in the service of
the government declare, that never have
they known cabinet officer to deliver to
a prominent public official SO severe a
verbal castigation as that administered to
Mr.. Wallace by Secretary Taft. All sorts
of rumors gained currency in the interval
which elapsed between the publication of
Mr.. Wallace's desire to resign his posi-
ton as Chief Engineer and the publica-
ton of Secretary Taft's statement, but
the latter disproves them all and demon
strates beyond question that there was no
foundation for the reports of friction in
the Canal Commission, an excess of red
tape, hampering of Wallace's effort,
and that "mere lucre," to use Mr.. Taft's
expression, led the Chief Engineer to
adopt a course which the Secretary
characterizes as dishonorable, disloyal
anu SELFISH III TIC CAlICulCs
**x
There were some peculiarly aggravat-
ing circumstances connected with the
sudden resignation fthe Chief Engineer.
1t is now learned that he was made a
member of the Commission at his own
solicitation, that his views were consulted
and his opinions respected in every in
stance, that no effort seemed too great to
his associates on the Commission when it
would contribute to the facility with
WHICH he discharged his duties. More
over Mr. Wallace had been urged to COM
plete the organization of the engineering
force on the isthmus, but had failed to do
so. AS result, he left the Commission
without a competent head in charge of
the work on the isthmus, and without
such organization as would insure its con-
tinuance along proper lines.
~
In the conversation which occurred be-
tween Secretary Taft and the Chief En-
gineer, the Secretary, after hearing Mr.
Wallaces statement as to his reasons for
changing his mind and desiring to resign
from his position as chief engineer
but to retain his place on the Commission,
said: MIR. Wallace, for mere lucre yor
change your position over night without
thought of the embarrassing position in
which you place your government by thi:
action. If you could withdraw from YOU
new arrangements, which I do not sug
gest, could have no confidence (since
know now your conception of duty tina
you would not in the future repeat the
same act at moment even more critical
when the consequences might be ever
more embarrassing and injurious to the
Government. / am bound to say that
consider the public interest requires tina
you tender your resignation at this mo
ment and turn over the records OF you
office to the chairman ofthe commission
~
Grave apprehension is felt regarding
the news from Russia which it is feared
in diplomatic circles, may mean that Rus
STA, is on the eve of a civil war which
will nullify all that the President has done
in the interest of peace. What the actor
of Japan would be were Russia unable tt
send her plenipotentiaries to Washing
ton, as promised, it is impossible to sur
mise with certainty, but the general opin
ion is that the war in Manchuria would
continue, that Vladivostook would fal
and that, perhaps, the Russian forces
would be pushed as far back as Lake
Baikal. Secretary Taft who left Wash
ington for the Philippines, declared thai
he did not believe that the civil wal
which appears to have started at Odesss
would produce such disastrous results al
=. A. a. A. r