The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-18
AFFAIRS IN THE CANAL ZONE.
THE EXODUS FROM THE ISTHMUS
AND ITS CAUSES.
Discomfort Am ong Canal Employees One
Problem Of Building Canal-NOt an
Undue Am cunt OF Sickness Admins
tratiye Meth DDS Criticized Severely.

Undue Am cunt Of Siokness-Admlnis-
trative Methods Criticized Severely.
CrLLBRA. Isthmian Canal Zone, June IL.
Every incoming steamer from New York,
New Orleans or San Francisco brings to
Colon and Panama contingent OF Ameri-
cans recently appointed to the canal work.
Every outgoing ship takes home its quota
OF returning employees.
Two months ago, while Chief Engineer
Wallace was in the States selecting his
eppointees, the arriving squads were large
sometimes fifty in bunch. Recently
their numbers have markedly fallen on.
on the contrary, the departures are in
creasing rather than diminishing. state
Of affairs which is causing concern in tho
Government building.
A considerable contingent often return
home by the very next steamer without
even attempting to enter upon their duties
Others are employees discharged for dis
ability or inability. By far the greater
number are those who have just simply
quit as soon as they had earned their pas
sage home and seen the elephant.
Press echoes from home indicate the be-
lief that fear Of fever epidemic is at the
bottom Of this serious outflow OF whites
This Is a gross error. The prime cause
OF this movement is widespread discon-
tent with general conditions, natural and
administrative.
The class OF employees who arrive are
apparently familiar with existence IN lts
toughest forms, yet almost to man the
hardest Of them are dismayed at what
they see here. 1t is safe to say that there
are not fifty Americans in the Canal Zone
who do not fix a mental limit, and short
one, on their stay here. The high salaried
officials, hoping for advancement and even
creator emoluments. are probably meas
urably content. With the mass 1t Ia dif-
ferent.
As a matter Of fact, there ia not now an
undue amount OF sickness in the zone.
The popular impression at home concerning
the unhealthfulness OF the lsthmus is e1-
aggerated.
The hospitals are not overcrowded. AZ
have recently taken pains to ascertain both
here and at Ancon, which includes the
Panama district. just now the vruent
fevers are almost unknown. There Ia
ALWAYS a good deal OF malarial fever. but
that seldom kills.
Until the Isthmus jungles and forests are
completely swept away and the sunlight let
in. malaria will continue to do its baleful
work. It lie here to stay. Still, 1t Ia doubt
full il there ia more Of it here than in the
Mississippi Valley sixty years ago before
II was opened up by settlers.
The precautions taken by the sanitation
department to fight disease have been wise
and energetic. The work Of Col. Gorgas
and his corps Of assistants was ably planned
and has been successfully carried out
Possibly there will vet be an outbreak OF
yellow fever in Panama and Colon still
fIthy towns despite the regeneratve work
OF American doctors. Much has been
done in both, but much remains to be done
before they will he inviting cities to live
in. There have undoubtedly been some
scattering cases OF yellow fever all over the
Zone. but there has been no general alarm,
and confidence on this head is gaining the
upper hand.
There are a good many so-called accli-
mated men here Of course, although nobody
Is really immune unless he has had yellow
fever Even Jamaica negroes and the
natives are subject to the fever though
seldom in its viruent form The death
rate among them from all causes is greater
than in the American ranks,
Nevertheless, among other curious phe-
romcna a deep seated conviction prevails
with quite percentage Of the rank and file
that there is far more yellow fever than is
reported, and numerous deaf s, which are
carefully concealed In Culebra, perhaps
the most healthful point in the zone, where
the local hospital is right under the obser-
walton Of everybody. it is not unusual to
hear very levelheaded men coolly assert
this as fact. One case s multiplied into
q score; one death is an epidemic.
Such stuff is absurd. Only few OF the
more credulous take stock in these unwar-
ranted rrmors of concealed yellow fever
deaths and secret midnight burials in the
adjacent jungles
This increasing return flow to the States
must be stopped. Under prevailing con-
ditions effective work must soon cease
unless foreigners are called in, a measure
which would be repugnant to the nation.
Little indeed has thus far been accom-
pished Chief Engineer Wallace and his
right hand executive. Capt. E. L. King,
have now returned to the zone. and doubt
less things will take better turn. 1t is GER
tain that an undertaking Of this magnitude,
backed by the Government cannot fail
~ must 90 on. Present evils VIII somehow
he overcome The enterprise is young
yet.
Nevertheless, the French company spent
nearly $500, 900 900 on the canal, and yet
failed Of its purpose, The chief contrbu-
ting cause was the difficulty which is now
confronting the Americans
De Lesseps commended with the problem
unsIccessfuly. Yet in the treatment of
his white contingent OF assistants he acted
with far greater care and consideration than
Is now manifesto by his SUCCESSORS.
1t is certainly not sickness nor a high
death rate which depresses and deports
American mechanics and overseers. In
short, the Inducements to remain are not
commensurate with the risks ventured or
the hardships endured.
The men are subjected to unnecessary
and irritating harassments without any
mitigating corporations. The pay is
no greater than in the States. In other
particulars the employees brought here are
much worse of than in the States.
Every item that goes to make life pleasant