The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-18
SHONIS REVEALS
DITCH TROUBLES
Head of Commission Says All
Work Was on Canal, Not
for Health.
ENTIRE FORCE SET AT
WORK ON SANITATION
When Isthmus Is Made Habitable
the Diggers Will Resume
and Rush.

New York, Aug. 1S.-Within the span
of five years the Panama canal will be
dug, is the estimate Of Theodore P.
Shonts, chairman of the isthmian canal
commission, who has just returned from
the isthmus.
Not only will it be built within half a
decade, but he asserts the chagres and
yellow fevers will be exterminated and
the zone will take place among the sa-
resort in the dry season. Mr.. Shonts
declares the talk about the insurmount-
able difficulties confronting the en-
g:1neers Is a bogy and that no difficult
ties present themselves that are not
duplicated and surpassed every year
upon American railroads.
sanitation, transportation and sub
slstence are the only serious problems,
he says, and with these properly organ
lied mere engineering difficulties will
be overcome with mathematical preci-
sion. Not a single problem remains to
pc considered. Every engineering, diff.
hculty has been discounted. Lack Of
proper organization at the start and
want of provision for the health and
comfort and maintenance of the work
men he. holds responsible for the dis
hearten!ng delays, and they have re-
suited IN the almost total loss Of all
the labor Of nearly a year and a half.
What Baked Builders.
This is the tenor of the report submit
ted by Mr.. Shonts, and that report,
when made public, if it ever is, will
show to the world just what has baked
the efforts of the canal diggers in the
past and demonstrate how the canal is
to be completed. Altho Nh. Shonts will
MOI m ten the complete story, unless per-
enough has been obtained from him and
from others who are Intimately ac-
qualnted with the facts to explain Mr..
Wallace's detection and the reasons
which led up to the present situation.
- did not want the job,'' said Mr..
shonts. ~ had tried to get it for a
friend. I was, therefore, surprised and
not at all gratifed when T received q
gable dispatch at Havana, last spring,
inviting me to accept the chairmanship
or the Panama commission. The offer
d diVid at5 fSa to 1t The proyiso that I
COON, governor of the canal zone. and
M. Wallace, chief engineer in charge of
the work. With me on board the
steamer. at the time I received the
presidents dispatch, were Secretary
morton, Senator Hale and Speaker Can
non, of the house of representatives.
Senator Hale Informed me of the wor-
res OF political office, and rather ad-
Vlsed against acceptance, while the 9TH
ers strongly urged me to accept.
Chief or None.
"But I answered, 'Gentlemen, I
nave not the slightest intention of &C
cepting a divided responsibility. I
would accept the position, never mind
what the salary might be, if it were
offered to me in a different shape, if
| were to be absolute chief, who would
be responsible to the president and the
government alone. But I have no idea
that the president will do that
However, upon my arrival in Wash
ington / was in consultation with a
couple Of representatives of the presi-
dent, who strongly urged me to accept.
I sent word that I was a practical rail.
road builder and knew that great works
of this sort could not be carried thru
geographically and satisfactorily under a
divided responsibility. I said that I
must be boss, or I would not accept.
BY that | mean that I was to be SUI
preme. and assume the sole responsible
ity, ,altho I did not mean that I de.
sired to show my power over my asso:
accepted. Up to that time Mr.. Wal
lace had been in charge of the work
and had been practically supreme. He
was made a commissioner and a mem.
Der. OF the executive committee in ex.
change for his loss of supreme power
and accepted the change gracefully.
Differed with Wallace.
"After I had taken the charge T haC
to settle up my own affairs. During
this period I held several conferences
with Mr.: Wallace, and expressed a fea1
that sufficient provision had not beer
m ers on t. the h eansl! an ae c admi f3f the that 5a beH
houses had not been built, but ex
pressed the belief that all these thing:
could be done later. I differed fron
Wallace, and consulted Governor Ma
COON. who agreed with me. He sale
he thought that not sufficient provi
sion was being made for the men, ani
that sanitation was not seriously enough
considered. That was the only difference
that Wallace and I had. .
Then he returned to the work, an(
l busted myself getting supplies for
cines and appliances to fight the feve5
must be forwarded. l found that SUP
plies in hundreds of thousands of dol
lars worth had not yet been forwarded
I got to work and saw that thousand
pared to go down. Just at this poin
I received a cable from Wallace beg
ging to be relieved. That detained M
here longer. [ had to select his sue
cessor, for I made it a condition tina
I select my own assistants.
-rL SCICSGCu' OIS lllaH lCCollllIlSuuSO u
me by rs per cent of the railroad mar
ayers, presidents and engineers wit
whom I spoke, a man well known t
myself. He accepted my offer and tn
salary of $4,000 attached to it on on
condition, that he was to have only on
boss. Then I went to Panama with tn
chief engineer. [ had mo knowledg
of the country and no special know.
edge of the conditions, but I got t
work, inspected every incl, of the lin
and s%traightway made my plans"
Silent on What He Saw.
At this point the chairman is silent
He does not care to speak Of the dis
h%eartening conditions which he me
everywhere. Here the story is supple
by one very close to the chairman. Ne
Shonts found practically no provisio
Continued on I'd Page. I'd Column.