The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1905-07-07
NEW CHIEF ENGINEER WILL NOT
BE MEMBER OF THE CANAL
COMMISSION.
WALLACE REPLIES TO TAFT
RESENTS CHARGE THAT FiNAN
clAL MOTIVES PROMPTED
HIM TO 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 to succeed John F. Wal
lace as chief engineer of tke 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 / and was appointed
as an expert for the United States
government to go to Manila with Sec
rotary Taft and his party to make a
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 to Washington at once
and enter upon his duties. His salary
w III NC Po',"VV, anu HS - HOl w VIZ p
member of the isthman 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 a 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
1t 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. /. A meeting
of the canal commission will be held
in Washington to-day
Wallace Replies to Taft.
New York. July 2-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 critical moment, gave a statement
70 h. loo
plying to Secretary Taft. After max
ing the statement public MIR. 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
connected when they deem it 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
SlOu were uHuel NluS anu luHudnlGu-
tai, and | 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 l should disconnect my
self with the work at the earliest pos
sble 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 2.-W. f. 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