New-York tribune., 1905-08-06
PROGRESS N PANAn4.

Our staff correspondents review of recent
progress in the nations undertaking the
1sthmus of Panama, printed in The Tribune of
Friday, enlists public interest not so much
because of the amount of work done. though
that is considerable, as because of the order and
spirit in which it is being done. Practically
there has been transformation of the order of
things. Instead Of aiming simply to dig the
canal as rapidly as possible, the aim now is to
establish conditions Of life the isthmus as
favorable possible to the army of workers
who are TO construct the canal and TO those who
are permanently TO direct the isthmus the
great lines of commerce and of travel which
will there be centred Beyond question, this
new order is the true one.
We cannot greatly blame any one in authority
for not adopting this order at the outset There
was a year ago a widespread popular impa-
tience to "see the dirt fly" The world had
been seeking or planning a waterway there for
more than four centuries. and had got on fairly
well without it, but now for some reason it was
necessary to have it right away. 1t didn't mat
ter on what plan or at what cost the canal
must be finished at the earliest possible
ment Had it then been annOUnced-as it might
well have been-that there would be not a
stroke Of canal work done for year, but that
for such period all energies would be devoted
to sanitation and other preparatory works.
against such monstrous delay. What? After
waiting comfortably for four hundred years.
must the world be forced to wait one whole
year longer? 1t was absurd impatience no
doubt; but it was real. and it is not strange if
men in authority yielded to its demands more
than afterthought now shows they should have
done.
That 1t was desirable, indeed. that it was
essential TO our national welfare, to secure con-
troll Of the canal zone and the franchise for the
canal when we did is unquestionabe Failure
instantly to improve the earliest legitimate op-
portunity to that end would have been a be-
trayal of national interests. Similarly incum-
bent upon us was it to proceed promptly with
the work as soon as the franchise secured
But in this, as we'll as in all other enterprises
il is we'll to remember the homely saying. the
more haste the less speed" and carefully to
discriminate between mere haste and real speed
There were those who rallied at our acquisition
of the canal zone and its franchise as hasty
and predicted that the manner of it would cause
delay in work. 1t was not hasty, and it did
not have such results. The haste came after
ward, in the rush to begin digging before condi-
tons were ready for the digging.
The lesson of that error has been learned at
after all not heavy cost and now things are
going forward as they should. Nor is there we
think. any cause for the impatient ones to fret
and fume at such temporary Weakening or actual
suspension of canal work there may be for n
time This apparent delay will not postpone
the completion of the canal. We are more in
cllned to think il will hasten ii. The better the
sanitary and other conditions of life are the
more can get TO work there and the
more work they will do. 1t is wise economy
of time, as well of things really more i'm
portant than time to devote so niuch of il inst
now to the tasks of essential preparation