The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-20
ROOSEVELT
 RESPONSIBLE
PANAMA CANAL/POLICY IS ALL HIS
 OWN.
President Takes on His Own shouicers The Onus of Announcement Thah Material VIII Be Purchased in the Cheapest Mar
 
Washington Special to Herald Bureau. president Roosevelt flatly assumed

Washington Special to Herald Bureau.
 President Roosevelt flatly assumed today all responsibility for the adop- tion and announcement of the cheap est market" policy in the purchase Of Panama Canal material. without pref- erence to American goods and Amert- can bottoms.
 MT. Roosevelt told all callers who talked with him on the subject that he had personally directed the action. and that no other course was open to him, since the government was bound to construct the canal with greatest possible economy. He also indicated quite plainly that he did not considers political principle involved. If the party question was to be con- sidered, he asked, where would the administration land if 1t did not buy in the cheapest market and should thus lay itself open to the charge Of paying the highest prices to the trusts, not to say scandal and fraud? At any rate the question was up to Congress. That body had an opportunity to act once and would have an opportunity to 1ct again.
 This frank assumption of responsi- bility has not quelled the outbreak within the line of the Republican par ". On the contrary, the family row continued 10 SIOW IOudys SAibASAoAh O@ the action is not entirely outside of the Cabinet. There has been plain talk today about such a policy, If persis- ted in, disrupting the Republican par ty. or, at least, making difficult the path of the next Republican candi- date"
 MT. DaIzeII Indignant.
 Representative John DalzeH or Pennsylvania, came out in an inter-
 hA Nnltnv most vigorous terms. He called IL free trade" and "a sight for gods and men," and said Congress had never acted and never intended to act.
 At the same time many protests are coming in. especially from American ship builders.
 Senators Scott and Burrows, both high tariff Republicans. called on Sec retary Taft today and criticised the administrators policy
 q have dropped into your political funeral, MT. Secretary" said Senator Scott,
 Cant come to my funeral without bringing flowers. and l see none. re- piled the Secretary, wno added that he would stand by the action to the very end, funeral or no funeral. He told his callers there was no reason why the government should pay a quarter more for material made in American or pay for two ships here a sum that would buy four ships in Europe
 T dislike very much to assume the role of critic of policies adopted by leaders of my party" said MT. Dai- zel, but 1t does seem to mo that If Secretary Taft is correctly reported he is advocating policies which, to put 1t mildly, are exceedingly onwise.
 Sight for Gods and Men.
 "One proposition is that the United state government shall buy foreign ships-which, by the way, cannot be sailed under the Stars and Stripes operate them under a foreign flag and in competition with its own citizens. Would not that be a sight for gods and men?
 Another proposition is to array for eign markets, in competition with our home market-to buy of the foreign instead of the home producer if the