The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-07-01
W ALL A CE BLuFFED
ONCE TOO OFTEN
Probably Was Surprised at the prompt
Acceptance Of His Res
iunation.

WASHINGTON. July Lit seems
idle to deny that the AFFAIRS on the
lsthmus OF Panama are in a chaotic
condition and that the American peo-
pie must realize that they are now
face to face with condition that win
require all the pluck and all the in
domitable energy of this nation to
meet and to overcome The resigna-
ton of Chief Engineer Wallace has at
least served the good purpose of bring
ing to light the actual condition of af-
fairs. Up to the present time it has
been believed that the danger of yell
low fever was the principal obstacle
to the digging of the canal. Now 1t
seems that the mere sanitary condition
of the isthmus, deplorable as it is.
is the least of the troubles. For two
years the American people have be-
lieved that the work of digging the
great Isthmian Canal was in prog
ress. 1t appears now that nothing has
been done. Millions of dollars have
been spent, and the distressing truth
is now apparent that the engineers
have not yet even decided whether the
canal ahall be lock canal or a sea-
level canal. Until this question is de.
cided all engineering plans must be
held in abeyance. When it will be de-
cided apparently no one can tell.
Chief Engineer Wallace's course has
not been one that conforms to the
| high estimate in which he was held
when he was appointed to his position
1t appears now that this is the third
time he has threatened to resign, and
1t is a question whether any of these
threats of designations were sincere
That he was entitled to supreme au.
thority in administrative affairs must
be conceded, and each of his previous
threats of resignation resulted in the
enlargement of his authority. The
appointment of Mr.. Shonts to be chair.
man OF the commission does not an
pear to have worked as satisfactorily
to Mr.. Wallace's plans as he had
hoped. They were schoolmates and
old friends, but the old experience of
the impracticability of friendship in
business seems to have been proven
again in this case. Mr.. Wallace's
resignation this last time had string
to 1t. He volunteered to hold on two
months longer, assuming, of course.
that in the face of his possible with.
drawal form the work even more con-
cessions would be made him. and that
he would be able to disregard Mr..
lShonts, just as he had succeeded in
setting aside Mr.. Shonts' predecessor.
Admiral Walker. But, as President
Roosevelt privately announced to
friend before he left Washington last
week, there are to be mo more bluffs"
IN building the canal. Mr.. wallace's
bluff was the first to be called. and
possibly the prompt acceptance of his
resignation, to take effect Immediately.
surprised Mr.. Wallace more than 1t
did any one else.
Meanwhile the question presents
itself, What is to be done in Panama?
A successor to Mr. Wallace will. of
course, be found, and President
Roosevelt will waste no time in an
nouncing his selection. But it is in
evitable that the new chief engineer
1
must require months to familiarize
himself with the situation, and after
all his time spent in study, both of the
plans and of the terrain, the question
to be decided will again come up.
rs it to be lock canal, or a sea
level canal?
At no time since the canal was
started has there been such a distinct
feeling of encouragement in Washing
ton as there is today. Of course the
canal will be built. The American
people are not :ailure. Greater en-
cheering difficulties have been met
and overcome. How many hundreds
of millions of dollars the canal will
cost, and how MANY years will have
elapsed before the first ship sails
through the Panama Canal, no man
in Washington will venture to pre-.
dict But it is predicted with absolute
confidence in Washington that the
present generation will not live to see
the end of this great work.