Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-24
EX-ENG|NE[R WALLACE
Formerly in Charge of Panama
Canal Work
WRITES SENATOR WILLARD
In Reply to Secretary Taft's Recent
Testimony.
GROSS INJUSTICE CHARGED
GROSS INJUSTICE CHAT
Also Imputes to Gov. Magoon q
Breach of Confdence-Says Crom-
well Controlled Behind Scenes.

tary Taft with having abused his official
position In order to make a second assault
upon MIN and to place in a public record
statements Calculated and apparently in
tended to affect his reputation for veracity
such as he would not make to me as one
man to another. face to face He also i'm
putes to Governor Magoon breach OF conf
dence In having advised him to take a
certain course of action and then anticipat-
ing 1t by secretly writing to Secretary Taft.
While expressly stating that he bears no
Ill will toward William Nelson Cromwell,
Mr.. Wallace speaks of the bias of Secretary
Taft in favor of that gentleman, and says
that Secretary Taft was aware that Mr.
Cromwell, among other things, was trying
to secure the payment by the United States
OF an improper claim which, however, was
afterward disalowed by the President.
The letter, in part, is as follows:
In view of the fact that Secretary Taft
has seen fit to submit to your committee
certain correspondence originally of a per-
sonai and confidential nature which passed
between Governor Magoon, Mr. Cromwell
Chairman Shonts and himself, all relating
to the supposed reasons for my retirement
as chief engineer of the isthmian canal
commission, to which l have not heretofore
mad access, and which is now used by him
IN second assault upon my reputation /
nave the honor to respectfully request that
the following statement be made a part of
the record of your honorable committee:
Gov. Magoon's Suggestion.
Il first desire to call attention to the fact
that under date of June II, 1905, Gov. Ma
COON, in the letter quoted by Secretary Taft
advised Secretary Taft that he CMagoon)
could not escape the conviction that Wal
lace Is trying to pull off a carefully con-
trived coup d etat' Two DAYS later. under
GATE of June l3, Gov. Magoon again ad-
vised Secretary Taft that he (Magoon) was
inclined to think that 1 judged Wallace too
hafshly in concluding that he was attempt
ing to squeeze you, and he seems to be
fully prepared to quit, but willing to remain
upon terms that seem to him justifabIe as
compensation for the sacrifice he feels he
would make In continuing in the public
service
And nine days later, under date of June
~ in response to the cable of Mr. Cromwell
although all cable codes were no doubt
available to Secretary Taft in Washington
Gov. Magoon furnished still another version
OF his impressions, stating that Wallace is
not attempting a squeeze but honestly
thinks he is entitled to supreme place and
power, and added: He asked me to tele-.
graph to the Secretary advising his reten-
tlon on the commission one of the four
engineer members. 1 will comply, believing
retention advisable"
That New York Interview.
tan Hotel interview with Secretary Taft,
which was given out to the press with
statement by Secretary Taft at the time
that it was not the result of a hasty out
burst of anger, but a deliberate opinion
formed after receiving Gov. Magoon's letter
and telegram" and expresses the opinion
that Secretary Taft prejudged his motive
and that the Secretary's actions and re-
marks were prearranged. The presence OF
oil at hat int NJ
lace says prevented q free presentation OF
his views, because he had hoped to talk
with the Secretary alone, and he adds that
ne believes stenographer was concealed In
the room where the interview was held or
the adjoining one thereto, in order to take
notes Of the conversation"
Mr. Wallace next refers to a conversation
on the isthmus with Gov. Magoon In which
he says that Gov. Magoon himself "sug-
gested to me that 1 should request Secre-
tary Taft to appoint me chairman of the
commission adding that Secretary Taft,
when selected as member of the Philip
pine commission, had refused to serve I'M
less placed at the head of the commission
necessitating the withdrawal of the name
of another as chairman. and that he Ma
COON, believed under the circumstances
such q proposition would appeal to him. L
replied that l would make no demands
upon Secretary Taft, that Mr. Shonts was
my personal friend and that L much pre-
ferred, as Gov. Magoon admits, going to
Mr.. Shonts and putting It to him straight
1 also requested Gov. Magoon to make no
suggestions to Secretary Taft, but | note
from his cablegram to Mr.. Cromwell that
he was under the impression that / desired
him to recommend my retention as an en-
gineer member of the commission, and this
despite the fact that Gov. Magoon assured
me he would regard the subject as con-
fidential and give me an opportunity OF
first presenting the matter to Secretary
Taft in personal interview The breach
of confidence upon the part of Gov Ma
COON, in advising me to take certain line
Of action and then. presuming that such
advice would be followed, secretly writing
to Secretary Taft as to what he thought L
would probably do, speaks for itself.
Time of His Leaving.
Secretary Taft in his testimony before
your committee. characterizes as an un-
truth the statement made by me in my let
ter addressed to him under date of June y,
1905. and in my interview given out in
New York on June 80 in reply to his I'M
founded attacks upon me in the public
press. and again referred to in my testi-
mony before your committee. that at no
other time during the year would the work
on the isthmus be in better condition to
permit of my absence.
This was my judgment each and
every occasion specified and still is my firm
conviction. This is true also of the state
ment made by me that the only work which
could be performed until after Congress at
us next session SNali take some QeClQeQ &C
ton. Is the gradual increase in the organt-
zation and the addition of units of machin-
cry along a wel-defined plan, which Mr..
Dauchy thoroughly understood This state
ment the Secretary also ventures to charac-
terize as ansuntruth, although 1t Is con-
firmed by his own testimony when he
states: I am advised from the isthmus that
Mr.. Stevens work has so far progressed
that he will soon be In a position where
he must do all work or substantially all,
until the decision is reached as to the type
of canal. 1t seems to monstrous that
Secretary Taft should abuse his official posi-
ton to place in public record statements
calculated and apparently intended to af-
feet my reputation for veracity. such as he
would not make to me as one man to
another. face to face"
Mr.. Wallace calls attention to the Official
report of Gov. Magoon, now first pre-
scented by Secretary Taft" on conditions
existing on the isthmus during the months
of May, June and July, 1895. which he says
was not asked for or written until his oval
lace's) testimony before the committee had
been printed, which indicates that 1t was
prepared to offset my testimony
He therefore asks the committee to p,I.
In the record all kilograms and reports
since Secretary Taft has gone so far as TO
make public personal and confidential cor
respondence on this subject.
he dario ha 1f