Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-17

The following special message was sent
10 Congress by the President today:
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
In the month of November 1 visited the
Isthmus of Panama, going over the canal
zone with considerable care; and also visit
ed the cities of Panama and Colon, which
are not In the zone or under the United
States flag. but as to which the Unted
States government through Its agents, ex-
ercises control for certain sanitary pur-
poses.
The U. S. s. Louisiana on which / was,
anchored off Colon about half past on
Wednesday afternoon, November H. l
came aboard her. after my stay on shore. at
about half past on SATURDAY evening, Nc
yember IL. On Wednesday afternoon and
evening I received the President. of Pana-
ma and his suite, and saw members of the
Canal Commission, and various other gen.
tlemen perfecting the arrangement for my
visit so that every hour that l was ashore
could be employed to advantage l was
three days ashore-not a sufficient length
of time to allow of an exhaustive investi-
cation of the minutiae of the work of any
single department, still less to pass judy
ment the engineering problems, but
enough to enable me to get a clear idea
of the salient features OF the great work
and OF the progress that has been made as
regards the sanitation of the zone, Colon
and Panama, the caring for and housing
of the employees, and the actual digging of
the canal. The zone is a narrow. strip of
land. and it can be inspected much as one
can inspect 80 or 60 miles of a great rail-
road. at the point where it runs through
mountains or overcomes other natural OBJ
stacles.
| chose month Of obor
visit partly because it is the rainiest month
of the year. the month in which the work
goes forward a the greatest disadvantage
and one Of the two months which the medi-
cal department Of the French canal COM
mission found most unhealthy
Immediately dr>er anchOring or the after
noon of "Wednesday there was violent
storm of wind and rain. From that time we
did not again see the sun until Saturday
morning. the rain continuing almost stead
ily. but varying from a fine drfzz,e TO a tor
rental downpour. During that time in ff-
teen minutes at Cristobal LOS inches OF rain
Eel: from to am. November 16 80
inches fell; for tine twenty-four hours end
Ing noon, November lG. 4.GS inches fell and
for the six days endining noon. November
16 1924 inches fell The Chasres rose in
Hood to a greater height than it had attain
tearing
the track in one place. II would have been
impossible to see the work going on under
more unfavOrable weather conditions. On
Saturday. November IL the sun shone now
and then for a few minutes. although the
day was generally overcast and there were
b > showers at intervals
First Day Ashore
On Thursday morning We landed at ahout
h1lF
line Of the Panama railway ending with an
expedition in tug at the Pacific entrance
of the cana: out 10 the islands where the
dredging for the canal Will cease We took
our dinner at one of the eating houses fur
nished by the commission for the use of
the government employes-no warning of
our coming being given. l inspected the
Ancon Hospital, going through various
wards both for white patients and for coll
cred patients. l inspected portions of the
constahuiary Zone pOlicel. examining the
men Individually. ! also examined certain
of the schools and saw the school children
both white and colorei. speaking with GER
tain of the teachers In lie afternoon of
this day formally received in Panama
by / resident Amador. who. together with
the government and the people of Pan
anna. treated me with the most considerate
courtesy. for which l hereby extend my
most earnest thanks. | driven through
Panama and in a public square was for
mally received and welcomed by the presi-
dent and other members of the government,
and in the evening | attended dinner
given by the president. and a reception,
which was also government function.
also drove through the streets of Panama
for the purpose of observing what had been
done. We sept at the Hotel Tivoh, at An
con which is on hill directly outside of
the city of Panama, but in the zone.
Second Day.
ON Friday morning we left the hotel at
T o'clock and spent the entire day going
,brough the Culebra cut-the spot in which
most work will have to be done in any