Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-24
Charges Injustice.

Charges Injustice.
Secretary Taft while publishing In his
appendix my letter OF March Is, 1905. in
full, in his statement proper says: In the
letter OF March Is. which Mr.. Wallace wrote
me, and which have already introduced. he
uses the expression II prefer to remain on
the firing line indicating that at that time.
when he had not thought Of leaving, where
the post OF importance was for the chief en-
gineer. Secretary Taft does me gross in
justice in extracting this phrase from sen
tence with vital modifying clauses and
emitting the context. l desire to call the
attention or the committee TO the important
words he omits; I prefer TO be on the firing
line, provided receive proper support and
an impossible situation is not created in
Washington This letter was written prior
to any thought on my part of leaving the
service and prior to the reorganization of
the commission. The fundamental rea-
sons for my desire for personal in
terview with Secretary Taft are stated
In that letter with a premonition
of coming events, for / was not given proper
support. and impossible situation was
certainly created in Washington, for Mr..
Cromwell. allied to many opposing interests
to those of the United States, was appar-
emily permitted full control, behind the
scenes. of the policy of the United States
in all Panama canal affairs
Secretary Taft in his testimony, also
states that he Is sorry to have been misled
into the incorrect statement of Mr.. Stevens
views. which Mr. Wallace regards a
siur upon his work. This action of Secre-
tary Taft in casting reflections upon my
work on mere supposftion is to my mind
further proof of the hostility toward
which Mr.. Cromwell succeeded In instilling
in his mind. Even when at this late day
he Is forced to withdraw this unwarranted
attack upon my capacity as an engineer he
chooses to quote me as calling it siur upon
my work when he must have known per-
fectly well that Mr.. Stevens was the author
of that expression"
After reiterating his former statements
that financial reasons were not the cause of
MS request to be relieved, and that his de-
sire for proper authority and non-inter-
ference with the conduct of the work was
not due to personal ambition, Mr.. Wallace
makes the statement that "at no time did
the Thought ever occur to me to hold up
Secretary Taft. any one, for additional
authority or COMPENSATION"
Mr.. Cromwell's Position.
Mr.. Wallace continues:
Secretary Taft's unwarranted assaults
upon me are, however. less astonishing, If
possible, than his eulogies of Mr.. Crom-
we'll. In his testimony on April 49, 1905,
he says: The impression sought DO be
given that Mr.. Cromwell has attempted to
interfere in canal matters or 10 exercise
great influence In controlling the policies to
be pursued is wholly unfounded And yet,
on June 20, 1905 Secretary Taft said on
the same subject: Mr. Cromwell has for
some time been charged by the President
and myself with general advisory duties
in all Panama canal affairs On the 18TH
mus, during Secretary Taft's visit In No
vember, 1904 Mr.. Cromwell was recognized
as the really directing mind in all that took
place. Secretary Taft himself says: The
negotiations were really conducted between
Mr. Cromwell and me-. And then Secretary
Taft adds this statement: L never have
had the slightest reason to suspect any
other motive on Mr.. Crom-7el's part than
loyal desire TO help along the construc-
ton of the canal Yet Secretary Taft
knew perfectly well that Mr.. Cromwell was
trying to secure the payment by the United
States Of an improper claim of the French
Panama Canal Company, which he himself
at one time reported upon adversely, and
which, according to Mr. Cromwelrs testi-
April IS, 1906 Mr.. Cromwells pressing for
the payment of a claim of this characte
could hardly be a loyal desire to help along
the construction of THE canal
Beside pressing this claim for his client,
he was acting, as Secretary Taft well knew,
as counsel for the Panama republic, Just
enriched by ten million dollars from the
United States; also as its fiscal agent In
New York, controlling the investment of
most of these millions of money, and also
as counsel for the Panama legation at
Washington. And yet Secretary Taft per
nits himself to speak of Mr.. Cromwell Is
receiving nothing but a meager compensa-
ton as counsel of the Panama railroad
calmly ignoring all his other probably more
remunerative and apparently incompatible
professional relations. These facts have not
been mentioned out of ill will to Mr.. Crom-
well, but to show an apparent bias on the
part of Secretary Taft when dealing with
facts he prefers not to recognize and with
which he must be perfectly familiar
Mr.. Wallace concludes his letter with q
quotation from President Roosevelts muck