Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-11
TAFT REPLIES. TO BlCELOv
Secretary Of War Take, Exception to
Charge Of Graft aud Incompetence
SAYS wsTtEs lNfo8aAHoN IS LIMITED
spent hut rwenty-EiEht Hours On the
Isthmus aud interviewed Persons
Biased Against Commits

WASHINGTON. Jan. 10-An elaborate
and comprehensive answer TO the charges
against the isthmsn canal commission con-
tained In an article In the Independent has
been made by Secretary Taft 1t is in
the form of a letter to the president who
on January 8, in communication to the
secretary, said his attention had been di-
rected to an article purporting to have
been written by Mr.. 'Poultney Biselow,
attacking the administration of affairs by
the canal commission and yourself on the
isthmus." and adding. will you please
advise me what basis. IL any, there is for
these tcharges?"
In his reply Secretary Taft first briefly
summarizes the charges as follows
Alleging that the conditions in Colon are
so unsanitary as to indicate great neglect
In providing for the health of the en-
ployes of the commission. alleged mistreat-
ment OF negro labor that persons appointed
to the isthmus are Incompetent and have
been given their places through political
influence, and official incompetency mis-
conduct the latter involving the charge
that there is so much red tape" necessary
to bring about the construction of buildings
that great misery has come to the laborers
on the isthmus. -.
The secretary says that Chief Engineer
Stevens is now in Washington and is per-
sonally cognzant of the fact with respect
to every local condition described by the
writer Of the article and a memorandum
of comments thereon by Mr.. Stevens is APP
pended to the letter as an exhibit.
Regarding the charge of indifference as
to food supply for The laborers the secre-
tary refers to the reports on the Markell
contract and says the very diligent efforts
made in this regard are sufficiently set
out there, as already published.
Charge of Favoritism Denied.
| As to the charge that Officials on the
isthmus were appointed through congress
sional or political influence, the secretary
! says the chief engineer categorically denies
this, land am able from the standpoint
| of Washington also categorically to deny
it." Political influence he says, has played
no part whatever in the selection OF APP
| pointees. f.srG
Secretary Taft declates that the charge
of delay by red tape in. the construction
of buildings on the isthmus is shown to
! be untrue by the statement of the chief
engineer, and as to the allegation that the
dredges in the Culebra cut were not work.
ing to 20 per cent; OF their promised capa-
city. the secretary says there are no
dredges within long distance of the Guile
! bra cut and that the instruments there
being used are steam shovels
Secretary Taft says the charge that quar-
antine officials construe the law ard enforce
II as far as possible to interfere with COM
merce is utterly unfounded."
| Secretary Taft repeats his former state
ment that the charge that boat load Of
black women were imported from Martin
! ique for immoral purposes is false and re-
fers to documents to corroborate this de-
| NAL. ~ go .s.-
Bigelow's Source of Information.
Secretary Tsft>a continues: Finally
come to the charges specifically made
against the SECRETARY of war. They con-
sist in refusal 20 accept the guidance of
Mr.. Tracy Robinson In visiting the purlieus
Of Colon; and = ;tefussl to have an inter-
view with Mr.. Jofln Lundie, chief engineer
of the refrigeratipg plant in Panama. To
these charges l plead guilty"
He says an IMPRESSION was sought to be
given that Mr.. Lundie's application for an
interview was made in the interest of the
negro laborers on the isthmus and declares
that the correspondence shows how UNI
founded this is ahd that in fact Mr.. Lundie
did not ask for an interview at ALL"
Twenty-Eight Hoars on Isthmus.
Secretary Taft states that the writer Of
the article containing the charges arrived
in Panama November 30 and left December
and that 1T is not UNFAIR TO say that his
opportunities for, observing were limited to
twenty-eight hours, including day time and
night time"
In view OF this statement the secretary
says the writer should not take exception to
the seven or eight days which twelve of the
most distinguished engineers in the world
in canal construction devoted to the same
task. But, remarks the secretary. the
writer will answer that he did not depend
upon his own observations, but consulted
Witnesses 1.-TWO witnesses we are able to
identify, Tracy Robinson and John Lundie.''
He added: 1.-THE others are unnamed and
most OF them negroes from the West
Indies"
Secretary Taft says Mr. Robinson is the
owner Of property in Colon. His animus
against the government" says Mr. Taft.
lis because 1t devoted its first attention to
the expenditure OF money in Panama and
thus raised the value of property in that
city, and secondly In the enforcement OF
the health regulations hy III" s1ritsrv de-
partment in Colon he found it necessary