The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-18

I EtntSlg ana tilduCes Trey are LtlNE 10 III
terfere with, and hamper the execution
Of, the greatest work of the kind ever
attempted. and are seeking 70 bring u
naught the efforts Of their countrymer
20 put 10 the credit OF America one OF
/ the giant feats of the ages. The out
rageous accusations Of these slanderers
constitute a gross libel upon a body OF
public servants who for trained intelli-
/ gence. expert ability, high character, and
devotion to duty. have never been ex-
| celled anywhere. There is not a mar
among those directing the work on tho
isthmus who has obtained his position
on any other basis than merit alone, and
not one who has used his position in any
way for his own personal OF pecuniary
I advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration We
/ have decided to let out most OF the work
+ by contract, II we can come TO salts
factory terms with the contractors. The
whole work is Of a kind suited TO the
peculiar genius of our people: and our
people have developed the type OF con-
tractor best fitted to grappIe with it. It
T
IN large part by contract than To do il
all by the government, provided il is
possible on the one hand to secure to the
contractor sufficient remuneration to
make it worth while for responsible con-
tractors Of the best kind to undertake the
work; and provided on the other hand il
can be done on terms which will not give
an excessive profit 10 the contractor at
the expense of the government. After
much consideration the plan already pro-
muigated by the Secretary Of War was
adopted. This plan in its essential feat
ures was drafted, after careful and
thorough study and consideration, by the
chief engineer, Mr.. Stevens, who. while
IN the employment Of Mr.. Hill, the presi-
dent of the Great Northern Railroad, had
personal experience Of this very type Of
contract Mr.. Stevens then submitted the
plan 10 the chairman OF the commission.
Mr.. ShOnts. who went carefully over IT
with Mr.. Rogers the legal adviser Of the
commission, 10 see that all legal diff
cultes were met. He then submitted
copies of the plan TO both Secretary Taft
and myself. Secretary Taft submitted
il TO some Of the best counsel at the New
York bar, and afterward I went over il
very carefully with Mr.. Taft and Mr..
ShOnts. and we laid the plan in its gen
eral features before Mr.. Root. Ny con-
eiusion is that it combines the maximum
Of advantage with the minimum Of disad-
vantage Under il a premium Will be put
upon the speedy and economical con
struction of the canal. and a penalty I'M
posed on delay and waste. The plan as
promulgated is tentative; doubtless it will
have 10 be changed in some respects be
fore we can come to a satisfactory agree
ment with responsible cOntractOrs-per-
haps even after the bids have been re-
ceived. and Of course, il is possible that
we cannot come Is an agreement, IN
which case the government will do the
work Itself. Meanwhile the work on the
isthmus is progressing steadily and with
out any iet-up.
A Single Commissioner Desired.
A sevea-headed commission is Of course
clumsy executive instrument We
should have but one commissioner. with
such heads Of departments and other Off
GERS under him as We may find necessary.
We should be expressly permitted TO en-
play the best engineers in the country as
consulting engineers.
I accompany this paper with a map
showing substantially what the canal viii
be- Ike when il is finished. When the
Culebra cut has been made and the dams
built Of they are built as at present pro
posed there VIII then be at both the
Pacific and Atlantic ends of the canal.
two great fresh water lakes. connected
By a broad channel running at the bot
tom OF a ravine, across the backbone of
the Western Hemisphere. Those best in
formed believe that the work will be com
pleted in about eight years; but it is never
safe 10 prophesy about such work as
this. especially in the tropics
/ am informed that representatives Of
the commercial clubs of four cities
Boston. Chicago. Cincinnati. and ST.
L0uis-the membership OF which includes
most of the leading business men Of those
cities, expect to visit. the istmnus for the
purpose of examining the work Of CON
struCuon OF the canal I am glad 10 hear
il, and | shall direct that every facility
be given them 10 see all that is to be
seen in the work which the government
is doing. Such interest as a visit ike this
would indicate viii have a good effect
upon the men who are doing the work, on
one hand. while on the other hand il will
offer as witnesses OF the exact conditions
men whose experience as business men
and whose impartiaIity viii make the re-
suit of their observations Of value to the
country as q whole
Confident OF Ultimate Success.
OF the success of the enterprise I am
as well convinced as one can be OF any
enterprise that is human. It is a stu
pendous work upon which our fellow
countrymen are engaged down there on
the isthmus, and while we should hold
them 10 strict accountability for the
way in which they perform it. We should
yet recognize with frank generosity the
epic nature of the task on which they
are engaged and its worldwide impor-
tance They are doing something which
viii rebound UNNECESSARILY to the credit
Of America, which viii benefit all the
world, and which viii last for ages to
come. Under MIR. Shonts and Mr.. Stevens
and DR. Gorgas this work has started
with every omen OF good fortune. They
and their worthy associates. from the
highest TO the lowest. are entitled 10 the
same credit that We would give to the
picked men of a victorious army; for
this conquest of peace will. in its great
and far-reaching effect, stand as among /
the very greatest conduests, whether OF I
peace or of war, which have ever been 4
won by any Of the people Of mankind. \ 1
badge Is to be given 10 every American /
citizen who for a specified time has taken /
part in this work; for participation in il /
will hereafter be held to reflect honor /
lpon the man participating just as it re- |
fects honor upon a soldier 10 have be /
onged to a mighty army in great war |
'Or righteousness. Our fellOW-cOuntry- /
men onsthe isthmus are working for our 1
interest and for the national renown In 1
he same spirit and with the same eff
ieucy that the men of the army and |