Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-06-24
ROOSEVELT TO VISIT
CANAL ON A CRUISER
President Intends to See How The
Commission Is Spending The
Peoples Money.
tr-9l ---
WILL THOROUGHLY INSPECT WORK
After His Return From Panama He
Intends to Take a Tour Of the
Western States and Visit Asricul
.ura, colleses-TaH May Go soutI,
I With Him on Warshlp.
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., June ga
President Roosevelt will visit the
lsthmus Of Panama to mako per.
sonal investigation of the construc-
ton of the Panama canal This an
nouncement was made at the White
House this afternoon by Secretary
Loeb after conference with the
President.
1t is expected the President will!
leave Washington for Panama the
latter part of next October or early
in November. He will be absent
about three weeks. The trip proba.
bly, will be made on one of the big
cruisers of the navy. but what YES
sci will carry the President and his
party is not yet known.
None of the details of the trip yet
has been worked out Beyond the
Z. bare decision to make the trip, the
President has reached practically no
conclusion.
Taft May Go Along.
1t Is likely he will be accompanies
on the journey by Secretary Taft and
Chairman Shonts,'o the Panama Ca.
nal Commission. but even this has
not been determined definitely.
The President long has desired
personally to inspect the route of
the canal and to make himself per-
sonally familiar with the great un.
dertaking of constructing the water.
way. The decision, announced today,
that he will visit the American
zone OH the Isthmus of Panama, was
not reached hastily, but has been
under consideration for considerable
time.
Intends to Stay Week.
1t is the expectation that the
President will be able TO spend at
least a week OH the canal zone. and
In that time. he will familiarize
himself with the construction by a
study Of it at close range. He be.
lieves a personal trip to the canal
will enable him to gather information
that will be of lasting Importance to
him, Congress and to the American
people.
Can't Visit California.
In connection with the announce.
ment of the Presidents intention to
visit San Francisco next autumn to
participate in the ceremonies incident
to the laying of the corner stone
OF the new Federal building. The
people of San Francisco and of Cali
fornia, generally, were very anxious
that he should be in San francisco
at that time.
While the President, it can be
said, desires to do anything he prop
erly can to promote the reconstruc.
tion of the city so nearly destroyed
by earthquake and confagraton. he
cannot make the trip to, Panama
and that to San francisco, as the
two trips necessarily would fall about
the same time.
Tour the West in Spring.
For several weeks. the President
has been considering the matter of
making trip newt spring through
the middle west, touching points in
Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois,
Missouri, Oklahoma and perhaps 9TH
or states. He had hoped to make
the trip in order to attend the COM
mencement exercises Of some agricul.
tural colleges and state institutions
Since the announcement was made
OF the likelihood of his taking the
trip, such mass of invitations has
been received from almost every
state in the union. that the Presi
dent has decided not to make the
trip at all. /.
Flooded With invitations.
It became evident that If he should
accept one-tenth of the Invitations
he has received the trip would oc.
cupy two or three months. The prob.
ability is that he will so next May