The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18

.o-.oral experienee OF this very type OF
pn,ract MI, Stevens then submittco tn@
- 20 the chairman Of the commission
Ar Shonts, who went caretuiy over ~ ~"
Nr. Rogers, thelcSal adviser OF tne "1nra
S..,on no ace that'all le-al difficulties were
Iii He then submitted copies OF the pan
20 both Secretary Taft and mysei' HeTSI r
tarv Taft submitted IL TO soufe OF the 80
"oinsel at the New for6 Dar' ~"
sTnrward I vent ove. yern snd
s,llv with Mr.. Taft and Mr., Shonls' Shu
Iuni ~ he Man in It's general fea lures be-
rore Mr.. Root. NV CONCLUSION ~ Cns. y
Combines the maximum oi auNahUase
xi,h the minimum of d~ISGdNahu1ge
Al , a remium will be put upon the Hpceoy
- economical construction OF the Chnai
~ a penaltv imposed on delay ana waste
~ nlan as promlD gated - tentative,
1'ubtless il will have TO ne changed ~ SoHe
,,snects before we can come 10 Z NaIi-laS
,ory agreement with rasponSiDie c@htIac'oIs
perhaps even after ile BIOS haVr oseu ~.
ooived. ard Of course IL ~ possloie InIt
20 cannot come 20 an agreement, m whlCn
80 the Government will do the work ltseh'
Saanwhile the work on the lsthmus Is pro-
crossing steadily ard without II letup'
SINGLE COMMISSIONER DESIRED.
seven headed commission is of course, a
clumsy executive instrument. we shouIu
have hut one commissioner, WIN SUI
beads of departments and other omcSIs
under MN AZ We may NV "
should be expressly permitted TO employ
he hest engineers in the country as coh-
sulting engineers, .u;,h man
.bnvior substantially what the canal VIII
~ ike when it is finished. When the
CYlohr, cur has been made m the dams
hiilt III they are built as at present pro-
ash there will then be at both the Pachc
and Atlantic ends OF the canal TWO
great fresh water lakes. connected oy .
6road channel running at the bottom OF a
rayine. across the backbone OF the western
Hemisrhere. Those best informed believe
that the work will be completed in about
eight years: but 1t is never safe to proph-
cav about such a work as this, especially
in the tropics.
tbe commercial clubs OF four cities-Boston,
chicago. Cincinnati and st. Louis-the
membership OF which includes most OF
The leading business men OF those cities
exnect TO visit the Isthmus for the purpose
of examining the work of construction oi
the canal. am glad to hear IL. and l shall
direct that every facility be given then
10 see all that IL TO be seen IN the WORK
which the Government ia doing. Such
interest as a visit like this would indicate
will have a good effect upon the men who
are doing the work, on one hand, whhe OF
the other hand il will offer as witnesses oil
the exact conditions men whose experience
as business men and whose impartiality
will make the result Of their observation
of value TO the country as a whole.
CONFIDENT or ULTIMATE SUCCESS.
OF the success Of the enterprise l am as
veil convinced as one can be of any enter
mise that is human. II is a etupendouf
work upon which our fellow countrymer
are engaged down there on the lsthmus
and while we should hold them to a stric'
accountability for the way in which they
perform it, we should yet recognize with
frank generosity the epic nature OF tht
task on which they are engaged n its
worldwide importance. They are doins
something which will rebound immeasurabD
10 The credit of America, which will benefit
ali the world, and which will last for age
to come. Under Mr.. Shonts and MT. Stevenl
and Or. Gorgas this work has started wit
every omen OF good fortune. They ,anC
their worthy associates, from the hghesl
tothe lowest, are entitled TO the same credi
that we would give to the picked men OF
victorious army; for this conquest Of peace
will, in its great and far reaching enect
stand as among the very greatest conquests
whether Of peace OF OF war, which have
ever been won by any OF the peoples o
mankind. A badge is to be given to every
American citizen who for a specified time
has taken part in this work. for participation
In il will hereafter be held to reflect homo
upon the man participating, just as it re
fleets honor upon a soldier to have belonged
TO a mighty army in a great wal Tor rlght
eousness. Our fellow countrymen on thu
Isthmus are working for our interest anC
for the national renown in the same spuii
and with the same efficiency that the mel
Of the army and navy work In time OF war
II behooves US in our turn to DO all we car
to hold up their hands and to aid then
in every way to bring their great work to
triumphant conclusion.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The WHITE House. Dec. II, 1905.