Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-27
ARMY TO DIG The CANAL
Three Military EngiBssu 70 Take Direct
ChArrs Of Big Ditch
sTEENs sENOs b Ms REsleNkTloK
All Bids fer Doing work BY
Contract Are Rejected and
COmmisrion VIII Ne
ReorEamtred.

WASHINGTON. Feb ss.-By an order sd-
dressed 10 Chairman ShontE Of the 18th
miRn Canal coumission today. President
Roosevelt. as far as lay IN his power under
existing laws transferred 10 the engineer
ing branch Of the army the responsibility
for the fur1her construction Of the Panama
canal He also formally recorded the
abandonment. for the present AT least Of
the project Of having the canal work done
by cont-acf On the percentage EyEtezn-
Another festure was the snpouncemeut q
the resignation of John r Stevens as en-
gineer-in-chErEe Of the canal construction
Mr.. Shoz1E is IN New York where be VIII
tomorrow preside al a meeting q the IL
rectors Of the Panama Railroad company
Of which he is president. and wiz. IL is ex-
pected formally resign that once.
The president intends that there shall be
an entire reorganization Of the commission
with three army officers Of the engineer
corps its leading members. who are 90 have
charge OF the engineering features Of the
canal work The chairman and engineer
in-chief Of the commission viii he Mater
G. w. GoethalE and hts associates viii be
Major D. Du 3. Ganlard and Major william
L. Eibert TO rank IL the order named
These uf5cers are all comparatively young
ambitious and energetic
Cemminpton 20 be Reorganfxed.
Senator Joseph c. Blackburn Of Kentucky,
who retires from The United States senate
on March l. is to be made member Of the
Reorganization comm ssiOn- The nominations
Of the present commissioners now pending
before the senate include Messrs. Ehonts,
Stevens. ERineE. Herrod. GorEas and Jack
son Smith. Their affirmation IL desired in
order 10 rernuve all doubt IS TO the legal
iry Of CERTAIN acts they have performed In
connection with the making Of contracts.
The retirement Of Messrs. Shonts and Stew
ems Wiz leave but two vacancies. 20 that
there viii be two more retirementE neoes-
sary TO make way for the three army off,
GERS and Senator Blackburn The presi-
dent is deterninee that the work on the
canal shall proceed pgnttnnously. and the
temporary "dislocatinn7 caused By the res
ignation Of higher oficials viii not be al
lowed to interfere with progress
The president iE unaware Of the specific
reasons which have been influential in pro
noting Mr.. Stevens resignation II sur
prised him very much. for as late az the
MIDDLE Of December Mr.. Stevens made no
mention Of his wish 10 retire. II has been
known. however, that MI Stevens has
been stung very much by criticism aimed
Al him in connection with canal work,
some 0f which came out during hearings
before committees Of congress-
BIG Seb for stevens
II il understood Mr.. Stevens Is leaT1ng
70 accept position IN ocrnectaon with a
great engineering enterprise In this ooun-
try at an RnuaI salary mere than double
that be now receives from the govern
ment- His friends contend that the or
ghniEarion Of the forces OF the irthmns
is excellent Mr.. Stevens is said 10 be-
heTe that he can now terminate his con-
+ nection with this great enterprise without
( IN any way jeopardizinE its success
I For several weeks II has been rumored
here that Mr. Stevens was dissatisfied with
the plan Of letting the canal work out by
contract, but az explained by a member
/ Of the cabinet today Mr. Stevens really
proposed 10 the president the adoption Of
this method Of constructing the canal.
( The probability is that the Administra-
4 ton may determine to g4ve out the work
20 be Done al the iEthmuE under contract
under the general direction Of the army
engineers After Major GoethAls ana his
army associates have been al the isthmus
suncient time 70 become fully acquainted
with the work 70 be done, they win sub
( NIT report on the situation TO the pres1-
! dent
/ II they feel the work can be done bet
\ ter by contract than under the present
4 system the question again VIII be conEic-
Z cred by the pnesi6ent and the services Of
4 the same high clssB oonrrsctors whose bids
are now rejected OF Others Of similar
< standing then may be invoked