The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-29
POLITICS DELAYS
WORK ON THE CANAL
alleged Nov That Crookedncss
Has Been Found OH
"a Isthmus.
EXPERTS I7 MAKE EXAMINATION
Construction Far Behind, and
Public Demands
Results.
EXPERTS MAKE EXAMINATION
ny WAITER t,pwAnp 11AnnIs.


WASHINGTON, y. G.. June 2S.--A
corps OF expert accountants from the
auditors office OF the War Depart
,nent has been sent to the Isthmus Of
Panama to make Investigations of GER
tain alleged crookedness. The fact
that the accountants had been sent to
the isthmus only leaked out this af-
ternoon. 1T is impossible to obtain in
formation regarding the precise ma
ture of the crooked work alleged to
have been done. The accountants are
expected TO uncover II.
It Is stated, however, that the mis-
conduct OF certain persons In this
connection Is serious, ind that the
peculations are heavy report may
be made public when the experts nave
completed examination OF the DOCKS
But this Is by no means certain, Tor
the War Department. has been very
chary Of giving full and frank infor-
nation regarding affairs on. the istn-
mus.
The story printed in the Washing
ton correspondence of The T1Ines-Dls-
patch two months ago to the effect that
the Washington offices Of the canal
would be abolished and that officials
whose Offices Were not discontinued
would be required to go to the 18th
mus and live. was published in q local
paper here yesterday
It is now stated that Major Gocthals.
the army engineer placed In charge
of the work by the President super
seding Engineer Stevens, is heartily
tired Of his job, and wants to be
relieved. This cannot be CONFIRMED.
Poor Work On IHthnus.
. .. i. IL Il n.
But there is no confirmation hacking
of the story that things are tnNa bad
way on the sthmus The dirt is not
Il flying like 1t was when Mr. Stevens
was in charge. He appears to have
been a man capable OF inspiring the
Il men under him with wonderful erthu-
Esiasnl, and they worked as they had
done for none OF his predecessors, and
as they are not doing and probably
Will never do under Major Goethals or
any other army engineer
The chief trouble on the isthmus is
the fact that the places under the com
mission are filed with politicians. or
men who have secured their appoint
ments through political pull. without
reference to their fitness for the places
1t Is understood that correspondence
betwfen Engineer Stevens and Presi-
dent Roosevelt on this subject, the
Il former protesting against the appoint
because they Were recommended by
prominent men. resulted in the Presi-
< dents demanding the resignation Of
Ar. Stevens.
Completion liz Delayed.
The date of the completion of thu
canal has probably been removed
many years forward; in fact, 1t re
quires man of considerable hardi
hood and with q bump Of optimism
abnormally developed to fix dat,
falling within the life of persons nov
living. The whole story Of the cana
IS one of bungiing, to use no uglie
word.
The manner In which Colombia wa
forced to give up q portion Of he
territory in order to make the choos
ing OF the Panama route possible; tn
terms Of the sale by the old Frencl
company OF the right to dig in tn
ditch they had begun; the rockies
salaries paid officials to stay In Wash
1ngton and wear high-sounding titles
always with "isthmian" or Panama
attached thereto; the manner in whic
purchase of supplies has been made
In many cases virtually without com
petition, and a hundred other fact.
are features OF the great cnterprIs
which threatened to end In hasct
The real friends of the isthmian cans
project have cause to be as great
depressed at the outlook as at an
time since the inception OF the projec
If 1t. should fail. the only fitting In