The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-03-01
STEVENS luiTSCAkhl
u. S. ARMY ENGINEERS
ASSUME COMMAND

Ntasa.H s,es is r
distressing pause aas eofne t .-
sr3s 6au.a eatert Sc thiet
stevens has resigned fet s @
Saus unt rlt;e puo.ie
Roosevelt h5S erieesG rejected tt Ills
No have the N3le donc oY contrast
ana has ordered thsVy the ctuti Notn-
mission be reogs&s;.st at5ii NAlet
Geo. w. Goetha}s ~ the corps ot e5
gineers or the United States rIHY az
its head. The splendid 0rGAntEAAeh
on the isthmus, butt W unGet 1haai
man Shonts. who retlres GA March 4.
and Mr.. Stevens. IS put nndel The en-
sineers OF the army. Il the govern
ment is 10 continue the Work itSe11
This means many changes OF policies.
In Fear of Reputation.
No complaint can be uttered against
conditions on the isthlnus. Mr Stevens
Is a man OF great ability. but somewhat
health. and probably the fact that
President Roosevelt is getting the lions
share OF the credit for success IS a con-
triouting reason to his decision not TO
risk health and possible reputation IN
the face of q bad climate and a dif1cu1s
enterprise. President Roosevelt and
Secretary Taft do not like Stevens
leaving, but they are not disposed 10
denounce him as they did Chief Engi-
neer Wallace. Wallace resigned When
a panic was imminent. Stevens can
drop his work and another can take IL
up because the organization conceived
by Shonts is perfect.
Place for Blackburn.
President Roosevelt will appoint to
the commission Senator Blackburn, of
Kentucky. a democratic leader IN the
senate, who was defeated for %re-elec-
ton and will retire on March 4.
The rejection of the bid of the Pan
anna Construction company was largely
the result of hostile influence on the
part of the observation-disclosures com
pany. which was a higher bidder. and
who went to unusual length With the
aid of certain high government Of
f1cials to discredit the construction
company bid.
MIR. Shonts is in New York. where
he will preside at a meeting OF he di-
rectors of the Panam Railroad COM
pany, of which he is president, and
Will, it is said, formally resign that of
flee.
For Entire Reorganization.
The president intends that there shall
be an entire reorganization of the
commission. with three army officers of
the engineering corps its leading mem
bers, who are to nave charge of the en-
cheering features of the ana work.
The chairman and engineer in charge
Of the commission will be Major G.. w.
Goethals. and his associates will be
Major d. B. Gaillard and Major Will
lam l.. Sibert, to rank in the orde,
named. These officers are all COM
p~aratively young, ambitious and ener-
getic.
The nominations of the present COM
mission now pending before the senate
include Messrs. Shonts, Stevens. Haines,
Endicott. Herrod, Gorgas and Jackson
Smith. Their confirmation is desired
~, N~.1or ". ~~,~1-~ II 2@,,ht 1- 70 f1a
legality of certain acts they have per
formed in connection with the making
of contracts
Nj retirement of Messrs. Shonts and
Stevens will leave but two vacancies,
so that there will be two more retire
ments necessary to make w for the
three army officers and Senator Black
burn. The president is determined tina
the work on the canal shall proceed
continuously. and the temporary dis
locations caused by the designations of
higher officials will not be allowed to
interfere with progress.