The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-27
ARMY ID TAKE OVER
 PANAMA CANAL WORK
TRANSFERRED BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT TO THE EN-
 GiNEER BRANCH.

Chief Engineer Stevens Resigns and is
 Succeeded by Major G. w. GOethals Stung Severely by Criticisms-Presi-
 dent Directs the Refusal of the Oli- Washington, Feb 26.-By an, order addressed to the Ithmian canal com- mission to-day, President Roosevelt, as far as lay in his power under existing law, transferred to the engineer branch of the army the responsibility for the further construction of the Panama canal. He also in the same order, which took the form of a letter ad- dressed to the chairman of the com mission, MT. Shonts, himself about to retire from all connection with the en- terprise formally recorded the abandon ment, for the present, at least, of the project of having the canal work done by contract on the percentage system Another feature of the order was the announcement of the resignation of John F. Stevens as engineer in chief of the canal construction Mir. Shonts is in New York. where he will to-nor- row preside at a meeting of the di- rectors of the Panama Railroad com pany of which he is president, and will, it is expected, formally resign that office.
 The intention of the president is that there shall be an entire reorganization of the commission with three army of ficers of the engineer corps it's leading members who are to have charge of the engineering features of the canal work. The chairman and engineer-in- chief of the commission wlll be Major c. w. Goethals, and his associates will be Major D. Dub Gaillard and Major William L. Sbert, to rank in the order named. These three officers are all comparatiely young. The re-organiza- tion is to become effective immediately upon the confirmation and retirement of the old commission. Senator Joseph c. IS. Blackburn of Kentucky, who re- tires from the United States senate March 4, will be made a member of the reorganized commission. The nomina- tions of the present commission now pending before the senate include Messrs. Shonts, Stevens, Hains, Endl- colt, Herrod, Gorgas and Jackson Smith. Their confirmation is desired in order to remove all doubt as to the le galitiy of certain acts they have per- formed in connection with the making 4t ofN Shonts and Stevens leave but two va cancies, so that there will be two more retirements necessary to make way for thethree army officers and Senator Blackbunrn. AS he told the comtnis- sioners to-day, the president is deter mined that the work on the canal shall proceed continuously and thoroughly, and the temporary "dislocations" which may come as a result of the resigna- tions of higher officials will not be al- lowed to interfere with progress.
 The president is unaware of the spe- cifc reasons which have been infiuen- tial in prompting Mir. Stevens resigna- ton. It surprised him very much, for as late as the middle of December, when he was here, MT. Stevens made no mention of his wish to retire.
 It has been known, however, that MT. Stevens has been stung very much by criticisms aimed at him in connection with canal work, and he has been dis posed to complain somewaht about them. Some of this criticism came out during hearings before committees of congress. The salary question is also understood to have an important bear ing Jn his retirement. It is under stood that MT. Stevens is leaving the government service to accept position in connection with great engineer ing enterprise in this country at an annual salaray more than double that he now receives from the government. His friends contend that he has, by a year and half's personal experience with the work, removed all doubt as to the feasibility of the construction of the Panama canal in accordance with the plans upon which the work is now progressing. Mr. Stevens is said to be- lieve that he can now terminate his connection with this great enterprise without in any way jeopardizing it's success.