New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-10
ARMY TAKES CHARGE.
Panama Canal Fork Turned Over
to the Engineering Corps.
Ey Lindsay DcnisOn.

=
Hn and talked to fer hour or more abou4
his work. his and himself He eIoried t7
) what the Americans had overcome in what tboy,
| were doing and in the spirit they were ssovf,e
OF the canal itself lie spoke disparagagIy ne ba1
gone stale in his enthusiasm. Tt no LONGER rerrs
scented to him highway OF the nations or tha
new wonder OF the world; he could see in n
, merely an enormous hole in the ground in which
he and the thirty thousand men under his com
! manG were 70 labor weariy from morning until
night for seven long years to come FRANKLY -
said, he was tired Of it,
7 called back out oS the dark as was Iesvi,g
/ that hoped 70 drop in him again in about a
year He smiled Indifferent, rather a bitter
smile.
Il my not he here then no said The Unita5
States looks pretty good to me tonight"
Then he walked back 20 the little desk fIst inside
1 the door and took up the letter writing at which
he had been busy when interrupted him. And be-
fore he had finished he had written his letter OF
resignation to the President of The United States
His letter went to Washington on the STEAMSHIP,
Colon: the President received 81 on February Il.
the wording Of it seemed to him so inexplicabiv
offensive. and the spirit of ii far that which
he believed ought 20 animate the man directly in
charge Of the Panama Canal. that he accepted thu
resignation.
NIajor George W Csoethais, Of ths War College
was assigned to act rs chief engineer OF the canal
and it was determined that hereafter the worl,
should be under the supervision OF the engineer
corps of the United States Army
Stevens is out But II does not even vet seem
credible TO that the whom talked that
Frida, night Culebra Hill had it in his heart q,
quit To any one who knows John F. Stevens
well. the impUtaton that he could be a gutter "a
laughahe- lie seemed rather. on the night Of Feb
rUaTy s. 10 he man who going through the
reaction which follows a great achievements re-
j action which ought not 10 have come until after
the canal was finished but which had come prem
aturey because OF the tremendous physical strain
OF the last three years with all its fantastic COM
plcations Of climate, politics and diplomacy. In
other words, he seemed like overturned football
player who has broken down into nervousness and
dependency after the first big game Of the sea-
III Stevens had been a FrencRman" said Fred
erick Palmer when were talking the matter
over. the wire would have been hot with the re-
quest that his letter be disregarded or returned I'M
opened But the same quality in the American
temperament which leads the American 10 attempt
20 defy the tropical climate when he is sent % do
work IN # makes him stubbornIy stand BY the re-
suits OF his physical ane mental breakdown and
irritation which come from that defiance. Sooner
or later the American who cOntemptuousy dis
cards the sur umbrella and siesta. and who stays
on his work from dawn until dark reaches the
breaking point loses his initiative his sense OF
the proportion OF things"
Mr.. Stevens wanted 20 know what I thought OF
the years progress. and seemed moderately pleased
when I told him. with complete candOr. that the
progress had made and the wonderful display OF
flying dirt and whirTiug machinery up and down
the line completely swept me of my feet. He
grtnned. They had only Just started. he said
He began talking OF the loyalty and devotion OF
the working force: the incubus OF incompeterts
and naIinSerers who had kept them all in fret
year ago had been weeded out; the proportion OF
useless Jamaica negro workmen had been much
reduced; the spirit OF the job was one OF hearty
hustliug We laughed together over the healthful
quarres between division engineers over the crime
known the isthmus as kidnapping in their
zeal 70 make good showing engineers were steal
ing men from neigEbOrinE divisions by hundreds
and even by thousands until the big smoke" Sc
cretIy pleased. had TO issue stern orders 70 stop
the practice.
But the change came when suggested that there
must be constant thrill OF inspiration IN the
knowledge that this mighty force had been buic
UP and was az its tremendous Job because he had
put il together He couldn't feel any thrill az
all any more. he said. To him II was all an enor-
nous weary. tiresOme lob OF brute labor, day in
and day out. and with nothing but hole in the
ground 10 show when it all done. He broke
of and began talk about the weather.
You have TOO much imagination for me- he said
10 me once. Il haven't got as far ahead as mag
lining ships passing from ocean 70 ocean i m
afraid that sometimes wonder II there will be any
traffic at all: if there Is any good in digging a
canal anyway; IL it isn't all Just great big waste
Of health and money and energy. I guess I'm
tired of il
Then as though in explanation. he told OF the
comments OF friends from the United States who
Of those OF a Chicago railroad
You're not an engineer. Stevens. said this man.
You combination hnancier, emPloymenS
agent archbishop. superintendent OF schools. corr
pOration counsel board OF aldermen. restaurant
keeper and diplomat-with n little engineering
sprinkled in for seasoning"
No one said Mr.. Stevens. could well understand.
without a visit to the isthmus how varied and
trying was the strain which fell upon the CHIEF
engineer. This not said plaintively. but APP
parently by way OF Justification for his WEAKNESS.
At home with friends and daily newspapers al
about. and quick communication and quick forget
fulness Of momentary sensations. such petty dis
plays would never develop. II Is easy enough 10
decry them at Panama. But life Panama IS no
more normal in its psychology and in its social ex-
changes than il is physically. And il strOns
at home show weaknesses at Panama, We are noe
considering too charitably il lay their trivial
squabbIes TO their situations. rather than to their
If the present plan is carried out the members
OF the new commission will not be allowed 10 wear
themselves out. GOethals and his understands VII
periods The President had sadly concluded that
no man is strong enough to keep his vitality anu
his highest efficiency continuously il the tropics
And the intensity or the porn ehsineep I rs " n
They are animated by something like hatred OF
was true Of Stevens FOR sthres years. When that
peculiar intensity Of purpose Is gone man Is ~
know. IT was still with him when the President
Il win be untrue to human nature II the machine.
Of the man yho built i up does not i9 go
lowed Stevens with devotion almost fanatical.
They have fought among themselves for his eP-
prevail They have driven their ShOvelS ana tuStE
drills like demons FOR the sake OF seeing him sIe
down over their sections. and of hearing him say
"GOOdP' They have taught that same blind loyaIy
TO their subordinate engineers ana tOTenen. IL ~
that they know thtt stevens Is 50,
Ing homo tired and disguised, that some. y not 81
Of them, should turn from their desks in DUMB
dismay. The machine must be rebuilt, and FOR ths
most part with new human materials ,,,s,..
IL Is easy 90 believe, as visitors 20 the Wnitt
House say. that the receipt OF the Stevens Fesgns