The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-18
CANAL MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS FROM
PRESIDENT
Hard Raps For Opponents Of
Lock Waterway
OISPOSES OF ALL RUaORS
Declares Opposition to Existing Plan
REALLY Attack on Building any
Canal"

al message TO Congress, accompany
ing the report OF the engineers who
recently visited the Panama Canal in
company with Presidentelect TAFT,
President Roosevelt yesterday threw
down the gauntlet 10 those Senators
who threaten TO reopen the entire
canal question and advocate The dig
ging OF a sea-leyel ditch The Presi-
dent declared that any criticism on
the present lock plan is really an at
tack on the policy of building any
canal at all" He added that any
change in the system would be an IN
excusable folly The recommends.
tion of the engineers unequiyocally liz
dorses the lock canal. 1t disposes OF
all the rumors as to the instability OF
the Gatum dam by declaring that
structure to be entirely safe and cap
able OF Whilst inding all strains to
which It may be exposed. The en-.
gineers estimate that the complete
cost of the canal win aggregate $3.50,
600, 600
The Presidents message touches on
all these points and then excoria;es
those who have yentured to express
their belief that a sealevel canal is
the only feasible system The header
OF these critics is Senator Kittridge
Chairman of the Committee on Utter
oceanic canals. Senator Foraker al
$50 is allied with Mr.. Kittridge aud it
is declared that the only reason why
vigorous fight has no, been under
taken by these two Senators is fouTd
in the fact that both retire from pub
lie life March 4. and the congested
condition of legislation in Congress
at the present time precludes any con
sideration of the question before that
date,
y commend to You, he says to Con
gress." the most careful consideration
OF the report. The engineers show
that the only criticism which can be
made of the work on the Isthmus is
that there has sometimes been almost
an excess Of caution in providing
against possible trouble AS to he
Gatun dam itself, they show that lot
only is the dam safe. but that on the
whole the plan already adopted would
make it needlessly high and strong,
and accordingly they recommended
that the height be reduced by twenty
feet, which change in the plans have
directed"
President Roosevelt adds thai the
engineers who made the report are
of all the men in their profession,
within or without the United States
the men who are on the whole best
qualified to pass upon these very
questions which they examined"
The engineers report that, as The
Gatun earth dam was the central
point of discussion, they gave it, I'm
der instructions from Mr.. Taft, first
consideration in the light of all new
evidence" and they add that the
type of dam now under construction
is one which meets with their "unani-
nous approval" They say they are
satisfied that there will be no danger
GUS or Objectionable seepage through
the materials under the base Of the
dam, nor are these materials so soft
as to be liable to be pushed aside by
the weight of the proposed dam so as
to cause dangerous settlement We
are also satisfied that the materials
available which it is proposed to use
are suitable and can be readily placed
to form a tight, stable, and permanent
dam"