Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-11-24
THE PRESIDENT In RICHMOND

The following shows how the presl-
dent spent the day in Richmond yes
terday.
Ate breakfast with Governor Mann,
who served barbccued rabbit, mallard,
partridge, fish, etc.
Reviewed the Richmond Blues and
the Y. P. l. cadets before the Jefferson
Davis memorial.
Saw an aviator fly over Richmond.
Listened to parodies on popular
songs with his name interviewer at
Richmond College.
Talked short while 10 theological
students at Union Seminary.
Drove to farm six miles away and
heard tales Of Gen. J. Z. B. Stuart.
Came back for lunch.
Talked to thousands of teachers.
Came back from Elba" as he was
driven to that suburban station by mis-
take.
Left Richmond for Washington.
Stopped at Ashland for three min
utcs with Randolph Macon students.
| AIINtL III W az o.-p.
His final appearance i'll Richmond
WAS nj the city auditorium at 4 O'Clock
in the afternoon, where lie addressed
an audience that filled the hall, the
seating capacity OF which is about
| 10000. The occasion was the meet
ing of the Virginia Educational Con-
ference, and the president there made
the principal address Of the day. Presi-
dent Taft spoke in part as follows:
/ am always glad to stop in Rich
moni. It is city that reflects the
wonderful nNLerial growth Of the south
and at the same time awakens i'll the
mind Of the visitor 1T every street
corner and in every public square an
intense interest by its historical assocI-
ati0ns. AT every turn there comes the
local association with Washington,
Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Marshall
and Madison and other great partici-
pants in the natal struggle Of the re-
public, as well as Of Jefferson Davis.
Robert Z. Lee, 'StonewaIl" Jackson,
and the other great leaders Of the
| southern COnlcdefdcy.
Closely following this thought
comes the feeling Of gratitude TO God
that we are now united nation, with
the bitter prejudices of the past dis
PEELED, and able, all OF lis, to accord
the proper need of praise to the Ameri-
can heroes Of the past, whether their
deeds were performed and their SER
vices rendered in those early days when
all Americans joined in single cause,
or whether they doomed large as lead
crs on either side in those sad four
years when brothers were engaged
against brothers in an internecine
strife"
Speaking OF the Panama canal. the
president said:
Nov it is near completion, | am
delighted to say that if you were to go
through the experience that my party
and I have gone through the four days
re were on the isthmus, you would
not need an answer or assurance from
me. 1t does not require the imagination
of an engineer to see that the canal is
there and is being put through, and
that it will be great canal.
We are engaged in taking out Of
the Culebra cut an average Of l, 800, 900
yards per month. We are taking out
Of the other parts OF the canal enough
to make that average about $500, 900
cable yards. If it were excavation only,
we would not have so much difficulty,
because it would then be completed
about January |, 1918, but there are
those great lock structures, for instance,
at Gatun, which are nearly a mile
long and $50 feet wide, with wall on
the outside 10 feet in width and a
wall in the middle of 90 feet in width.
Il think generally the people OF the
| United States, favored a Sea-level
canal.
They thought of n lock and its gates
as difficult and complicated machinery,
and they thought the idea OF lifting a
vessel OF %, 900 tons By water and ma
chincry was so full of difficulty that it
would present obstacles every time
steamer went through. But the adj
vantages of visiting the isthmus 10 con-
firm the judgment OF the engineers in
the mind Of the layman showed that
that thing is now easy. 1t is shaping
itself The dam which seemed such a
Tremendous work is long way toward
completion, and when you walk over it
you don't realize that it is dam. 1t
is so big it seems as il it were work OF
=, nature itself
Il don't venture to prophesy when
the canal will be ready for full use, I
think that if it we're necessary for US
to put one OF our warships through
there, it could be arranged very con-
siderable time before the first OF Janu
airy, 1915, when the canal will be COM
pleted but it is we'll not to press too
much, but TO do what is done thor
oushIy, so that when it is completed
there will be no defect which can be
made q basis for complaint against
those who are responsible. "