New-York tribune., 1910-11-27
BY George Griswold Hill.

When President Taft set out the o'her
dav to see personally what progress lid"
been made in the work on the Panama
canal some increduiity was expressed as
70 whether he would learn there any uiiils
of great importance. but ~hen' ai'el MS
insnection OF the big ditch. II was an
no,Inced that the President hao peeh AS
suras on ,yntrnneachable authority that the
mighty undertaking would De FeadS ioi
shinS hx neceu,ber l. 1913, and, even more
,,.,,,s7erf,,1 20 relate. that the work would
not cost mere than the appropriation most
,,eople felt that the Journey had oy no
means been time wasted
tsut who gave the President this surpris-
ing assurance? What manner OF man Is
he that dare estimate SO closely on an ui'-
dertaking so colossal? Is he some mooeFh
De Lesseps, some world famous expert
whose opinions command huge ices. whose
renutatiou is founded on so many other
gigantic engineering triumphs that no one
dare doubt the accuracy Of his predlctlons!
Not exactly He is just MEMBER OF 'he
United States army engineer ooipa'
Colonel George ". Goethals. salary sla'"o
a year, including his pay as an army oA-
ficer.
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard
names which viii go down in history as
,boee ,f tbe men who have made possible
snd constructed the Panama Canal by q
conn d'etat. which established the world
record for expeditions diplomacy. President
72ooseyelt made the Republic OF Panama
an accomplished fact and with that ieaoeI
ship which was. perhaps, the leadlilg iea'-
ure Of hIs administration, ne secOieu tIo
necessary legislation from Congress WIN
characteristic good judgment SECRETARY
Taft perceived the advisabilty Oh
,ntrusting the construction OF uhe
canal 10 the army engineer CORPS
and chose George w GoetheAs 10
conduct the work With an ability which
has commanded the admiration OF the
world and an engineering genius which has
,omne1lad the encomiums of the entire en-
sineering profession. George w Goethais
s. constructing the canal, and viii have
comnleated 1t within three years
should YOU happen 10 stroll from your
Northern home over 10 the railroad station
at Culebra any week day al o:S0 CLOCK III
the morning a stroll OF perhaps three
thousand miles, you would see man with
close cropped hair and noustache, clad in
kakhi undress uniform and heavy boots
and lesgins laughing and joking with d
number Of others similarly clad, ana aIi
looking as # they had not care IN the
world Should you be at the same sVaIioh
AT CuIebra about six hours la1er' soH
would urobably be surprised to perceive
coming down the railroad track q queer
sort of vehicle, 3 cross between an auto
,,,ofile and a handcar. bearing the same
,au individual his leggins caked with mud
aud his uniform bespiashed until ne looked
- II he had run afoul OF the Canal Zone
malice and been rolled in the HUo lor ms
rains Barring his seldierly carriage hafu
lv to be observed he manipuiaues 'he
levers Of his crossbred autornohlle. Ihis ID
man would probably impress you as
r~ar,1p. He would be, however none oliiei
Than Colonel Goethals returning 1IoLh ms
daily inspection Of some portion o. 'ne
Panama Canal
should YOU wish 20 see more Oh luiS pc
,,ilfar looking individual just watch ''ie
Office of the chief engineer, at CUiso0
ai,out 1880 p. and you are pfelS
lin 10 he rewarded 10y another view OF the
man who carries on his shoulders tno
,nonsibilities of Uncle Sam IN tnls' 1he
greatest engineering enterprise OF the age,
This time there viii be more evidence o.
,be soldier a neat white duck uniform
,riu have replaced the mud-stained kahkl-
Probab bly, the man viii be whistlng tune
and there will he no STOPPING Of the shoui-
ders to the load OF responsibility. george
N Cioethals is not that type Of man. Like
7be Indian water carrier, the more you
increase his load the straiShter he stands
Three years ago last April Colonel
Goefhals succeeded John L Stevens as
chief engineer Of the Panama Canal. For
-le honor OF the army has been his motto.
and TO the honor OF the army be 1t said
that he has made good" thrice over
\ President Taft has never wearied Of prais-
ing his work. Ex-President Roosevelt has
called into use his most picturesque array
Or adjectives and his most vehement mode
Of expression IN his effort TO convey TO the
american people an impression OF the debt
they owe TO George ". Goethals, having
1aken occasion TO do SO recently as IN
ms speech on the fortifcation Of the canal,
delivered in Omaha last September, and
finally the special committee Of the AIneri-
can Institute Of Mining Engineers has add
ed its expert testimony IN praise OF the
work on The canal and its chief promoter.
Colonel Goethals has succeeded In utiliz-
ing ali that is best in the army training and
IN eliminating that unlikely to make for
success. u am not here as conmander-in-
chief Of the army, but merely as ths boss
OF This job. and We are all hero together
10 make Il a success he announced when
he took hold OF the work. TO the great
delight OF a force which had been taught
10 dread ''the installation Of yntlitarism"
with the coming OF an officer OF the en-
Eineer corps The ability TO cultivate an
esprit de corps. gained from his army train
ing. Colonel Goethals has utilized to the
utmost.
Military discipline be has exercised in