Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-09
The PANAMA CANAL
CELEBRATION.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

The approaching completion OF the Pan.
anna canal is bringing forth many SUCCESS
tons as to the manner in which this
memorable event shall be celebrated. Oe
course. the biggest celebration viii be tho
Panama-Pacific exposition. But to this
will be added a great maritime pageant.
passing through the canal. In which tho
navies and the merchant marine of all thu
world will take part. and the character OF
that pageant is the matter around which
immediate public interest centers
One OF the proposals is that the Presi-
dent shall invite the nations of the earth
to send representative ships OF their ma
vies and OF their merchant marine 10
Hampton roads early In 1915 there tn
rendezvous preliminary to the start of the
great international pageant southwark
from the Virginia capes to Colon, and
through the canal to San Francisco. This
part Of the program has been generally
agreed upon, but the details have not
been worked out. The first question to
be decided probably will be that of choos-
ing the ship which will head the column
as 1t sweeps down ono coast and up tho
other. For this honor the United States
battleship Oregon seems to be the prime
favorite, for the country feels that the
gallant trip that vessel made around
South America during the Spanish-Amer-
lean war was the cause Of the building OF
the Panama canal: II stirred the nation In
that direction more than all other events
together
II the Oregon should head the column
1t would be fitting for II to be manned as
far as possible by the officers and men
who took IL on its memorable trip in
n
gallant Capt Clark has been gath
cred to his fathers. and many
possibility. The gallant Capt Clark has
been gathered to his fathers. and many
others, among officers and men. have an
swered the last call. Then. some of those
who made up the wardroom list are now
captains and rear admirals, while those
who then occupied the junior officers
quarters are now commanders and other
officers of rank. 1t Is more than probable
that II the Oregon Is chosen the Navy
Department will have II commanded by
spectacular run around South America.
There are those who think that tho
honor Of leading the column should go to
the biggest
Want Line Headed America
by Biggest Battleship. then in com.
mission. and they argue that such
| ship would be better fitted to serve az
the flagship of the fleet especially in
view Of the fact that many OF the highest
officers in the American navy will take
part in the pageant. 1t is probable that
the Secretary OF the Navy will make the
trip on the ship that heads the column.
The suggestion has been made by some
that the official opening OF the canal
should be participated In by the three
men who held the Office of President dur
ing the period in which the canal was
transformed from an idea into q fact.
They urge that to celebrate the opening
Of the canal without the presence or
Theodore Roosevelt would be like play
ing Hamlet with Hamlet left out. In
support OF this they call attention to the
fact that at every crisis in the history
Of the great project that It was Theo-
dore Roosevelt who took the RESPONSE
bility that made the canal possible.
When Colombia, for the purpose OF
mulcting the new Panama Canal Com
pahy out Of its concessions and prop
critics, refused to ratify the treaty that
had been negotiated with the. United
States, it was Theodore Roosevelt who.
! in the face OF the provision OF the
Spooner act directing him to build the
canal through Nicaragua in the event Of
unsatisfactory negotiations with Colon
bia. refused to carry out that mandate
Of Congress, and who recognized the in
dependence of the Republic of Panama
when he knew it would lay him open 10
suspicion and criticism SO to do And
when the battle of the levels was on, 1t
was Roosevelt who. In the face OF an
adverse report by a majority of one OF
the best boards OF engineers ever con-
yened, determined to make the Panama
canal a lock type canal rather than
sea level canal, and probably saved the
United States from as serious a humtlia-
ton as had been the fate Of the French.
If Roosevelt made the conditions under
| which the Panama canal could be dug,
the friends Of
Canal Was Dug. Mr. Taft think
Under Tart huie. fortune of Mr..
Taft to be the man who discovered the
genius who could triumph over the legis-
lative and executive obstacles at home.
and at the same time overcome the en-
cheering and personnel difficulties on
the isthmus-George w. Goethals. Tho
major portion of the work Of digging the
canal was done during the TAFT admin
Iteration and therefore say his friends.