The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-06-14
WILL SEE CANAL FINISHED
Col. GoethaIs VIII Remain at Head Of
Big Undertaking


Big Undertaking
Washington, June 11.-With the ar
rival of Col Goethals, chief builder
of the Panama Canal, in Washington
within the next few days it is expect
ed that the uncomfortable situation
existing in the Canal Zone win be
brought to a head. There Is opposi-
ton to the Colonel among the other
members OF the fsthmian Canal Com
mission, which, under the direction
of the President, is charged with the
work of constructing the Panama
Canal
The enmity to Col Goethals is bas-
ed upon the feeling that he is too
much of an autocrat, and that as
chairman and chief engineer he has
ruthlessly overridden his colleagues
on the commission. The fear which
has prevailed among the opposition
members of the commission that
President Wilson intends soon to
abolish that body and substitute for
1t the 4eorganized Government provid
ed for under the Panama Canal act
of 1913 has brought the opposition to
Col. Goethals into the open.
The other members of the commits
sion feel that it would be unfair to
them if the commission were abolish
ed before the canal is actually COM
pleted. They would be deprieved of
due participation in the credit and
glory which they are certain will at
tend the actual completion of the ca
nal and its opening to the world.
Their restlessness and anxiety for
their personal fortunes and standing
have been made most apparent in
Washington in the last few weeks,
both through advices received from
Panama and through the activities of
members of the commission who
have been in the United States re-
Gently
Col. Goethals is not in the least
ignorant of what is going on. There
is no doubt in the minds of the well
informed here that, though he is now
in the United States on leave of abb
sence, and not in his official capacity.
he will not return to the Canal Zone
without finding out exactly where he
stands with the new Administration.
1t can be said that both sides in the
conflict of personalities in the Canal
Commission need have no anxiety
This administrations looks to Col.
Goethals as the responsible head of
the Canal Commission and has no in
tention of acting N any way to pre-
judice his position in the Canal Zone.
On the other h nd, ii can be said
with equal positiveness that the Pres
ident has determined that the Canal
Commission shall remain in existence
until the canal is actually completed
and opened to the traffic of the world.
These decisions have been arrived
at by President Wilson and Secre-
tary of War Garrison with full
knowledge of the friction in
the zone They have heard the gos-
sip on both sides of the situation and
have decided upon their course with
the strained relations between Col.
Goethals and some other members of
the commission in mind. The Presi-
dent and his Secretary of War intend
to continue to look upon Col. Goeth-
ais as the responsible head of the
canal work.
While they have no prejudice
against other members of that body
they regard 1t as essential to the sue
cessful continuance of the canal work
that the status of Col. George Goeth-
ais, fixed by President Roosevelt and
continued by Mr. Taft, remain un-
changed. They consider, however
that the engineers of the commission
who are opposed to the Colonel are
entitled to a very full measure of ere
dit for the success which has attended
the construction of the canal thus far.
Secretary Garrison has gone out of
his way to impress upon callers the
fact that he considers that all the en-
gineers of the commission are entitl-
ed to an equal share of the credit for
the great accomplishments in. the Ca
nal Zone, though he has made it.
equally clear that the Administration
considers it wise and necessary that
Col. Goethals be recognized as the
responsible head of the force. It is,
however, with full sympathy with the
other members of the commission
that the President has decided to let
that body continue in existence until
the canal is completed, so that before
all the world they may receive their
due portion of the glory and praise
which will be heaped upon the canal
builders at the time of its opening.
Reports to the effect that Col.
Goethals wants to leave the Isthmus
are pronounced groundless by those
who are in his confidence. His friends
here say that above all things it is
the dearest hope of Col. Goethals that
he may remain on the canal job until
the great waterway is actually in
working order and open to the ships
of the world. This would be until
TanuarV 1QlS