The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-10-10

Ir WalIacT WnS in washington. ana
the president ana Secretary Taft fol.
owed his suggestions almost to the let.
err, including the one that the chief
'ngineer be made Il member Of the
commission.
On April |, 1903. the second iSthminn
anal commission to be appointed by
President Roosevelt was announced.
Heading it was new figure in canal
lffairS, Theodore r. ShontS. who play
ed II decisive part in the enterprise for
the ensuing two years. The personnel
IT the new commission was:
Theodore =. ShOntS. chairman:
Charles f. Magoon. governor of the
canal zone: John f. Wallace. chief en-
gineer; Mortlecai r. Endicott, Peter c.
Hams, Oswald II. Ernst and Benjamin
NJ Harrod
There was the same number of COM
miSSionerS. but the first three were
named an executive committee which
virtually should exercise the powers of
the entire body. Thus power was tax.
en- from seven and concentrated in
three members. Mr. ShontS was to be
in charge of the Washington office and
MeSsrs. Wallace and Magoon on the
iSthmuS
Again following Mr.. WaIIacc's sug-
Sestion, the directory of the Panama
railroad was reOrganized. the United
States on April 10. 1905, for the first
time electing the members Mr.. ShOutS
was made president and Mr.. Wallace
vice president and general manager
This would further concentrate con.
troi in the chief engineer over vital
factor in canal construction.
These changes and other matters kept
Mt Wallace in Washington from
March 20 to May "a, about two months
The employees in the canal zone natu
rally caught something of the spirit OF
unrest which attended the reorganZa
ton of the commission, and. of course
the hostile press was playing up every.
thing that could embarraSs the admin
Stration ana damn the project. Then
the yellow fever epidemic broke out in
April, 1905, to add Il terrible phase To
life on the isthmus.
Having secured every change he dc,
sired, Mr.. Wallace left Washington
with expressions of cordial apprecia.
ton to the president and his secretary
He arrived at Colon on June ., and the
White House believed that crisis in
the career Of the project had been
passed successfully. They looked for
ward to smooth sailing with every con.
tidence.
Their surprise and chagrln, there
fore, were Unreasonable when Mr.. Wal.
lace cabled Secretary Taft on June S
asking that he be recalled to Washing
ton for conference He intimated
that the conference might result in his
resignation as chief engineer After
disheartened interview with the pres
ident Secretary Taft cabled him to re.
turn.
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Taft then decided upon drastic course
toward Mr.. Wallace as a means of re.
yiving the morale of the canal work
ers and also of bringing the American
people sharply to realization that the
canal project was in peril through a
display Of weakness in the face of dan.
ger that would make our experiment
in Panama an international disgrace.
Secretary Taft met Mr. Wallace at
the Manhattan hotel in New York on
June %. Secretary Taft listened TO
his reason for resigning. which in the
main was that he had under consider
alton n position that would carry with
it remuneration of approximately
$65. 00n year.
Secretary Taft did not conceal his
course. He began by reviewing how
the government had taken him from
a position paying $4,000 a year to
make him chief engineer of the canal
ut S-OtOOO u Scdl, uON tue lpi llIlud-
BILE obstacles to be met and the su-
preme necessity of a canal to the ma
ton made it patriotic work for any
American and an honor to he placed ut
the head Of the greatest enterprise of
the age.
For mere luCre," Mr.. Taft CON
tinued. you change your position
overnight without thought OF the en-
barrassing position in which you place
your government by this action"
Secretary Taft then reviewed how
the commission had just been reorgan-
lied to meet Mr.. Wallace's wishes and
every change had been approved by |
the chief engineer. He closed by de- !
the immediate resignation Of
Mr. Wallace. This came the next day |
and was made public on June 2S, with |
Tafts hot rebuke, which in
the canal zone had most salutary |
effect. 1t put an entirely new CON-
plexion on their work to be told that !