Atlanta Georgian., 1913-10-17
CANAL IN PERIL
BY DELAY LAID
70 WILSON
No Steps Taken for Operation,
Goetha!s' Advice ignored,
Workers GrumbIe.
b. wrLLIAM FOSTER.
sse.isr cspl. ;, The At!ants Gsorqisn.

PANAMA. o.t. IA crisis 5 i'm
ucr6rg H.trr canal st.ra'jou . .e -n
Ire aeglc., or Washington 90 ura..t
Co.gncI Gye.nste. TIE rar.- 81 r0TT-
ius omHe..or am. ;na ,osas are
ready. TIE Gor of va.er .- con-
stanuy increasing Wita me cuca-
racna slide ont OF The W.. not more
than mu=th hence the waterway
will be ready for commercial use
The Adamson act provides for ( re
organization Of the canal force in
volving a mandatory reduction % 20
per cent in paw Du. at the discretion
If The President
News comes from Washington that
Wilson viii not order reorga nizat.on
until 1915.
This means that the organization
Of the force Of $500, estimated as
necessary to operate the canal, will be
postponed until the great waterway
actually is ready for use, where It
is vital, important that the force
should be selected Immediately.
Pay Reduction Opposed.
The men must be carefully drilled
b. Colonel Gocthals, for there can ne
no slips at the foFmal opening.
10 the reduction Of pay. Already
grumbling > heard and a strike is
possible although forbidden by the
Governms mt rules previously enforced
bv Colonel Goethals himself This is
made more likely II reorganization is
left uuti the canal opening when the
Governm ant would be a the mercy
Of the workers.
Moreover. Colonel Goethals an
nounces that he will retire a soon
as the canal is ready. maybe before
1915. Thereby organization and drill
Ing of the force TO operate the canal
would have to be done by some one
other than the man best fitted for
the work.
Colonel Goetha1s refuses to discuss
the situation but II is known abso
lutelv that he regards il as mos
important that reorganization should
be effected Immediately.
Strikes Possible.
The canal s his life work. He
knows every details He has In mind
the 500 he would like to select nov
and get to consent to the reduced
pay. He could begin to nov TO train
them to operate the canal, which will
in the end have cost the nation $500
900 600.
II Wilson sticks to his decision the
navies Of the world would assemble
for the passage. and there would be
no we'll drilled force for the work OF
operating the canal and the great
locks. Probably there would be
strikes and bunging, and even imn1i
mont danger of catrosphe.
The situation is incomprehensihl
to Americans here. Washington
seems to lack interest. Consequent
ly there is diScouragement here. and
broad hints that politics is being
played at Washington. II is n fact
that not a single member of the Will
son administration has ever been
here, save Bryan on lecture tour
wherefore no member of the admin
lstration understands the situation
Appeals for some member of the
administration TO come here have SO
far been unheeded. Ii is believed
that If a responsible agent OF Wilson
came he could be made to see the
necessity of promptness
Goethals Being Hounded.
At the same time Colonel Goethais
is being bounded to get through.
Governor Metcslfe, Bryar's man, has
put in his finger, and this eompii-
Gates the situation further. He has a
plan for a three headed commission
to in future rule the zone and the
sanitary work and the opera ting of
the canal This is a great msta ke.
Colonel Goethals has built the
canal not with. but in spite Of a
commission, the majority of which
was against him from the beginning
His tremendous driving power made
possible the dream Of ages. He is not
personally concerned with what may
happen after the canal is finished,
but is looking to the best interests
Of the canal and the nation after the
waterway is opened