Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-26

/ Washington, Jan. 25.-New York's
chances for obtaining the services of
Col. George w. Goethals, engineer-in-
chief of the Panama canal, as COM
missioner of police are not so good
as indicated in Mayor Mitcheps state
ment.
The reasons why New York City
stands to lose the services of Col.
oethals are these:
President Wilson has offered Col.
Goethals the governorship of the
Panama canal zone at a salary of $10,-
/ 600 O. year and Col Goethals has ac-
! cepted. Col Goethals will come to
| Washington next month to confer
with President Wilson relative to
changing the form of government in
the canal zone from a military COM
! mission to civil government.
At the time of Col. Cocktails visit
here his nomination as governor of
/ the Canal zone will be sent to the Sem
/ ate.
| On April /, President Wilson will
issue a proclamation decreeing the
! commission government at an end.
From that date the Adamson shall be
operative. The Adamson law provides
the machinery for civil government on
i the Canal zone.
! The Democratic party of New York
! is pledged not to make such changes
j in the laws governing the police de-
/ partment of New York City as were
demanded by Col. Goethals before he
would consider the offer of Mayor
j Mitchell to become the head of the
/ New York police department.
/ The Democrats of New York went
on record as being opposed to these
/ changes at the State convention held
last year at Rochester. The state
! Democratic platform provided that the
/ courts shall continue to review dis
mssals from the New York City po-
! lice force, as is done now.
The foregoing statement is made on
the highest authority, as is the fact
/ that the administration, including
/ President Wilson and Sec. of War
/ Garrison are none too pleased with the
/ efforts of Mayor Mitchell to obtain the
services of Col. Goethals.
Quite recently Mayor Mitchell was
! luncheon guest of the President. On
/ this visit to the White House, the
mayor of New York went over with
/ the President much of the work the
/ former had done in the way of build
! ing up his administration and what
/ hopes the future held. 1t can be stated
/ that at this visit Mayor Mitchell did
not inform the President he was go
/ ing to do his best to obtain the ser
vices of Col Goethals.
While the action of Mayor Mitchell
will in no way strain the relations
between himself and the President, the
| latter will do his utmost to retain Col.
| Goethals in the government service.
The President will not go so far as
/ to refuse to allow Col. Goethals to
retire, as he is able to do at any time,
! having had "a years of service, as is
required by law.
The administration-par Sec.
of Interior Laner-has plans which call
! for the services of. Col Goethals af-
! ter he has opened the Panama canal
| to traffic and has civil government in
| the Canal zone working smoothly.
These new services are the building
| of the government railroad in Alaska.
There is a big question whether Col.
| Goethals would consent to building
government railroad in Alaska. This
is believed true, notwithstanding the
! LOYALTY of Col Goethals to his corps,
! the engineers of the army and his
| tendency to always obey orders.
In the first place Col. Goethals in all
his government experience has to
! fight hard to accomplish the tasks
assigned him. This fighting was not
| confined to overcoming problems, but
combating ignorance and politics on
| the part of public officiaus over him.
He has had much of this to contend
with in the building of the Panama
canal
1t is generally known that Col.
! Goethals in December, 1912, was on
| the verge of applying for retirement,
and in the event of his failure to OBJ
tain that to resign from the service. He
was induced to remain by President
Taft. This came about by the Sen
ate refusing to confirm him as Cover
nor of the Canal Zone after President
Taft had nominated him. Close friends
of Col. Goethals say he has been on
the verge of quitting once or tw@ce
since then.
In Augusta, 1912, Col. Goethals ap-
peared before a Congressional COM
mittee and urged that law creating
a permanent government on the Ca
nal Zone be passed. He stated that
it was necessary in order to obtain ef-
ficiency and the best of the personnel
of the construction force of the ca
| nal for the civil government organ
ization.
| After the bill was passed Col. Goe-
thals asked President Taft to make the
change in the form of government and
President Taft in December went to
the Isthmus for conference with Col
Coethals and an inspection of the
canal. While on the Isthmus Presi-
dent Taft offered Col. Goethals the
governorship of the zone. 1t was ac-
cepted. Upon his return to the States.
President Taft prepared proclama-
ton making the Adamson law opera
tive in the Canal Zone. He sent the