The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-04-15

universal feeling that Il was our duty
70 the word TO provide this transit IN
the shape OF Canal-the resolution or
the Pan-American congress was prac-
ticSlly mandate TO this effect. 30
lombia was then under "a one-man gov
eminent. distatorship. founded on
usurpation OF absolute and irresponsible
power. She eagerly pressed us TO en-
ter into an agreement with her. as long
as there was any chance of our going
TO the alternative route through Mica
ragua. When she thought We were
committed. she refused to FUN the
agreement. with the avowed hope OF
Selling the French company's property
for nothing thereby holding us up This
'., PIT OF pure bandit morality. IL
would have achieved its purpose had I
possessed as weak moral nber as those
OF my critics who announced that
feeble scolding and temporizing until
the opportunity for action passed
Patience TO the Limit.
Therc had been nifty years Of CON
tinuous bloodshed and civil strife in
Panama. because OF my action Panama
has now known ten years Of such peace
during the four centuries Of her exist
ence-for in Panama. as In Cuba and
Shnto Domingo. IL was the action OF
cries Of the progressed apostles OF peace.
which alone brought peace. We gave
60 the people OF Panama self-govern-
ment. and freed them from subieetion To-
allen oppressorS. We did our best 20
get Colombia to let US treat her with "A
cised patience TO beyond the verge or
proper forbearance.
When We did act and recognize Pan
anna. Colombia at once acknowledged
do what we had demabdeS. o aSs xbs az
she had protested IL was not in her pow
What We would gladly have done before.
u had BY that time become impossible
,or US honoIably TO do; for II would
people Of Panama. our friends and
turning them over 90 their and our foes
who would have wreaked vengeance on
them precisely because they had shown
The Canal Begun; the Lock typ.
After n sufficienp period OF Ura,e-
ing, the Senate ratified the treaty with
Panama and work on the canal was
sary was 10 decide the type OF canal
] summoned board o. engineering eN-
perts. foreign and native They divided
members. including all the foreign mem
b"rs. approved "A sea-ievel canal The
minority. including most Of the Arneri-
car me mbers. approved n lock canal.
STUDY ing these conclusions. came 10
the belieL th,t TIE minority was right.
Colonel ooethais az the Head.
Accordingly I recommended to Con-
RreEE. on February 10 1905. that a iork
canal should be built and my recon-
sisted upon having II built by commits
sion ~ several men. tried faithfullv
10 Nfl tu'l M'fh out or the commission.
and found "a quite Impossible. for a
mary-headed commission is an extreme
y poor executive Instrument At last
put Colonel Cocktails 81 a. head % the
commission. Then. when Congress still
refused 20 make the commission single
beaded; ! solved the dinioulty b. an
executive order Of January g. 1908
which practically accomplished the oh
1ect by enlarRinr the powers of the
Chairman; making. all the other mem
him and thereby placing the work ur-
der one-mun control Br. Gorras had
already performed an inestimable ser
vice by caring Tor the sanitary condI-
thmus a. safe AZ o. health resort. colonel
Cocktails proved 90 be the man of an
others tn do the Sob. ~ would be- Inn
possible a. overFtate what he has done.
any man in me world has accomplished
during the years that colonel Goethais
had been 90 work ~ ir the greatest
tack N - own Kind That has ever been
performed in tho world ~ Oh. Colonel
COCKTAILS has succeeded in iustiliirr Soc
60 the mon under him spirit which
. 20 ~ here has been found only IN few
VIC tgflaus ernie d. rrorer ard ar
affnlee they should receive medals
which are allotted each man who has
served Tor sufficient ienrth % time
A finer body ~ men has never been gath
cred tr any nation than the men who
have done The work ~ BUILDING the Pam
anna canal. the conditions under wbirb
they have lived and have done their
work have been hotter than IN any rfrrf-
lar work ever uudertah~u in the tropics.
!ssy have al feit ~ esssr pride ll
only America but the whole world their
debtors by what they have accou-
piished