The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-01-15
TO INSPECT FORTS
0oAo0 APPOINTED TO PAos ON
0Viloisto o. oGSGNsEs o.
vtsg PANAMA CANAL
NO FAULTS ARE ,x1InA1to

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Which guard the approaches to the
PaAanA canal 10Th at the Atlantic and
ehs Paeiec ends Of the waterway, are
onoag the greatest. II they are not
~ greatest In the world. While It
= perfectly trus that they may never
- called into action for the defense
of the canal. they are considered by
military and naval authorities - b.
lag absolutely necessary - Q means a
Drsparation for day which. II 1t shall
come. will b one OF deadly import
% the people Of the United States.
4 seemingly unimp0rtsnt order OF
The secretary Of war u the cause Of
present great interest In army circles.
Mr.. Garrison has designated . board
of ranking oAicers Of the United States
army to report on the defenses of the
Panama canal. A board of this kind
has been In existence for some time.
but 1t has been strengthened and its
poroonpel somewhat changed by the
recent oficial action.
The construction Of the sea and
land tsfenses of the Panama canal 10
In charge Of two young lieutenants Of
the engineer corps. George r. Goe-
thals and Albert H. Acher. Army men
say that it is probably the first time
In the history of the construction of
forttacations Of such commanding i'm
portsnce that officers of such tender
yeaxs have beeu given sole charge Of
the work.
When the board which Secretary
Garrison has designated makes its
final inspection and report 1t will be
called upon to say either that the great
defenses upon which SO much depends
were committed wisely to the super
vision Of youth, or that 1t had been
better II the original plan of putting
= senior oficer in charge had been
carried out
Personnel Of the Board.
The members of the board Just des-
ignated by the secretary of war to
look after the defenses and to see that
things are we'll done consists Of these
onicers: Major Gen. Leonard Wood.
Major Gen. william w. Wotherspoon,
Brig. Gen. Erasmus M. Weaver, Brig
Gen. William Croker, Col. George w.
Goethals. Col. Edward Burr. Lieut.. Col.
william w. Haan. Major William
Chamberlain of the army. and Capt
Harry 8. Knapp Of the United States
navy. These officers represent, from
the war departments view, the best
thought Of the different branches Of
the service on the subjects which will
come under the consideration Of the
members.
1t is useless to make an attempt to
disguise the fact that service men
even before the day of determination,
have been somewhat critical of the
appointment Of two such young OH
GERS as Lieutenants Goethals and
Acher to a work of such Importance
as that Of constructing the sea and
land defenses of the canal. II the
forts on land and sea meet with the
approval of the officers who have been
appointed to pass judgment on them
the records of two youngsters of the
service are made.
When it was determined, or perhaps
even before the day of determination,
that the Panama canal was to be for
tified board Of general officers was
appointed to select sites for fortifica-
tions. The board did its work and
then Major e. E. Winslow of the en-
gtneer corps, one of the acknowledged
fortiflcation experts of the service,
was intrusted with the work of design.
ing the great defenses.
Youths Superseded WinsIow
1t was expected, so 1t is said by the
army, that Major Winslow, having
made the plans and having "the con-
ception Of their evolution" well in
mind, would be assigned to the task
of construction. The major did go to
the isthmus. probably with the under
standing that he was to take up the
fort building work on the islands and
the peninsulas which command the
approaches to the two ends of the ca
nal. The major, however. did not stay
on the isthmus. but came back to work
in the states and Is now at Norfolk,
Va.
Just what occurred in the Zone
while Major Winslow was there does
not appear, but he left for home, and
leaving was followed by the announce.
ment that First Lieut.. George H. Goe-
thals, son of Col. George w. Goethals,
chief engineer OF canal construction,
and Albert H. Acher, son-in-law of
Col. H. N. Hodges, assistant chief en-
gineer Of canal construction, would
be put in charge Of the building of
the great defenses upon the upstand.
ing Of which may, depend the safety Of
the biggest engineering job the world
has known.
Uncle Sam May Buy Mail Carr,