Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-01-24
MRS. ROOSEVELT URGED HIN
CALLED ON HIM PERSONALLY IN
PANAMA AND ADVISED HIM
TO TAKE THE JOB
REFUSES THE GOVERNORSHIP
HE ANNOUNCES TODAY THAT HE
WILL NOT BE EXECUTIVE
OF CANAL ZONE

New York, Jan. 24.-rf colonei
George w. Goethals should be Offered
the position Of governor Of the cana
zone by President Wilson he will moi
accept
This is the Interpretation Mayor
John Purroy Mitchell placed today on
Colonel Goethal's present attitude to.
ward the police commissionership of
this city, which has been rendered
him.
If language means anything" said
the mayor, Colonel Goethals VIII be,
come police commissioner of New
York City provided two conditions
which he imposed are fulfilled. I ex
pect these conditions to be realized .
The mayor added that if occasion
demanded he would go to Washing
ton to see President Wilson concern
ing Colonel Goethals, and that he ex-
pected, at any rate, to get in toucn
with the president shortly. He had
no official knowledge, has said, of any
intention on the part Of the president
to offer Colonel Goethals the COVER
norship Of the canal zone, but he did
expect that the president would grant
the colonels proposed request for re-
tirement from the army. This, he in
timated would be the subject to be
taken up with the president.
The two conditions imposed by
Colonel Goethals are his retirement
from the army and the enactment of
legislation which will give the police
commissioner power 10 remove subor-
dinates without court review.
q have not asked the president to
retire Colonel Goethals as yet said
the mayor, in reply 20 question. Il
am willing to wait several months for
the colonel. certainly never ex-
pected him to take the position until
he has finished his duties in the canal
zone"
Mayor Mitchell was in conference
with counsel today preparing bill to
be submitted to the state legislature
giving the police commissioner the
power Colonel Goethals desires.
The fact that Colonel George W.
Goethals was willing to entertain, un-
der certain conditions, proposition
to accept the appointment as
police commissioner of New
York city is said to have been due to
Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, wife OF the
former president, more than to any
one else.
Colonel Goethals was first approach
ed on the subject 10y Mayor John PuT
roy Mitchell. No direct offer was made
but the colonel made it known that
he would not accept. Mrs. Roosevelt
visited Panama soon after Mayor Nit
chel left. and, it is said, learned that
Colonel Goethals was considering the
tentative offer made to him by the
mayor.
Mrs. Roosevelt at once became In
teresteG and talked with Colonel Goe-
thals about the New York police de-
partment, recalling Mr. Roosevelts ex-
perience when he was commissioners.
she urged the colonel to. reconsider
his determination.
On her arrival in New York Mrs.
Roosevelt communicated with Mayor
Mitchell and told him there was pos
sibiIity that Colonel Goethals might
accept the commissionersnip. The
mayor Immediately took up the uues-
tion with George w. Perkins with the
result that Mr.. Perkins went to pan
anna and has just returned with
Colonel Goehtals conditional accept
ance
The condition he named and which
Mayor Mitchell has announced he will
make every effort to meet, is that a
new law depriying the courts Of the
power to review the dismissal by the
police commissioner Of police offic-