New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-05
lAccepts Medal as 5000 Ad-
mirers Cheer-MayOr
Pleads for Bills.
COLONEL, HOWEVER,
REMAINS SILENT
Canal Builder Embarrassed al
Mitchers Praise and Voice
Drivers as He Replies.

~ hona none OF you here gathered inc
a., nat the canal was built by one man.
=. Nc +alseo inward of $4,000 men, all Oh
-, have given the very best that was
4, .bero-some even their lives. on oen"'i
80 .be army Of the Panama Canal every
mo, Of which has borne his snare NC
faithfully as me, / thank 70" i''
medal tonight. coor,a
With these simple words Colonei "e0, 90
w Goethals. the modest and unassu','l.-s
builder OF the Panama Canal re0eI''
the medal of the Civic Forum AZ
neg,e Hall last night, his voice qu'Nei' Ills
as he uttered them.
Orlv a short time before he had hediu
Mavor Mitchell declare that the only '',i's
that stood between him and the ronN0
Coumlssionership OF New York was INC
massage of the bills now pending at fNi
banv: he had heard the Mayor say 'n"'
New York wanted him badly ana uiso
his hearers 10 make the demand lor 'n0
passage of the bills by the Legislature III
no uncertain language.
pv. Colonel Goethals. IL he had any
,nterest in Mayor Mitchel's remarks dlo
oot show II. except perhaps IN CERTAIN
amount of embarrassment. for ne oiu ~"
even hint that he had the PONCE O0'.i
,,,ssionership in mind when he arose "
speak.
Credits Roosevelt for Canal.
Co,onel Goethels declared that IL ~
hadn't been for an executive oruer "a
President Roosevelt the Panama Caiia'
would never have been built. president
Roosevelt" he said, "irritated oy the
delay In the work because OF the seven
commissioners, disregarded tho law anu
concentrated authority. To that order
of 1905 was due the success have met
with" The colonel also praised the ad-
rn,n,strat lions Of Taft and Wilson Tor the
help that had been given. and he preolc'-
ed the opening Of the canal In July anu
the passage Of the fleets OF the woriu
through II by January /. 1918.
co,onel Goethals was suffering from
severe cold. and after expressing his deep
snnreciation Of what had taken piace he
daclared that the only danger that now
confronted the men at the canai was
the cucarachy fly.
For two hours he had sat and hsteneo
20 n,entiful praise from men whose names
ara known all over the country ana 10
tho reading Of a poem by Percy MacKaye
tJa scanned abashed by 1t ALL and more
hmm once leaned over TO Dr. Jonn II. M
low who presided, with the remAih'
udsh 7 were down In Panama now. Ut
,s,Iev presented the medal. In the ao-
80. =, roseph II Choate, reading the
latter's speech.
speech. $4,000 xras
Never Mitchell said his attention was
attracted to Colonel Goethals by 'ho
snlendid organization Of men he had sue
coded In building up and malh'ai'e"
ct have never known Of a oody Oh men
aroaged IN a great work Of constructor
NJ ve,a hound together with moro 10Y
a,,,, 20 their chief than that body In the
,etbrous I have asked Colonel Goethals
N taks charge Of our Police Department.
not because he is a great engineer, Hoi
great administrator, but because ne mas
those characteristics Of human haluie
which a Police Commissioner OF Ne"
York should have II he Is going TO give US
the police administration we have looked
forward TO for so many years. III Is re
cause he ia Americas greatest constructor
and organizer that have asked him 10
take up this difficult task in New YORK.
and II the Legislature OF New York does
IT'S duty by the people we are going TO
secure him.
5000 Cheer Mayors Plea.
I'VE know that he Is able and we be-
lieve and trust in him, and to make II
effective we must give him tho power 70
conduct the Office as he sees nj. mo
only thing that stands between what you
and I want is tho votes OF the men who
sit in tho Legislature. and we should I'M
press this fact on them in no uncertain
way. The service he would render to the
whole country by giving New York an
efficient police administration would be
an achievement OF which he might feel
tust as proud OF as the building OF the
Panama Canal"
The hearty applause which greeted the
remarks Of the Mayor left no doubt that
he had the 1900 men and women in the