The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-21
Some Confusion Caused By Initial Plans for Starting
 the Big Work
GOETHALS MAY YET
 BE PUT ON THE JOB
Colonel Sibert of Alabama Will Also Probably Have Chance to Take Part In Big
 Undertaking
By c. E. STEWART

Washington, May 20.-(Special.) )-There has been considerable comment in this city and quite good deal of astonishment at the action of Secretary Lane in ap- pointing a civilian engineer to undertake the work of constructing the government railroad in Alaska. or at least to under take the preliminary work of the great undertaking. It will be recalled that the building of the Panama canal was first put into the hands of civilians, and it aft- erward became necessary to transfer, the task to the cnsinere corps of the army.
 There has been quite a mixup in the Alaska preliminaries, which has created quite a good deal of gossip in congress sional as well as army circles. A civilian engineer. William c. Edes, was designated by the President upon the request or Sec tary Lane to make the surveys. MT. Lane also requested the President to designate Lieut. Frederick Mears of the army as an assistant to the chief engineer Both appointments were made by the President as requested by Secretary Lane, and then things began to happen.
 Lieutenant Mears called on Secretary Garrison to pay his respects and to re- port that he was going to depart forth with to Alaska the scene of his future ac- tivities.
 Where are you going?" asked the Sec retary of War.
 q am going to Alaska" replied the of fcer.
 'On whose authority are you going to Alaska?" demanded the war secretary.
 "On the authority of the Secretary of the Interior" replied the lieutenant a little abashed.
 T am learning for the first time,' said Mr. Garrison, that the Secretary of the Interior has authority to order army of ficers to duty"
 The officer then explained that he had been designated by the President under e,,,,, act of Congress which gave the executive authority.
 Secretary Garrison looiSed at the law again. although he/nad read it a number or times The Jaw gave the President au'i'o.its to- Designate civilian engineers VI oiii.eps ,.s of the engineer corps of the nsf'rhe President was within his rights SlSn he named Mr. Edes on Secretary 6.anes request as chief engineer. He had no authority at all to name Lieutenant Mears, for the army appointment was re- stricted specifically to the engineer corps Lieutenant Mears is cavalry officer The report is that the Secretary of War called upon the Secretary of the Interior and informed him that he had no objec. tions to his "hurglaring" the war depart | I be pleased if he would wake up the watch mar
 sPl esident4SFilsonz was informed that h, had appointed the wrong nind of an arm,
 officer. There was a hurried confab an, 1 Congress- was called upon to pass a join resolution permitting the President to ap
 point any army officer that he nigh | choose. This has been done. and the ad vance work in Alaska is to be carried on as originally planned by Secretar, Lane. t It Is well known fact that Col. George W. Goethals, governor of the Panama canal zone. was Mir. Lanes adviser in the matter of appointments to the work ir Alaska. Colonel Goethals seemed to thinl, th'.t it would be wise to have a civilian make the preliminary survey and that later, If necessary, the work would be turned over to the army engineers Colone Goethals requested the work be turned over to Edes and Mears
 This is the mystery here. It was SID. posed that some of the army engineer. who had won distinction and accomplished such good work in Panama would be ap. pointed to this work It is hinted thai possibly when the governor of the Pan. anna canal zone retires from office that he would like to take up the work of rail- road construction in Alaska.
 It is the duty of the army engineers ir time or war to construct railroads in the field. This work frequently of neces. sity is carried on under extreme tNfficul. ties The engineers feel that the under. taking in Alaska would afford a splendid held for service lessons. The great diff. culties in railroad construction in Alaska would be fine experience in overcoming them for the army engineers who later might be called upon to do work in the field in time of war The Panama canal stands as monument to the ability of the army engineers.
 However the army will in all probability he called upon to finish the road in Alaska and to do the actual work of construction. Tn winch event it is more than probable tnat Coionel Sibert. Alabama's distin- guished son, will get his opport,1nity there. -