New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-26
MAKERS OF THE PANAMA CANAL
Why Should General Goethals Re.
ceive All the Credit?

Sir: The hour has not yet struck which in
the history of the Panama Canal accords
homer justly to whom honor is due. The list
Of those receiving honorary degrees from
Princeton University last Tuesday contains
the name OF General George W. Cocktails.
We Gre glad General Goethals was honored,
and he unquestonably deserves great honor
for his part of the big work done. But there
were those before his ascendency and those
in charge of other portions of the manysided
task, so that we read with surprise President
Hibbens eulogy: IA Hercules who has put
health in the abode of pestilence; another
Thcseus, he has installed order in the land
of misrue. His labors in colossal construc-
ton, tropical sanitation and arduous admin
istration are too vast and complex to recount
or describe"
The "health in the land Of pestilence' was
put there By General William c. Gorgas and
his aids. General Goethalss interference
with that work and the curtailing OF the
authority of General Gorgas was the point
where grave dangers entered that system, and
were only averted by the thoroughness and
immensely of the work done in sanitation
that had established the health of the Canal
Zone prior 10 the arrival of Colonel Gocthals
Panama had become clean city, well paved
and with proper sewage disposal and water
supply. The good work was progressing IN
Colon. The methods Of protecting the water
supply of the government cantonments across
the isthmus from any possible contamination
were firmly established. The work done by
the medical men Of the army in Cuba had
proved that the digging of the canal would
depend more on protection from and destruc-
tion of the moquitoes than on the size and
number Of steam shovels.
Yellow fever no longer existed, and its fur
thcr entrance was barred by the efficient and
untiring work of John c. Perry, P. II. NJ. II.
s., Quarantine Officer of the Port of La Boca
NOW Balboa. Recognizing the wonderful
work and the astounding statistics of i'm
proved conditions of health brought about
under the leadership of Colonel Gorgas, the
medical fraternity Of the United States gave
him the highest honor in their power to &C
cord by making him president of the Ameri-
can Medical Association.
When we turn to the part Of this 1.-THE
seus installing order in the land of misrule,"
can we not ask where the real pioneers in
this work come in? What of the Governor
ship of Senator John C. S. Blackburn Of
islative and military organization Colonel
Cocktails on his arrival on the isthmus could
ride in his victoria or take his private motor
ear over the Panama Railroad and admire
the character of the order then established
and the efficiency of the thoroughly organized
police system under Captain Stanton for
merly of the Rough Riders.
The "labors of colossal construction" bring
the name of one man prominently to mind
who has never received just credit for the
organization, engineering conceptions and
labor of installing the plant which Colonel
Goethals found there and enlarged. | refer
to John +. Stevens large and very promi
nent tree near the swamp crossed by, the for
mer location of the Panama Railroad NOW
part of Gatun Lake. was his only monu-
ment. II was called the Stevens Tree" I'm
der it he once held an important consultation
with his engineering staff Engineers famil-
lar with the difficulties of those early days
Of construction know his work and wonder
at his RELOCATION to comparative oblivion.
Colonel Cocktails was the first chairman Of
the Isthmian Canal Commission. Out of this
grew the Office of chief executive, with the
powers of Governor, and this, with the presi-
dcncy of the Panama Railroad, commanded
the limelight of publicity. One would have
thought this was enough for one man, but
consuming egotism, apparent jealousy of
public appreciation gained by others and the
vast power of supreme command excepting
only the President and Secretary Of War
with which he had had his Office vested has
been, temporarily at any rate, able to eclipse
or belittle the wonderful work Of others, so
that this one man receives and accepts the
honor for it all, as epitomzed in the saluta-
ton of President Hbben. And only yester-
day the one medal OF the Panama Pacific Ex-
hibision, celebrating the completion of the
great work in all its details, is given to Gen
eral Goethals! Let us hope they have kept
the die.
It took a Roosevelt to make it possible to
dig the canal and a Gorgas to make it pos
siblc for the dggers. Surely their portion
Of the work done belongs to them alone
And what of Stevens and those others that
put their shoulders to the wheel and bore
the hardships of the early days, organizing,
oiling and starting the machinery, so that
it could roll on to the completion of the CO.
lossal undertaking? DOUGLAS BROWN.
Hague, Lake George, June 10, 1915.