Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-30
TlLLMAN ON CANAL WORK.
He 10 Enthusiastic Over What Has
Been>Aeeomplished.

He Is Enthusiastic Over What Has
Been<AceompIished.
The Portland Oregonian published
the following interview with Senator
B. r. Tillman on July 18th:
Colonel George Goethals has "out-
Germaned" the Germans in efficiency
in the construction of the Panama ca
nal, according to Senator Benjamin
Ryan Tillman of South Carolina, who
arrived in Portland Friday, to visit his
daughter and son-in-law, Mr.. and Mrs.
Harry w. Hughes, for a week. To
this efficiency he credits the success Of
the tremendous undertaking which he
inspected on his way to Portland. He
tells Of his visit as follows:
II spent a week in the Canal Zone
two days on the Atlantic or Gulf side
and four days on the Pacific. Although
in no way connected with the army,
except as a member Of the appropria-
tion committee, I felt it my duty to get
as much information as I could about
actual conditions there.
II became enthusiastic by associa-
ton with the army officers, coast ar
tillery officers and those Of the regular
infantry. The artillerymen are work.
ing like beavers at both ends to get
the Notifications in good condition, and
already have in place, ready for busi-
ness, many heavy mortars and IL and
IA inch rifles, so I feel convinced that
any hostile fleet attempting to enter at
either end would receive very warm
treatment.
General C. R. Edwards is in COM
mand Of the forces on the isthmus. He
Is well able to see and know what the
army needs. Having known General
Edwards in Washington for many
years. was not surprised at the grasp
and earnestness which he displayed.
But Notwithstanding the fact that
was an invalid, so to speak, by sheer
will power 1 was able to stand up un-
der the strain.
II visited the camp Of the Third in:
fantry, detailed on the south side Of
the canal, and became convinced that
General Edwards Is the right man for
the job on the isthmus.
"He is prepared to repel any invad-
er from any source whatsoever be he
German, Jap or what not
Captain Hugh Rodman, Of the Unit
ed States navy, in charge Of the special
canal then took me in hand and we ran
down to Gatun dam on a special motor
car belonging to the I. c. c., which
means on the isthmus, isthmian canal
commission, and not interstate COM
merce commission.
1.-The engineers believe that eight
months Is enough, when they hope that
the expense Of dredging will cease. or
course I do not presume to put my
judgment against theirs, but the cracks
in the earth on the north side Of the ca
nal indicate that the mountain Is mov-
ing toward the water, slowly causing
the mud to press up from the bottom
Of the canal, and the dredges are con-
stantly at work-four or five Of them
taking out this material.
81 made crude guess that 1t will re-
quire two or three years more and sew
eral million dollars before the work
will be completed. Since the $4,000
ton Finland came through the canal, on
which I sailed for San Francisco,
enough earth has slid into the canal
to prevent the Kroonland, her sister
ship, from following, and I doubt seri-
ously whether the three battleships on
which the Annapolis cadets are to visit
the exposition will get through safely.
Il was much impressed with the wis
dom Of President Wilson in not per-
mitting our battleships to go through
the canal at this time, as they might
have been prevented from returning to
the Atlantic.
Admiral Rousseau had shown me
the Gatun dam before left Colon.
Il did not see Colonel Goethals on the
isthmus, because he was in the United
States at the time, but did see Col.
Harding, his assistant. I became i'm
pressed with one thing, after talking
with some Of my old South Carolina
friends whom I found there, that Col.
Goethals has had one idea predominant
efficiency.
HE has out-Germaned the Germans
in this great work, and If a man was
sent to the canal who did not make
good, Colonel Goethals told him to
move on. It has been his religion.
1.-The work impresses one in it's mag
nitude and greatness at every step taxi
en-, and, in expressing my opinion, l
believe it Is as permanent as human
energy and skill and brains can make
it.
Science has lent it's aid, and modern
engineering with American leadership