The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-23
Dictator of the Canal Zone.

Gen. Goethals the builder of the Panama
Canal was given extraordinary powers in the
Canal Zone. He was and is practical dictator
there, holding his own personal court to hear the
grievances of the employees, adopting such plans
as he considered best for the physical and moral
welfare of the men, employing and dscharging
men as appeared to him wise and even deporting
men and women who appeared to have democrat
izng effect the employees and the work in
hand. No officer of the United States govern
ment has been given such arbitrary civil power as
that given to Gen. Goethals and no officer ever
exercised such power with more discretion tact
and success. For eight years he has been a Gar
in the Canal Zone and held the confidence of three
Presidents. four Congresses and the American
people. He completed the canal on time and re-
mains the idol OF the men who worked under him
Gen Goethals is now telling the story of that
great work in a popular magazine, and recounting
some OF the embarrassments with which he had
to contend. These were not government inter
ferenccs from Washington and they were not all
from the heterogeneous character of the labor he
had to deal with Some of these embarrassments
were from and women who had the best in
tentions and the highest ideals, but could not be
made to understand the situation and the condi-
tons to be met They wanted to reform the men
and they wanted to be arbitrary in their efforts
at moral reform as the general was in dealing
with the labor situation. They wanted to close
the clubs on Sunday, prohibit baseball games, and
abolish all the saloons. The general is as tactful
in telling the story he in dealing with these
rcformcrs, but it is apparent that they gatA him
about much trouble did the thousands of
workmcn, and more trouble than the things they
wanted abolished.
He, however allowed the clubs to remain open
on Sunday and persuaded those in charge of the
Y. NJ. c. A. Club to extend the privilege to
its members, that there might be opportunities for
healthy and Christian recreation and prevent the
men from going to the terminal cities of Colon
and Panama which were in foreign territory over
which he had no control For the same reason
he refused to abolish the Saloons and the Sunday
amusements He licensed and regulated the
saloons, and sought authority to establish army
canteen for the soldiers, but Congress had by law
taken that authority from the Secretary of War,
and made it impossible to have a canteen at any
United States army post.
The general says in reference to his plan: at
is curious fact but the police records showed
that there were more arrests for disordcrly con-
duct due to liquor in the towns where liquor was
not sold than in the others, and this was for the
reason that in the former places the men would
DING nQuOr out from inc terminal cities by the
bottle and drink until the supply was exhausted
while in the latter, being obliged to stand as they
drank, there not SO much temptation to over
indulgence and the men after they had satisfied
their thirst went to their homes or about their
business"
The general insisted that the liquors as we'll as
the food supplied should be inspected and none
but pure liquors and pure foods imported into the
Canal Zone, and then with license fees and police
regulations he was able to largely combat the evil
influences OF the foreign cities so near the canal
which were constant temptation to the thousands
Of in his employ. 1t is also apparent from his
story that of the men who were there to
minister to the spiritual needs of the employees
agreed with him as to the practicability of his
Plans but they felt that they had to oppose simply
because of their calling and the fear of criticism
from home. That is one of the embarrassment
Of those who try to reform the world They do
not feel free to deal with conditions as they are
but in the position of the minister who was
criticised for wearing business suit rather than
clerical cloth when he made his pastoral calls, II
more Of them could have the courage and common
sense of that minister when he suggested to his
elders that there was long black coat and 4
black eravat enclosing costumer in his study At