Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-11
PRED|CTSEND OF ALL
PANAMA CANAL SLIDES
Gen. Goethals, in Annual Report,
Answers Forebodings of
Calamity Howlers.

| Gen. Cocktails, governor of the Pana-
ma Canal Zone, predicts that the earth
movements in the Panama will be over
come finally and for all times" That
will be accomplished, he says. not
in spite of the disastrous predictions of
the know-it-alls'
| In speaking of the slides, Gen Goe~
! thals says he is moved to go into the
subject again only because of the many
false reports that have been published.
He cites one instance in which a re-
port from English sources said that the
bottom of Culebra cut had been found
! TO ne bog and that canal engineers
! had acknowledged that the big water
way was a failure and were seeking in
formation in England relative to q
Nicaraguan route.
Such reports are false and there is
no foundation for Them Gen. Goe-
that's declares. yet they seem to nave
gained credence probably because
pending treaty between the unlteo
States and Nicaragua contemplates Sc
curing 1som the latter all rights 1or
building a canal on its territory.
United States Has Complete Data.
The report adds that it would not be
necessary to go to England for ln1or-
nation on the Nicaraguan route were IL
being sought, as the United States gov
eminent already has complete data.
The report, after a brief statement
of the slide situation from the time it
began up to the latest movement In
August, 1916, recalls the fact that
committee from the National Academy
of Sciences had been requested by
President Wilson in 1915 to study the
slide situation. The visit of that COM
mittee was welcomed by the canal au-
thorities the report says, for it was
hoped that its report would restore
confidence in the project, since canal
engineers knew that the difficulties
could and would be overcome.
Probably the greatest injury done
the canal was through Prof. Benjamine
LIE Roy Miller, who occupies the chair
of geology at Lehigh University, the
report continues. DR.. Miller. 1T says,
stopped over at the canal on his way
to New York from Costa Rica. and was
given every facility to examine the
slides On his arrival in the United
States. pessimistic report on the
canal was published, attributed to DE-
Miller, and saying that after a thor
ough examination the scientist was
convinced that as much material was
still to be removed from the two big
cuts as had already been taken out
Predictions Proved Harmful.
THE thorough examination occupied
fully three or four hours of his time"
Gen. Goethals says. The position that
he occupied in one of the leading uni
versities of the United States gave
credence to his statements. which were
copied broadcast and commented upon
editorially to the detriment of the ca
nal. His dire predictions were natur-
ally unsettling to shipping interests
which were guided by them to some
extent in routing their commerce else
where"
Gen. Goethals says that DR.. Miller's
statements were erroneous, unwar-
ranted and unfair" and that the acad-
envy committee had been looked to to
help restore the confidence in the ca
nal that DIR. Miller had helped to de-
srroy Although a preliminary report
had been made by the committee in
January, 1916, he adds, its final report
has vet to be received.