The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-29
BY 8. p. WERNER.

Written especially for the Latin-Amert-
can Section Of THE SUN.
The most important decision made by
the builder of the Panama Canal was
not in the realm of engineering-it was
In the realm of sociology. It was his
decision to encourage the canal diggers
to bring their wives to Panama.
Many writer's have frequently ayerred
that Caucasian women do not thrive In
tropical countries. They say that even
II the men can stand It after a fashion,
II means Ill health and premature death
to the women, and that 1t is especially
hard for them to bear and to rear chill
dren there successfully. The case Of the
British in India is frequently cited,
while the baclxwardness of tropical
America Is often given as an illustra-
ton.
The history of the American women
In the Canal Zone may not be accepted
by those who make these assertions as
conclusive, but taken in conjunction
with certain recent developments in
scientific progress and IN medical re-
search II II a strong rebuttal to this
hypothesis, which I regard as entirely
erroneous
mand at Panama his big problem was
that Of labor. The general lines Of pro-
cedure had been largely worked out and
laid down by his predecessors. But
Messrs. Wallace, Stevens and Shonts
had all been confronted by difficulties
in dealing with the men which had led
to friction in different directions. finally
causing Mr.. Taft to recommend to Presi-
dent Roosevelt the construction Of the
canal by the army Major Cocktails s
FIRST big task was to consolidate and
TO enthuse the big civilian force under
him He and his little corps of army
officers were in command Of 10000 men.
whose nearest approach to q uniform
was their blue shirts. Among the meas
ures he adopted and progressively
carried as rapidly as possible was the
building Of homes for the married men
and the encouragement of the others to
marry II they wished. OF course quite
number had already done so, but. the
| Cocktails regime witnessed the settle
ment on the zone of American women a!
one Of its most marked characteristics.
Healthy Lot of Youngsters.
The result has been that in twelve
years time there have grown up on TIL
| Isthmus a generation Of young Ameri
4
| dren is we'll above a thousand, with pos
sfbly as many more on the waiting list
| and several hundred alumni. These ar
| the liveliest, healthiest, most self-asser
| tive and most cosmopolitan bunch
| youngsters in any community OF simila
| size under the American flag. Two o
the girls hold worlds swimming cham
pionships; two of the boys outpitche
Ray Caldwell when that erratic sta
Joined one of the Isthmian baseba
teams ono winter. One OF the girls l
! a budding poetess; all of them hav
become the subject of pleased common
by visitors because of their vivacity
their vigor and the high average o
their good looks. Several Of the boy
went to France. The first casualty fror
the Zones 400" who went to the wa
was that of a high school graduate
Several have gone to West Point, Ann
apolls and other institutions "in tn
States"
1t is likely that comparative stud
would show that the American wome
on the Zone enjoy better health tina
their cousins "at home" At any rat
most Of them who go home" on Vaca
ton are glad to get back"
It Is OF course too early to test tn
theory that after several generation
the strain will weaken, but there are
large number OF white families in Par
ANA city whose blood has been III
mixed for more than three centurie
and they are very much alive to-da!
The wealthy and cultured president {
the Panama Association OF Commerc
has ten children of exceptional physici
and intellectual vigor and their ancestr
dates almost back to Baiboa's day. Pal
anna is an excellent place for observs
lions on this subject, as 1t has gor
through so many unhappy episodes, bee
subjected to so many hardships, expose
to every sort Of infection owing to Il
location on the great international trad
routes for centuries and was SO long u
seat of epidemic yellow fever and ms
laria- Those who survived all that al
truly a case of the Survival of II
Attest" and Panama's Castilian fan
lilies deserve the palm in that respect.
, Difference in Climate.
Tropical territories differ climaticall
from temperate only in two fundamenti