Evening star., 1928-01-26
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

the river into the canal, because they
would build high wall TO protect the
canal.
Gen. John r. Stevens has pointed out
that in the Canal Zone. IL sometimes
rains Is inches In 10 hours. Instead Of
wasting the food waters ''on the other
side OF the mountain" or trying to dam
them with stone wall. they are now
utilized by being caught In a great basin
| between mountains and held as a rese.-
vo!r supply for the locks.
Few outside his intimate associates
ever realized the personal qualities
which distinguished Mai Gen Goethals,
In a book by Mr.. Joseph Bucklin Bishop.
| who WAS secretary OF the Panama com
mission and closely associated with Gen.
Goethals for seven years. this paragraph
Is significant:
What was needed. in fact, for the
accomplishment OF the gigantic work
which the United States Government
had undertaken on the Isthmus OF PAN
anna vas man at the head who was
both great engineer and great ad
mtnlstrator This rare combination
| for few engineers possess large admin
iStrative ability---was found in Col
Goethals, II shalt give him. In this mar
rative, the rank which he held at that
timep He had not been long on the
Isthmus before he made 1t apparent
that both as an engineer and as an ad-
mlnisuator he stood In the first rank
Tie revealed himself almost at once as
that rare product OF nature. the born
leader or men. From the outset he tonk
his place In a class by himself, and held
III, without dispute or question. TN his
TASK was completed. There were. among
ms o!nclal associates. able engineers and
men o. trained ability In other profex-
SionS, but he alone possessed in the SUI
preme degree which the case demanded
the qualities Of leader and admins
traitor"
IL mas been reported In the press this
week that after Gen. Goethals had been
, on The job some months ne returned TO
washington To offer his resignation be-
| cause he was hampered by the constan,
interference oi the commissioners, but
that PRESIDENT Roosevelt requested him
10 prepare an order for the President To
A'en' "il'ch would make him supreme
ana iii"'Iehdcnt OF the commissioners
~ was stated that Secretary of War
Iait and Attorney General Bonaparte
agreed That such an order would he H.
! legal, but that Roosevelt signed It never
! thritas on the ground that the canal
must DC completed regardless OF o,lib.
Dlea. alliei Justice Taft now denies the
accuracy oi That story. without specify.
| ing details.
IL Is mahifestly inaccurate for Il WAS
Chief Engineer Stevens who Mas
hnmpertd by the commissioners So that
when Grn. Stevens resigned, and l,en
, doetha'S succeeded hun, the old board
oi commissioners was dismissed and
new board appointed Undoubtedly
| the supremacy of Gen. Oasthals Was
ea'an'lsird before he accepted The fe-
spoiln'pi'its' II Is generally conceded.
whether III the Army OF In business
! that while conferences and councils ARE
| useful pFnding The consideration ot
| plans, when the objective Is decided
upon only one-man authority II ever
efficient
Vet den. Goethals, whose appoint
ment brought CONSERVATION among
the happy vso~iucky masses Of emplo.es
on the cunal construction, because he
was military man aud therefore a
surpassed martinez, astanished both
civilians and military circles by wearing
only civilian clothes and LETTING II he
known that no one would he disctiml-
mated against because he WAS not Ia
the Army nor favored berause he Vas
Effeirnl work WAS all that mattere,l
Ia fact he nitted civilian heads ot
! departments against military heads Tor
tho direct purpose aI creating rivalry
IA efficiency,
i
The name uoethais itself Ia Significant
OF character, An ancestor named
iinno,ius. ~ au0, while nghting unde,
the standard Of The french Duke VI
hufaunCy, Was alru,k a tetrinc sWofd
blow aerosh the neek by saraeen
enemy Ordinarily such u hla@ would
have proved fatal but his armot Was
sa superior that II saved him itom
injury, and he Mas nieknamed "han