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150 Personality of Colonel Goethals
tinued the colonel, "at three o'clock yesterday
that if the commission would defray the
afternoon. All the tools and the cost of removal and housing they would
men were taken on it to the new place. I support the alleys to the full extent of their
had arranged with the chief quartermaster
power." "What is your power?" asked
to provide quarters for them, and they the colonel, and the whole plan collapsed.
are all installed there now." The official, The chaplain, after stammering for a moment,
admitted that he could not say
showing visible agitation, declared that
unless the order taking the work from his what the power was worth.
supervision were revoked or modified he The management of the commission
saw nothing for him to do but resign. club-houses had been placed at the outset
"As for resigning," said the colonel, "that
is a matter for your personal decision, but
under the Y. M. C. A. of the United States
because that institution had a trained and
the order will neither be revoked nor modified."
experienced force for the work. Under
The official resigned, and the gen­
the rules of the association no games
eral comment on the incident was one of of any kind were permitted in the clubhouses
on Sunday, although the club­
astonishment that a man who had served
seven years under the colonel knew him houses were open on that day. The result
so slightly as to think he would revoke or
modify an order he had once issued.
The faculty of going surely and directly
to the vital point of a matter is possessed
of this was that many employees did
not become members of the clubs because,
Sunday being their only holiday, they
wished to enjoy themselves as much as
in a remarkable degree by Colonel Goethals.
possible. Colonel Goethals was an ear­
So also is the gift of plain speech. nest advocate of full privileges on Sun­
While inspecting the work in progress days, but he was opposed by the national
under an associate official he rebuked him committee of the Y. M. C. A. in the
sharply for disobedience to orders, saying
his conduct amounted to disloyaldraw
their workers on the Isthmus if such
United States, who threatened to withty.
The official unconsciously confessed privileges were granted. A visiting member
of the national committee, in discuss­
judgment by saying: "I can be loyal to
you." "You can be loyal," retorted the ing the subject with the colonel, said:
colonel; "then you have not been !" "I "Now, colonel, how many employees do
am told," continued the official, "that you estimate go, as you say, into objectionable
places in the cities of Panama and
you have accused me of disloyalty and
have said that a man who is disloyal will Colon on Sundays because they cannot
lie and steal?" "So he would," said the play billiards, pool, bowling, and other
colonel, "given provocation."
games in the club-houses on that day?"
The Canal commission had club-houses "The answer to your question," said
in six of the largest settlements along the the colonel, "which every member of a
line of the Canal, but there was none at Christian church who believes in its
Ancon. These contained, among other tenets must make is, that if by keeping
features, billiard and pool rooms and bowling-alleys.
When the building at Culebra one man could be kept away from those
all the club-houses open fully on Sunday
was removed because threatened by the places, the opening would be justified."
slides in the Cut, employees at Ancon petitioned
Colonel Goethals to have the responsibility in a committee on an inter­
When a question arose as to individual
bowling-alleys placed at Ancon. They national matter with the Panama Republic,
one member of the committee being
offered, in case the commission should be
willing to defray the cost of moving and absent in the United States, a member
housing them, to assume the cost of maintenance.
The commission chaplain at could not safely assume the responsibility
present said he thought the committee
Ancon gave cordial support to the proposal
and called upon the colonel one day was a member, said: "Oh, that's all right.
of the absentee. Colonel Goethals, who
to report progress. "The boys held a I'll take the responsibility for two."
meeting last night," he said, "to consider A Panama government official, on the
the question. They were very enthusiastic
and authorized me to say to you tuous and possibly riotous political
eve of what threatened to be a tumul­
cam-