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The steamship Ancon passing Cucaracha Slide, the first vessel to pass through the Panama Canal.
MAGAZINE NOTES
Colonel George W. Goethals's own story of
"The Building of the Panama Canal" will begin
in the March number. Thousands have
visited the Canal during and since its building,
and none have failed to bring away with them
an almost overwhelming impression of its magnitude
and wonder at the skill and administrative
ability that have made it possible. Mr.
Bishop tells in this number, in his "Personality
of Colonel Goethals," about the man at the
head. Colonel Goethals will tell of the work
as it progressed, of the many problems that
had to be solved. In the first article he will
tell of his appointment by President Roosevelt,
of his succeeding John F. Stevens, who had
resigned, of the rather delicate readjustment
of conditions, and especially of the "Success
of Government Methods," which dominated
everything. Colonel Goethals makes some pertinent
remarks about the comments of a certain
congressional committee that was inclined
to criticise the relations between the army and
the laboring man. Colonel Goethals never appeared
in uniform.
"I must confess that the slurs and insinuations
were not relished, and in replying I
attempted to make it clear that the army per
se was not in charge in a military sense; that
there was to be no militarism, no salutes; that
I had left behind me all my military duties
and would command the army of Panama,
fighting nature for the accomplishment of the
end that had brought us down here. Their
cause was mine, and we had common enemies,
Culebra Cut and the climate, and the completion
of the Canal would be our victory. I
intended to be the commanding officer, but
the chiefs of divisions would be the colonels,
the foremen the captains, and no one who did
his duty had aught to fear from militarism."
Ex-Mayor of New York George B. McClellan
, and Professor of Economic History, Princeton
University, has written an article for the
March number that will be read with great
interest. It is a remarkable review of "The
War from an American Point of View r ,'' a statesmanlike
comment upon the position and responsibilities
of the nations involved and of the
possible effect of the war upon our own future.
He says that " to assume the present war is the
work of any one man or group of men is to
permit prejudice to warp judgment and to
allow sympathy to befog a clear understanding
of facts." He has some very pertinent and
very reasonable things to say about the question
of an adequate armament for our coasts
and a formidable navy.
"Firmly resisting the efforts of both sides in
this war to entangle and embroil us, preserving
a strict neutrality between the combatants
both now and hereafter, we should prepare to
defend ourselves so that if attack ever comes
we may be able to resist successfully."
(Continued on page 10.) 7