The men who worked on the Panama Canal used to sing this little song
of their own composing:
"See Colonel Goethals,
Tell Colonel Goethals,
It's the only right and proper thing to do.
Just write a letter, or even better,
Arrange a little Sunday interview."
Colonel George W. Goethals was the chief engineer of the canal, and
when he arrived in Panama he found that many of the men were
discontented. They felt they were not treated fairly. Now there were
sixty-five thousand persons employed there, and Colonel Goethals knew
that if they were not kept well and in good spirits the great work
would never be completed. So he said he would be in his office every
Sunday morning at seven o'clock. Then, any man or woman who had a
complaint could come and tell him about it. He was so wise, and
decided the cases with such fairness that the men came to believe in
their new chief and were anxious to serve him.
It was when Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States that
Colonel Goethals was sent to Panama. President Roosevelt was anxious
to have our dream of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama come true,
but many persons in our country as well as in other parts of the world
told him it was foolish to spend money on such an uncertain
undertaking. They said the great slides of gravel and sand along the
sides of the canal could never be stopped. They said the locks would
never work. President Roosevelt paid no attention to these comments,
but selected Colonel Goethals because he was sure he could build the
canal.
Colonel Goethals cared as little as President Roosevelt for the
opinion that the task was impossible. In fact, he told the President:
"Say nothing to such doubting persons. By and by we will answer them
with the canal."
We know that he did give such an answer. He built the canal right
through the red shifting hills of sand that threatened to slide down
and choke his work. He cut away a jungle so the banks of the canal
could be kept free and open. But best of all, he taught order to the
men who worked under him, and they found out that he believed in them,
he believed in the work that he was doing, and he believed in the
Government of the United States. No wonder they made a song about him
and praised his splendid leadership.
As his title tells us, Colonel Goethals belongs to the regular army.
Until he was appointed as the chief engineer of the Panama Canal, no
military man had been in charge there. The men working on the canal
were performing civil duties, and in no way resembled soldiers. When
they heard a regular army officer was coming down, they did not like
the idea of having to obey just as if they were soldiers. Many of the
foremen and officials told their men they would have to spend their
time saluting Colonel Goethals and standing at attention with their
little fingers against the seams of their trousers.
During the first days of his stay in Panama, a banquet was given in
honor of Colonel Goethals, for the men felt they must entertain their
new chief, though they were not friendly to him.
At this banquet, they cheered the former engineer, John G. Stevens,
and did not applaud Colonel Goethals when he appeared. However he was
exceedingly polite and did not notice their bad manners. The men had
expected to see him wear a full dress uniform, and you can imagine how
surprised they were when they saw him dressed in citizens' clothes.
Never once while he was in Panama did Colonel Goethals appear in
uniform.
After the banquet there was a program of speeches. Each speaker made
cutting remarks about the new military control, but the Colonel did
not seem to notice their insults. At last it was his time to speak. He
said only a few words, but they changed the minds of his hearers. He
told them they were all there to build the canal. They were working
for their government, the United States of America. He wanted no
salutes, but he wanted work. This pleased the men and they were
ashamed of their impoliteness.
The Colonel's first act was to organize the workmen into three
divisions, the Atlantic, the Central, and the Pacific.
He put each under a superintendent. Then he stirred up contests
between these divisions. He would tell the men on the Pacific division
how rapidly the men on the Atlantic division were digging or putting
in concrete. Of course, each division wanted to make the best showing,
and the men were always eager to get the Canal Record, a small weekly
newspaper, so they could read the scores of the different divisions.
These scores grew to be more exciting than those of ball games, and
the men worked hard and well.
They liked Colonel Goethals and whenever he went by they saluted him;
not with the army salute which they had scorned, but by waving their
hands, lifting their caps, and greeting him with a smile on their lips
and in their eyes.
They felt free to talk to him because they knew he was their friend.
Shortly after he started his Sunday morning office hours, some of the
lowest paid men told him that their bosses swore at them all day and
used the worst kind of language. At once he sent the following order
out all over the Canal Zone.