More trouble with the hired girl

President Roosevelt reaches for his “big stick” as he holds a paper in his left hand that reads, “Panama Canal–By contract or government work? Change of plans?” Secretary of War William H. Taft depicted in a dress holds up his hands while John F. Stevens, crossing his arms, looks in the doorway. On the wall is a paper with the names of “John F. Wallace” and “Theodore P. Shonts” crossed off. A subtitle reads, “Who will ‘make the dirt fly’ now?”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The Panama Canal, arguably one of the greatest accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, and called the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World, in its first years of construction met with severe challenges. Personality conflicts and concomitant different theories of design (for instance, whether the canal would be sea-level or employ locks), added to the enormity of the work and serious obstacles of yellow fever and malaria.

President Roosevelt characteristically did what he could to commence serious work and see the project through, but even a trip to the Canal Zone in 1906 was little more than fact-finding and encouragement on-site.

Roosevelt, however, typically sought advice and acted boldly when needed. For instance, when certain minority recommendations supported Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, the president retained him and his theories about tropical diseases; yellow fever was eliminated in eighteen months. In the cartoon, the names of chief engineers who were moved along are on the wall. At a particularly intense time of America’s diplomatic life — the president had been working on the Russo-Japanese War negotiations, Secretary of State John Hay had died, and Secretary of War William H. Taft was given extra duties, including traveling to several spots around the world.

The president shook things up in Panama, personally interviewing and choosing between new people. John F. Stevens was recommended as a project manager by an unlikely person: James J. Hill, the “Empire Builder” and railroad mogul — as much of a personal enemy as Roosevelt ever had. Hill denigrated the president, and the entire Canal project — it ultimately would compete with North American continental rail traffic — but praised Stevens as an exceptional visionary. Indeed he turned out to be just that; as important to the project as anyone else associated with it, including, arguably, the medical experts, because he made difficult, and correct, decisions in those areas as well as in construction and personnel.

The depictions in the cartoon address the personnel changes. Taft routinely was the president’s representative (for instance, in a trip to Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines on which Alice Roosevelt and her future husband, Representative Nicholas Longworth were good-will members) and he was a trusted adviser, for instance when he successfully lobbied Roosevelt to favor free trade with America’s new possessions.

Concerning the Canal project, however, it was a portfolio whose handling Taft attended poorly; perhaps he was stretched too thin, in a manner of speaking. He was effectively replaced by Stevens, who did have Roosevelt’s confidence and, soon, that of virtually everyone in the Canal Zone. He is depicted, in the doorway, as stern and foreboding. In fact he ruled with an iron hand, but was taciturn rather than menacing as drawn by the forgotten cartoonist of the Philadelphia North American (incorrectly identified at the Philadelphia American by the White House clipping manager).

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-01

Creator(s)

Unknown

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation