Canals, Interoceanic--Design and construction

Letter from John F. Stevens to Theodore P. Shonts

Chief Engineer John F. Stevens prefers Chief Counsel Richard Reid Rogers’s plan for financing the Panama Canal to that proposed by the engineer John Francis O’Rourke. Stevens cautions Panama Canal Commission Chairman Shonts that the Culebra Cut is “such a mix-up” that there will no doubt be complications in the construction project, and so they should avoid financing based on progress estimates.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-02

Letter from John F. Stevens to Theodore P. Shonts

Chief Engineer Stevens opines on the nature of the government contracts for those building the Panama Canal; he thinks the plan suggested by John F. O’Rourke, a railroad engineer who is one of the bidders, to be “misleading and dangerous.” Stevens says that, in his experience, when dealing with contractors it is necessary “to be ‘as wise as a serpent, and apparently as harmless as a dove.'”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-25

Letter from Theodore P. Shonts to William H. Taft

Chairman Shonts rejects the claims of George T. Kenly that the employee selection process for the Panama Canal project is politically biased. He encloses a copy of a letter from Chief Engineer John F. Stevens which outlines Kenly’s deficiencies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-23

Letter to John F. Stevens

The writer sends Chief Engineer Stevens the invitation for proposals for construction on the Panama Canal; the writer struggled with the section on compensation for the contractors. They are also consulting with Speaker Cannon and Senator Spooner on the language of the letter of transmission. Due to the reorganization enacted by President Roosevelt and Secretary of War Taft, the onus will be on the writer and Stevens. The writer thinks Stevens should be present for the formal awarding of the contract. They inquire after Stevens’ family and write that they have been “knocked out” for the past several days.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-27

Extract of a letter from Theodore P. Shonts to John F. Stevens

Chairman Theodore P. Shonts informs Chief Engineer John F. Stevens that President Roosevelt approved of their plan for contracting the work on the Panama Canal, and Shonts will be going to La Malbaie, Québec, Canada, to confer with Secretary of War William H. Taft about it. Shonts and Richard Reid Rogers, the Canal Commission’s general counsel, are working on the request for proposals, and Shonts will send it to Stevens when it is ready for his input. Shonts also writes that they submitted the proposals for Chinese laborers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-22

Letter from Theodore P. Shonts to William H. Taft

Chairman Theodore P. Shonts offers a plan for the reorganization of the Isthmian Canal Commission responsible for overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal. In light of the upcoming transfer of Governor of the Panama Canal Zone Charles E. Magoon to the Philippines, it seems an opportune time to make the organizational changes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-04

Letter from John F. Stevens to Theodore P. Shonts

Chief Engineer Stevens is familiar with Walston H. Brown, and knows him “to be able.” He recommends that, if it is amenable to President Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of War William H. Taft, the government enter into a contract with Brown and his associates as soon as possible to ensure a quick start to construction in Panama.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-27

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of War Taft is glad that President Roosevelt decided to pursue the course of hiring Chinese laborers for work on the Panama Canal. It may not be necessary to advertise the positions, as there have been a number inquiries, from which it may already be possible invite proposals, but Taft will confer with W. Leon Pepperman and Theodore P. Shonts, of the Isthmian Canal Commission, on the matter. Taft is annoyed by the situation in the War Department relating to the eight hour law. He believes it may appear to outsiders to be a way to win votes from the labor movement, although Taft and Roosevelt both know that it is simply a necessity of enforcing the law, where it had previously been avoided.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-01

Letter from Charles W. Russell to William H. Taft

Acting Attorney General Charles W. Russell has reviewed the agreement that Secretary of War Taft sent to him regarding the hiring of Chinese laborers to work on the construction of the Panama Canal. Russell notes the contract specifies that the laborers will work ten hour days, with additional time to be considered overtime, and clarifies that this clause does not present any issues, as Congress passed an act stating that previous acts limiting the hours of laborers in the United States does not apply to foremen and laborers employed in the construction of the Panama Canal. Further, Russell finds no issue with the provision stipulating that the laborers will be deported from Panama at the conclusion of their contract. Russell concludes that the agreement is “within the ‘authority of the Commission and according to law'”–an opinion with which Attorney General William H. Moody agrees.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-12

Letter from Theodore P. Shonts to William H. Taft

Chairman Shonts of the Isthmian Canal Commission sends Secretary of War Taft proposals for securing alternative sources of labor for the construction of the Panama Canal. He recommends Spanish or Chinese laborers, and outlines the costs for either group. He asks Taft for his input on the proposals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-16

Letter from Joseph Bucklin Bishop to Theodore Roosevelt

Joseph Bucklin Bishop, Secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission, will be giving a speech to the Merchants’ Club of Boston, Massachusetts, regarding the construction of the Panama Canal. He is upset at recent comments by Senator Tillman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-16

Letter from Theodore P. Shonts to Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore P. Shonts encloses his speech to the American Hardware Manufacturer’s Association, believing it to be an opportunity to convey to the American people the difficulty in constructing the Panama Canal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-10

Speech by Theodore P. Shonts before The American Hardware Manufacturer’s Association

Theodore P. Shonts speaks about the difficulties and considerations that went into the construction of the Panama Canal

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-09

Letter from Leslie M. Shaw to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw makes recommendations to President Roosevelt regarding the administration of the Panama Canal. The government had bought steamships to use the canal, but Shaw recommends selling them to private companies and taking sealed bids for contracts to operate the canal routes. He also suggests that the government should use private contractors on building and operating the isthmian railroad the government owns as well, as this will prevent red tape and potential scandals. He does recommend hiring many civil and sanitary engineers to oversee the work, however. Shaw uses examples of government projects using private contractors in Albany and New York City, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to strengthen his argument.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-17

Letter from Hermann Speck von Sternburg to Theodore Roosevelt

Ambassador Sternburg informs President Roosevelt that German Emperor William II will send an expert for the new Isthmian Canal Commission. Sternburg also encloses a clipping that provides an update about the “Morocco affair,” which suggests that the Kaiser is bluffing about his concerns in Morocco to cover his plan to absorb the Netherlands. Finally, Sternburg expresses surprise at the success of Russian Admiral Zinoviĭ Petrovich Rozhestvenskiĭ in reaching Singapore.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-09

Executive order reorganizing the Isthmian Canal Commission

President Roosevelt issues an executive order outlining the reorganization of the Isthmian Canal Commission in Panama. The order details the way in which the commission will now function, how contracts will be issued, and how reports will be made. It also appoints new members to the commission.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-01

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of War Taft updates President Roosevelt on the progress of the construction of the Panama Canal. Taft returns Ambassador John Barrett’s letter to Roosevelt and reports that Barrett has been the recipient of complaints from canal employees due to General George E. Davis’s managing style. Taft also remarks that Barrett does not want to impeach the Isthmian Canal Commission but is justified in criticizing its members. The construction of the canal’s water works may be delayed but is understandable, considering what they have to construct.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-13

Theodore Roosevelt on the Building of the Panama Canal/Theodore Roosevelt on the Panama Canal Zone

In a variety of quotes, Theodore Roosevelt comments on the Panama Canal Zone and the construction of the Panama Canal. He opines that if he left the decision of whether to construct the canal up to Congress, its construction would still be decades in the future. He also says that the United States has no interest in establishing a colony in Panama or interfering in the affairs of Panama.  

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1904-1918

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal cover

The front cover of the Fall, 1989 volume of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal features Theodore Roosevelt atop a steam shovel in Panama during his 1906 inspection of the construction of the Panama Canal. The back cover shows a delegation from the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) to the Netherlands, as well as the winners of the third annual Lawrence J. Saunders Awards of the TRA at the Roosevelt Study Center.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1989

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John F. Stevens

President Roosevelt accepts John F. Stevens’ resignation as Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal project, expecting him to stay in the position until a suitable replacement can be selected and trained. He does not, however, accept all the complaints Stevens has leveled against the Isthmian Canal Commission, Congress, and the realities of “public service.” Roosevelt has not yet decided which, if any, of the bids made on the project will be accepted.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-14