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Secretary of War Taft sends President Roosevelt a copy of a letter written to Theodore P. Shonts, chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission. Taft notes the antagonism that often exists between capitalists and labor organizers, and he hopes that it will be possible to avoid “unnecessary quarrels” with labor unions during their work on the Isthmus.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-01
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-23
Theodore P. Shonts, Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC), tells Secretary of War Taft that he has written to Executive Secretary of the ICC directing him to respond to the charges Poultney Bigelow made in a September article. Shonts asks that Taft tell Lady Townley that they have tried employing Jamaicans as foremen and that Shonts will revisit the matter with Chief Engineer of the ICC Stevens.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-25
Secretary of War Taft agrees with President Roosevelt that it is wise to send Charles Edward Magoon to the Philippines, but also that the last thing the Roosevelt administration can afford to do is to let Theodore P. Shonts and John F. Stevens, both involved with the engineering and construction of the Panama Canal, to control relations with the Panamanians. They need a Minister who can prevent trouble in that area, especially in regard to labor organization. Taft informs Roosevelt that he has written to Shonts and asked for a statement concerning the character and history of Walston Brown.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-18
Secretary of War Taft agrees with President Roosevelt’s decision to appoint John Marshall Harlan. Taft then analyzes the political considerations in making the appointment of the Supreme Court justice who will succeed Henry Billings Brown. Taft also expresses concern about Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal John F. Stevens’s inability to answer the charges of Poultney Bigelow’s article in The Cosmopolitan, even if the charges have no foundation. In addition, Taft notifies Roosevelt that he tried to get Major George W. Goethals, an army engineer, to be Secretary of the Board to live on the Isthmus of Panama, but the presence of Secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission Joseph Bucklin Bishop prevents it. Taft recognizes that Congressman Julius C. Burrows is “indignant” about Taft’s involvement in the appointment of District Judge in the Western District of Michigan, but Taft does not think Burrows is justified.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-21
Secretary of War Taft updates President Roosevelt in his capacity as the head of the Isthmian Canal Commission. Taft feels that they should not create contracts for work on the canal without advertising. He has approved Theodore P. Shonts’s leave to travel home with his family from Europe, but not Shonts’s plan to see canals in Manchester or Europe in an official capacity because he is not an engineer and that would bring criticism on him. A rivalry has arisen between John F. Stevens and Charles E. Magoon, and now may be the time to reorganize the Canal commission and civil government and the relationship between the two. Taft looks forward to discussing this with Roosevelt on his return next month.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-17
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-04
Secretary of War Taft discusses the process of hiring labor for the Panama canal project. Taft believes that they can hire Chinese labor, and he prefers workers from China over locals and the Caribbean in general. Taft also believes they should not let any contracts before they receive all bids and that if they start advertising now, they can bring over the first wave of workers from China. Taft estimates that they need no more than 2,500 men but should leave room in the contract for more if need arises. John F. Stevens also believes they should employ workers from a variety of places, including Spain, in case they end up having problems with one particular group. They will begin once he hears back from President Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-27
Charles Edward Magoon writes to Secretary of State Root regarding recommendations for successors to his positions in Panama, since he will be transferred to the Philippines. He recommends Colonel William Crawford Gorgas for governor and commissioner and William F. Sands for minister. Given the circumstances of Panama, he believes that Gorgas should be given the dual appointment of governor and minister. However, if the positions are separated he recommends Sands. Magoon wishes to return to the United States prior to his transfer in order to handle his personal affairs and confer on his next position.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-24
W. Leon Pepperman sends William Loeb several pieces of correspondence concerning Chinese laborers working on the Panama Canal.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-25
Secretary of War Taft has directed Theodore P. Shonts and John F. Stevens to send copies of the contracts with the Chinese laborers to President Roosevelt. Taft also asked Shonts and Stevens to send Roosevelt their opinion on whether Chinese labor should be used to build the Panama Canal.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-25
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-12
Paul Charlton discusses the possibility of employing Chinese labor in the construction of the Panama Canal.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-29
Secretary of War Taft discusses plans for a new department of sanitation within the Philippine government. He informs President Roosevelt that they should install a weaker governor because they do not want him to interfere with the plans of Theodore P. Shonts or John F. Stevens.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-19
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-16
Theodore P. Shonts discusses the proposed restructuring of the Panama Railroad Co.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-01
Secretary of War Taft sends President Roosevelt the transcript of an interview conducted as part of an investigation into a shipment of women having been sent to Panama at the expense of the Isthmian Canal Commission. Taft affirms that each of the women was a wife or sister of the canal laborers, and that none were “imported for purposes of prostitution or other immorality.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-01-10
Michael F. Moran chronicles the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s (TRA) Panama Canal Centennial Strenuous Life Adventure of March 2014. Moran describes the itinerary of the group, highlighting its passage through the canal on a cruise ship and its stop at various offices and sites associated with the construction of the canal. Moran also refers to figures prominent in the building of the canal such as John F. Stevens. Moran describes the condition of Colon, Panama, highlights the group’s bird watching expedition, and notes the costumes of the native Embera Indians.
Twenty photographs and a map appear in the text while a photo album of seventy-two color photographs arrayed in twelve pages follows the article.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
2014
In a letter to his son Kermit Roosevelt, President Roosevelt describes aspects of his trip to Panama to check on the progress of building the Panama Canal. Roosevelt notes the heavy rain, the work of the steam shovels, and his long days of inspecting various aspects of the project. Roosevelt remarks that the jungle flora and fauna renewed his interest in natural history.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
1906-11-20
Charles O. Bishop explores the origins of the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and Joseph Bucklin Bishop. Bishop traces the relationship to the time when Roosevelt served as a police commissioner in New York City, and Joseph Bucklin Bishop publicized Roosevelt’s work in his newspaper editorials. Bishop notes Joseph Bucklin Bishop’s disregard for Andrew D. Parker, another member of the police commission, and he highlights Bishop’s work on the Isthmian Canal Commission and Roosevelt’s request that Bishop write his biography.
Four photographs of Joseph Bucklin Bishop supplement the text.