Editing George Washington Goethals (section)

==Construction of the Panama Canal==
{{See also|History of the Panama Canal}}
[[File:PanamaCanal1913a.jpg|thumb|1000px|center|Construction of locks on the Panama Canal, 1913]]
[[Theodore Roosevelt]] believed that a US-controlled canal across Central America was a vital strategic interest of the country. Roosevelt encouraged the acquisition of the French Panama Canal effort. The purchase of the French-held land for $40&nbsp;million was authorized by the June 28, 1902, [[Spooner Act]]. Since Panama was then part of [[Colombia]], Roosevelt began negotiating with that country to obtain the necessary rights. In early 1903 the [[Hay–Herrán Treaty]] was signed by both nations, but the [[Senate of Colombia]] failed to ratify the treaty.

Roosevelt implied to Panamanian rebels that if they revolted, the US Navy would assist their fight for independence. Panama declared its independence on November 3, 1903, and the [[USS Nashville (PG-7)|USS ''Nashville'']] impeded Colombian interference. The victorious Panamanians gave the United States control of the [[Panama Canal Zone]] on February 23, 1904, for $10&nbsp;million in accordance with the November 18, 1903 [[Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty]].<ref>Parker, Matthew. (2008). ''Panama Fever: The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time—The Building of the Panama Canal''. Doubleday. {{ISBN|978-0385515344}}</ref>

===United States takeover===

The United States took control of the French property—after the bankruptcy of the French ''Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interocéanique de Panama'' that started constructions on The Panama Canal under [[Ferdinand de Lesseps]]— on May 4, 1904. The new Panama Canal Zone Control was overseen by the [[Isthmian Canal Commission]] (ICC) during construction.

The US inherited a small workforce and an assortment of buildings, infrastructure and equipment, much of which had been neglected for fifteen years in the humid jungle environment. There were no facilities in place for a large workforce, and the infrastructure was crumbling.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=M6JAAQAAMAAJ&dq=2148+buildings+panama+canal&pg=PA2598 Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers], United States Army, Part 2.</ref>

Although chief engineer [[John Findley Wallace]] was pressured to resume construction, [[red tape]] from Washington stifled his efforts to obtain heavy equipment and caused friction between Wallace and the ICC. He and chief sanitary officer [[William C. Gorgas]] were frustrated by delay, and Wallace resigned in 1905. He was replaced by [[John Frank Stevens]], who arrived on July 26, 1905. Stevens' approach was to press ahead first and obtain approval later. He improved drilling and dirt-removal equipment at the Culebra Cut for greater efficiency, revising the inadequate provisions in place for soil disposal. In November 1906 Roosevelt visited Panama to inspect the canal's progress, the first trip outside the United States by a sitting president.

===Chief engineer of the Panama Canal===
[[File:Panama Canal under construction, 1907.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Panama Canal under construction, 1907]]
Whether contract employees or government workers would build the canal was controversial. Bids for the canal's construction were opened in January 1907, and [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]-based contractor [[William J. Oliver (industrialist)|William J. Oliver]] was the low bidder.  Stevens disliked Oliver, and vehemently opposed his choice. Although Roosevelt initially favoured the use of a contractor, he eventually decided that army engineers should carry out the work.<ref>DuVal, Miles P. (1947) ''And the Mountains Will Move: The Story of the Building of the Panama Canal''. Stanford University Press.</ref> According to the book ''The Panama Canal: An Army's Enterprise'', Goethals made such an impression on [[William Howard Taft]], then [[Secretary of War]], that Taft recommended him as an engineer for the Panama Canal.<ref name=CMH /> Stevens, frustrated by government inaction and the army involvement, resigned from his position.<ref>For an excellent book on these early years see: Mellander, Gustavo A. (1971) ''The United States in Panamanian Politics: The Intriguing Formative Years.'' Danville, Ill.: Interstate Publishers. {{OCLC|138568}}.</ref>

In February 1907 [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] appointed Colonel George Washington Goethals chief engineer of the [[Panama Canal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/panama-engineers/|title=WGBH American Experience . Panama Canal - PBS|website=[[PBS]]|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=December 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231120316/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/panama-engineers/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>McCullough, David (1977), ''The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870–1914'', New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 505-508. {{ISBN|0-671-24409-4}}</ref> The building of the Canal was completed in 1914, two years ahead of the target date of June 10, 1916.<ref>Brodhead, Michael J. 2012. "The Panama Canal: Writings of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Officers Who Conceived and Built It." p.1.</ref>

Colonel Goethals received unstinted praise from visiting engineers and from the technical press of the world. In 1913 the degree of [[Legum Doctor|LL.D.]] was conferred on him by the [[University of Pennsylvania]], and in the spring of 1914 he was awarded medals by            the [[National Geographic Society]], the Civic Forum (New York), and the National Institute of Social Sciences. In 1914, Goethals and [[William Crawford Gorgas]] were awarded the inaugural [[Public Welfare Medal]] from the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]].<ref name=PublicWelfare>{{cite web|title=Public Welfare Award |url=http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_pwm |publisher=National Academy of Sciences |access-date=14 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604024100/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_pwm |archive-date=4 June 2011 }}</ref> Also, Congress awarded Goethals their thanks and a promotion to major general. [[Woodrow Wilson|President Wilson]] appointed Goethals as the first [[List of Governors of Panama Canal Zone|Civil Governor of the Panama Canal Zone]].<ref name=CMH />