GEORGE W. GOETHALS 209 dissatisfied with the government houses, committees of work- ing men, eager inventors with devices for revolutionizing some process of construction, homesick boys desiring to be sent home — all these come to * * tell the Colonel. ' * It is not an easy task for a leader ; but it pays, for it touches the heart of the matter, which is justice between man and man. After I had heard some of these cases I understood better the easy, democratic way in which the Colonel met so many of the men when out on the work :
- Mr. Smith, how's the boy getting along! **Any more
trouble with the house f **Mr. Burke, what do you hear from homef No one, however, presumes upon this sympathy, this readi- ness to do justice ; or if they do presume once it never hap- I)ens again. For true justice, while it is kind, is never weak. Behind these Sunday morning hearings looms always the stem purpose : the canal is to be dug I A man came into the office one Sunday morning, complain- ing that he had been unfairly discharged. The Colonel keeps a complete record of every employee of the canal. After re- ferring to this record he turned to the workman before him.
- * See here, Mr. Smith, this is your history, and it is not a
good one. You have not been faithful to your job. You have been constantly in trouble. We can't dig the canal with men like you. You can see that yourself. You come asking for justice and I'm going to give it to you. I am going to con- firm your discharge and send you home. ' ' Everything must be done to build up a spirit of common en- thusiasm. Many men, for example, who came to see Goe- thals, especially the more ignorant workmen, complained of abusive language on the part of foremen brought up in the old school of private enterprise. One day Goethals issued this order: PBOFANB LANGUAGE Culebra, C. Z., August 4, 1911. CiRCULAB No. 400 : The use of profane or abusive language by fore-
