THE PRESIDENCY: Cigarets for Sharks’ Teeth

Piped ashore from the Houston at Balboa last week, Franklin Roosevelt for the second time in his Administration set foot in the Panama Canal Zone. Refreshed by a fortnight at sea, the President proceeded to turn on his most charmful smile. Taken out twelve miles through the jungle to see the new $13,000,000 Madden Dam on the Chagres River, completed since Mr. Roosevelt’s westward passage across the Isthmus last year and calculated to supplement the Canal’s water supply by 22 billion cubic feet, he graciously remarked: “When you compare the two, you wouldn’t believe that Boulder is so much bigger than this. It is about three times as high, but it doesn’t look it.” And when President Harmodio Arias, whom President Roosevelt had just dubbed “the Canal Zone’s best neighbor,” lit the cigarets of Mr. Roosevelt and Canal Zone Governor Schley, then his own on the same match, the U. S. President chuckled: “It’s obvious that you’re not an Irishman.”

Next in order was a review of five regiments at Fort Clayton, recently branded a “suicide post” by rambunctious Publisher Nelson Rounsevell of the Panama American (TIME, Sept. 30). Following the review, the President pointedly wirelessed Major General Harold B. Fiske, commander of the Panama Canal Department who had sued Publisher Rounsevell for criminal libel and won: “Will you publish to your command my recognition and appreciation of the fine soldierly bearing and appearance of the troops at Fort Clayton?”

Clearing the Canal, the Houston’s party went sightseeing around the old harbor of Porto Bello, visited the Panamanian San Blas Islands.

Native Indians welcomed ashore WPAdministrator Harry Hopkins and PWAdministrator Harold Ickes, who peeped over his spectacles at the surrounding thatched huts, drew a laugh from the party by remarking: “Low-cost housing!”

Meantime an Indian with his shirt tail out, smoked glasses over his eyes and a battered Army campaign hat on his head climbed aboard the Houston. This was Chief Olo-Benanya of the San Blas come to call on Chief Franklin Roosevelt of the U. S. Chief Olo-Benanya spoke no English and Chief Roosevelt spoke no Chibchan. Nevertheless, the Indian managed to barter some spears and a handful of sharks’ teeth for several cartons of cigarets from Mr. Roosevelt. This deal accomplished, the Presidential party sailed up the squally Caribbean, planning to land at Charleston, S. C. and be back in Washington by the middle of this week.