New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
spiration of their excellent schools OF forestry
arboriculture has become q science
N DE TFSSEPYS REFLECTTONS.


NJ. de Lesseps has been delighting Paris with
n new series of moral reflections upon the civil
izing effects of great enterprises. lie CONTENDS
that the construction of interOceanlc canals mas
introduced a new principle in human anairs,
namely, that the investment of great masses OF
capital in maritime highways "conduces to the
solidarity of the interests of all nations" Ims
is one of those glittcring phrases when lnVa-
rably fascinate the French Imagination Nheh
analyzed by practical tests it seems meaning
less. The Suez Canal was originally built en-
tirely with French capital as national enter
prise. To-day twO-ffths of the stock IS owned
by the Queens Government and more than four
fifths of the shipping passing through IL Is
British. While the rights of the company ac-
quired under the original grants have been
recognized by the Gladstone Government, the
enterprise has practically ceased to be French
and has become English. The Egyptian cam
paign was undertaken because the Canal was the
highway to India and must be protected as
distinctiyely British interest. If Lord Granville
has proposed to the Powers liberal basis Tor
international action respecting the freedom and
naturalization of the Canal, it has been because
Great Britain, having the strongest navy III the
world, finds it convenient to regard the water
way as a strait connecting two seas. This great
work is practically controlled by the Power
which has obtained a complete ascendancy over
the Egyptian Government. The capital IN
vested in it, instead of conducting to the solid
aTity Of all nations" has promoted the interests
of one nation TO the exclusion of other nations
If there had been stronger and more stable
government in France year ago. it might have
brought the two rivals for Egyptian control
face to face in a European war.
The Panama Canal which VI. de LcsSeps
affirms will contribute to the solidarity Of the
interests of all nations is now absorbing tho
| savings of the French people. 1t is a national
rather than international investment. NJ de
Lesseps has no difficulty in raising money for
it, for the financial success Of the Suez Canal
has proved that such undertakings will yield
enormous dividends. The debcntures of the
Panama Company are promptly taken as fast as
they are issued, for Frcnchmcn have faith in
him as financicr as well as an engineer. The
enterprise is a national one, so far as it has pro-
Ceedcd, and there is reason to believe that 1t
will be completed. Recent reports from the
engineers state that the labor required for its
construction is easily obtained, and that while the
original estimate for excavation was too low
by twenty-five per cent, the work is advancing
more rapidly than NJ de Lcsseps had predicted
There is less cutting of hard rock than the pre-
| lminary surveys called for and although
| 0O00O,000 metres of earth will have to be
removed in place of 8O,OOO,OOO, the work can
probably be completed in 1887 a year in adj
vance of the original estimate Within -four or
five wears the United States Government will be
forced to take some positive action in regard to
this maritime highway. 1t will be French
work constructed mainly for the use of Ameri-
can and British shipping. Is its international
regulation to be determined by NJ. de Lesscps's
philosophical reverics and grandiosc phrases,
or is it to be boldly aud practically defined by a
statesmanlke policy in accord with the Monroe
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