The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-05-02
TILE PANAMA CANAL RIVALS.
4 Private Letter Stolen md Sold to Ono of
the Projectors.

Il Private Letter Stolen md Sold to Ono of
the Projectors.
NV YoRK, May Under date Of
Aspinwall, April is, the Herald to-day
prints the following: {5sE
B One very curious development OF the
rivalry between the several projectors
for tho compilation Of the Panama canal.
and the ill will OF the projectors toward
the original enterprise, has just come to
light. -a- I'll i
1t appears that some time ago NJ,
Berges, the then acting Director General
OF the works, wrote u private letter to
the Liquidator, in which he commented
upon certain remarks that had been
made by the Prefect OF this department
at banquet given by NJ. AIermane, the
President Of the Technical Commission.
This letter, in effect, complained that
the prefect was not only favorably in
clined toward the Sauterau project, but
was actually hostile to the interests OF
the company in liquidation.
Whether this criticism is lust or not
! is more than can say, not knowing up-
on what it was founded. In so far as the
Projects remarks at the banquet went,
however, they were altogether too gem
eral to merit serious criticism, How
ever, be the origin what it may, the fact
remains that such letter was written,
and in the usual course, ms is the case
with all canal correspondence, two
extra facsimile copies were nude for
filing purposes. ....
Now comes the curious and almost in
credible part OF the story. One OF these
duplicates was abstracted by an employe
Of the company. who handed it over TO
Mr.. Sauterau, from whom he received
500 for the document. Whether the
theft was instigated by Sauterau or was
committed by the young man on the in.
spiration OF a happy thought" is one Of
those things which bids fair to remain
one OF the mysteries Of policy and in.
trlgue. In any case it is manifest that
sauterau was party to the transaction,
Tor, so far from concealing the fact, he ia
supposed TO have had the brazen uudaci.
ty to have the letter photographed and
distributed in Panama and Paris. This,
~ Soasoe, i'a HteooG0 " fHjafc tHe Diu
company's interests by. making it ap.
peur that jealousy Of his Great Lake
project is entertained by its off.
GERS. 1t does not. however, ap.
pear to have occurred to him
in what light the impartial critic will re.
gard bis own conduct in encouraging, il
not actually suborning, an cmploye ia
violate the sanctity OF his employers
confidential correspondence. That acte
OF this sort arc often committed in the
course Of the intrigucs OF rivals Is ol
course well understood, but it is moi
often that the veil OF secrecy is thus
thrown aside and ones own infamy pub
lished in two continents. 1.
That the Director Generals complaint
that the Sauterau project was being
shown undue partiality might be Ii
founded, is very possible. At any rate
there was nothing mean or dishonest il
the complaint, which was not in the fora
Of q public reproach, but 4 confidential
/, expression Of private impressions. Th,
disreputable theft aud subsequent pub
lication OF the document can, therefore
s in no way iuiure either the interests O
the Hqaidating Company or the charac
T ter Of NJ, Berges, "a. gsr