Evening star., 1901-10-07
AMERICA AND ASIA.
Project of the Alaskan and Trans
Siberian Railroad.

NJ. de LoubeI, representing French syn
dicate. reached the city yesterday from
Dawson. NJ de Loubel has interested him.
self in a trans-Siberian railway, which
shall be connected across the strait Of Ber-
ing sea with an Alaskan road. M. de Lou
bel first conceived this idea after spending
the summer of 1898 along the Yukon. He
returned to France during the following
winter. and while there practically revo-
lutionized things Alaskan in the minds of
his own people. According to his own
story, M. de Loubel had been thinking Of
such a road for years. In vain had he
tried to interest French capitalists in his
scheme. and at last reached the conclusion
that the only hope for his cherished plan
was to spend a period of time in Alaska,
and thus prove to his people that the land
was not the barren waste that the popular
mind of France had conceived it to be.
why" said M. de Loubel, 'it was popu-
larly thought in France, and especially in
Paris, that nothing could be produced In
Alaska but Ice and snow. The Paris pa
pers would produce pictures showing the
people there with their noses frozen off and
starving for want of food. 1 knew as long
such impressions Of the country were in
existence there was no hope for my prof.
ect. and hence l made my first journey to
the Yukon. Before leaving my home coun-
try 1 interested to some extent the Ma
tional Society of France, of which I am q
member. and 1t was through it's assist
ance that was enabled upon my return to
change the popular belief. Great was my.
surprise upon reaching Alaska to find that
they could produce fine cereals in four
months time. better and larger, in fact,
than we can raise in France. I spent q
good bit of time in collecting carrots, cab
bages. oats and the like, which created the
greatest surprise among my countrymen.
1 told the National Society that the sum-
mers in Alaska were fairly warm. and that
the winters were not much. IL any, colder
than in Winnipeg. and after that 1 found
many q willing ear to listen to me. and I
can honestly say that the first work Of sur
veying will be started in all probability
next June.
From Seattle" said M. de Loubel, 'T
will go to San Francisco, and then on to
New York where I will hold a consulta-
ton with J. P. Morgan and ]. D. Rookie
feller. I need not hesitate to tell you that
this railroad will be built, and by syndi-
cate consisting Of French-American and
Russian capitalists. AS you are an Ameri-
can, you know we'll enough that when such
men as J. P. Morgan, for instance, become
interested in project Of this kind, it Is
not only feasible, but that there Is every
chance Of its being pushed through to a
successful completion. In letters which
have received in this city, find that near
ly every one Of the men who are finan-
cling this deal are Of the opinion that the
general public will much more readily take
the matter up when once the work Is start
ed, and for that reason you may state en-
phatically that the preliminary surveys
will be made next year. OF course we
must have base Of supplies while build
ing the Alaskan road, and as Seattle ap-
pears to be naturally the shipping point to
the north we will in all probability pur-
chase our necessary supplies in this city,"
Continuing, M. de Loubel said that after
his consultation with Messrs. Morgan and
Rockefeller in New York he would proceed
at once to France, and then on to Russia.
II have an engagement to meet the czar,"
he said. land as the head of the Russian
government has become interested in this
movement for one cannot see the possbil-
ity Of failure. 1t would be to the interest
of Russia to have Siberia opened up, and
understand by post that the czar sees the
matter in that light. 1t would also be
up market for her, and If the road Is at
least partly controlled by American cap
ital 1t would mean a firm foundation for
your merchants upon which to build fine
oriental trade" 1t was part of M. de
LoubePs plan to interview President Nc
kinley upon this matter, and he was great
ly shocked to learn Of his assassination.
II have not become discouraged, how
ever, he continued, "in interesting the
head of the American government In this
road. I have in my pocket letter from
the French ambassador at Washington d.
c., in which he informs me that he Is sure
President Roosevelt. But with or without
the sanction Of the government, the road is
success. 1t has reached the stage now
where the worlds greatest financiers have
become interested. and that, of course
precludes all possibility of failure"