The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
IERiI'DY,S PREDECESSOR.
The Republic Of Counani Recalled by 'he
Empire Of the Sarara.

jacques r.ebaudy has been attracting
much attention in France and Swift Serland,
where he has been signing himself Emperor
of the Sahara" on hotel registers, Get
ting uphols, erers 10 work at building .
throne, recruiting an army Of hundred
men and advertising for colonists TO accom-
panv him in November TO the new empire
in the sahara The French press has been
denouncing him AS fraud and Switzerland
is threatening him with criminal prosecu-
ton for en,eavoring TO drum up In Swift
zerand subjects for his paper empire.
Lebaudy's enterprise is following almost
exactly the same lines that marked the rise
and fall of Counani In 1887. The world
was one day informed that the Republic
of Counaui had suddenly arisen In South
America. The republic got along SWIM
minsiy i'll 1t was suddenly nipped by .
deadly frost, though il was in 4 tropical
country.
The Republic of Counani occupied q
triangular bit Of country that had long
been bone Of contention between France
and Brazil. They could not agree which
Of them should possess the treasure. and
so they let matters drift.
One day NJ Guiguis. a French traveller.
rislled his head among the Indians OF that
region, and soon after he returned to PARIS
with an idea which he communicated TO
his friend Jules Gros, a journalist NJ.
Ciuiguis said that now or never was the
time 10 est ablish the Republic Of Counani.
(iuiguis was modest, he bad no itch for
| office. but he convinced Gros that his for
| himself TO be the first President Of Counani.
| Gros snapped at the bait, and In due time
the village OF Counani In this disputed terri
| tory. containing thirty-five houses and $50
| people, held an election and chose Gros
as the President Of the new republic.
| choosing the other members Of his admin
| istration. taking them from among his
| brother journalists. The next thing 70
| do was I o establish the Order OF Counani,
| and it's decorations were lavishly distributed
among Gross friends in Paris.
In September, 1887, Gros began the publi-
cation OF an official journal in Paris, which
eminent and hastened the downfall OF
the state This journal pointed with pride
! to the fact that 1900 coloniste were about
10 follow President Groe to homes beyond
the sea in the youngest republic on earth
The French Government Immediately be-
| came interested and determined to take
1 hand in the enterprise Just 90 far - was
necessary to squelch II.
The blow fell on Sept. II. An ofioial
note was published in Paris saying that the
| proposed Republic Of Counani would b .
| violation Of The rights Of France and Brazil
| that it would not be tolerated, and that no.
body would be permitted 70 lead party
| of French colonists 10 CounAni until the
Government of France had convinced itesli
| that they would not all starve after they
got there.
the cares of Office and resumed hie profes'
sional pursuit of pushing q pencil for Z
| living. The Republic OF Counani had
collapsed like punctured balloon
| We may expect any day % hear Of the
equally rapid fall Of tho Empire Of thu
Sahara, Lebaudy imperial dignity ant
stantial sands of the Sahara viii occupy
a good deal less than pal &c in history.