Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-23
on.d that his American friends table on

tlOneQ Inat MS American AiiOhNc $1,000
Rockefeller's concours).
What are the nature of the concessions
you ask of the Russian government!
Russian Concessions.
''They are in the nature of those on
which your own transcontinental railway
have been built-so much land on each
side of the line, ETC., etc. The route mas
been marked out with this view. through
out its, length in Siberia it runs through
rich territory only waiting for development.
There is the same geological formation as
in Alaska, the same minerals neing .ou me-,
| at the same depths. Alaska will naturally
develop the more rapidly; and am per
suaded that the exchanges between Alaska
and Siberia alone will justify the building
of the line"
who are the European directors?"
General Pavot, the Marquis de Roussy
| de Sales, Baron de Lourmei ana myseta.
We were appointed to the direction py the
patronage committee, at the head OF Whcn
you will find the president OF the French
republic anu the Shah of Persia: Among
its principal members are NJ Paui Do4nisi
| former minister and governor OF lnuo-
China president of the budget committee
of the chamber of deputies for l903; SEN
ators Viger Comet and MAXINE Lecomte'
Baron Robert Surcouf, secretary Oh tne
| chamber of deputies; LIE Myre de vHels;
president of the Society of Geography OF
Paris; Gen. Canonge, president of the so
| ciety of Topography; Estourneau oe Ter
sannes, commissary general OF the marine
the Due de Polignac, Comte de crosses Is
| sac Comte de Rohan-Chabot. V1comte oe
la Motto and Baron Lourmel du Hour
melin."
Beginning the Work.
when shall you begin the Siberian cut
tings?'
"As soon as the Russian concessions are
agreed on
You will not wait for the merging OF the
European and American companies?
"Not necessarily Work already accom-
| plished can be thrown in along with the
| concessions when the time comes to make
| the merger. 1t is something am not COM
| petent to speak of, as II depends Oh <Aiieii-
| can financiers."
Can you give me their names?'
mo Perhaps 1 did wrong to divulge the
| name Of Rockefeller. All this Is premature
| The public is not being asked for any SUD-
| scriptions."
M. Loicq de Lobel had given me two
maps at the beginning Of our interview.
CHANGING at them, l observed a curious
thing The one having the north pole for
It's center shows the heavy black line OF
the Siberian running through
Dawson. In the other map of Alaskan ter
ritory the heavy black line avoids Dawson
in particular and Canadian ground in gen.
eral Crawling up the American coast line,
it Is seen to be an all-Alaskan route.
Wnlch IS 10 De the true Ioute! eShCu.
NJ de Lobel smiled like an American.
Passing Canada By.
mot the Canadian one," he answered.
"Our first thought few years ago was to
go through the Klondike and a great deal
of Canadian territory. Many things have
happened since. We naturally feel more
secure under the American railway laws;
and apart from that consideration, the de-
yelopment of that narrow coast line has
been so great and SO rapid that 1t would
be folly not to take advantage OF IT, Here
pointing to map) is where the Canadians
want you to give them a port on the Pa
cific. You will not grant 1t.
"Why not?'
you are bound by treaty not to-"
"How2"
when you bought Alaska from the Rus
slams one Of the express conditions of the
treaty was that the United States should
never give Great Britain port on the Pa
ciflc."
world circled by a continuous line of rail-
way, fascinated me. There lies the north
pole in the center. 1t looked strange to see
1t there
How long shall it be-" I asked. when
school children shall be studying such a
map. with the commercial axis of the world
SO shifted?"
I'm less time than you think replied
the French geographer. "Bering strait 1t
self is providentially arranged for the cross
ing Of the railway cars"
Ferry boats?" inquired as 1 took my
departure.
II have never spoken of ferry boat"
he. answered. zone might be used tenn
porarily during the first summer. but the
one thing is the Boring tunnel AS If to In
vite It, the two Diomede Islands stand there
in the strait. The entire distance across
from Alaska to Siberia is thirty-seven
miles. There will be two tunnels Of less
| than eighteen miles each.
"Or two of sixteen miles each and one Of
four miles," suggested.
Exactly" said the French geographer.
STERLING HELLO.