The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18
MONUMENTS TO TRAGEDY
AND FRENCH FOLLY MARX
ISTHMIAN CANAL ROUTE
Strewn Along the Proposed Wat
erway at Cost OF More
Than $2oO,ooO,OO
BIG SCANDAL RECALLED
Nothing Is Left but a Scratch in
the Ground, Rusty Machinery
and a Palace.
MARVELLOUS GRATING
History of the French Panama
Company Reviewed by the
Journals Commissioner.

PANAMA. r. P, Dec. 27.-That the dream
OF an Artificial waterway cleaving the
Western Hemisphere at its narroWest
pOint-a dream which has been in the minds
of men ever since that day In September
1913. when VascO Nunez de Balboa stood on
the crest of the Cordilleras and beheld the
expans., of the Pacihc-stands to-day at
least a decade from realization is due to
French rascality From a point near Colon,
on the northern side OF this isthmian strip,
TO La Boca, three miles west OF this city,
runs scratch Of ground. Scratch is the
proper word, for measurement by the side
of what must be done TO construct here
ship canal. The work, as il stands. is
nothing more than a scratch. From that
same point near Colon, through turgid
waters TO BohiO, and then through the will
derness of higher ground TO the turgid
waters, beginning near La Boa. is n reach of
rusted, rotting, vine-covered implements of
endeavor. This scratch and these piles of
obsolete. age-worn machinery are the monu-
ments to that French rascality.
Far out on the extremity of Cristobai
Colon Point, at Colon, hard by the northern
entrance to the Panama canal stands a
magnificent bronze statue, mounted upon a
pedestal of soft stone. The statue is of
Christopher Columbus. who stands with
majestic mein. his right arm encircling the
crouching figure of startled. scantily-clad
native maiden: his left arm outstretched
and pointing the amazed gaze of that ma
tive TO the western passage, to aid him in
finding which Isabella OF Spain pawned her
jewels. In the early hours of the morning
this statue is enveloped in the shadow of
''the De Lesseps House. a palace in the
wilderness. built by the French during
H.,
great engineer whose genius was supposed
to have created this western passage.
MONUMENTS TO A TRAGEDY.
In the scratch. the rusty machinery, the
monument and the palace are told all save
the sequel of the great tragedy which has
been enacted here. For the sequel to that
tragedy one must go to the records of the
French criminal courts, and read the
story of the accusal, trial. conviction and
sentence of Ferdinand de Lesseps. and then
to the grave. where lie the remains that
pere mercifully deposited under ground
before the sentence Of the courts could be
executed. No greater tragedy than that
which IS To be read in these things
enacted FOR this was a tragedy which ir-
revOcably impeached the probity of ma
tiOn- To feed 1t during the years when ii
was dragging its slow length along there
We're flung the savings of France; its
crowning work was the production Of
race of corruptionists whose equal the fu-
ture must reveal. for the past offers moth
ing 10 compare with them.
1t is more than twenty years since the
first actors in this tragedy moved upon the
boards. For fourteen years the work they
undertook has lain untouched except i'm the
most perfunctory manner. Seven or eight
years, then, was the lapse of time from the
moment the curtain was rung up until 1t
fell In that short space OF time more
than 500 10000 was wrung out of the rich
and poor OF France. Rascality fed upon
credulity TO that amount OF hardearned
and closely boarded cash; and here lies the
wreck. The sum thus taken from the
French was more than would ever have
place il in operation had the French effort
been an honest one Just there was the
trouble; just there lies the whole secret of
France attempt TO cut a canal. The whole
project was permeated with dishonesty
dishonesty SO hagrant that theft is the only
term which properly describes it.
STOLE INSTEAD OF DIGGING.
The French came here to dig a canal.
What they did was to steal upon a scale
which put John Laws Mississippi Bubble in
deepest shadow, and which makes our own
shipyard tr1st muddle look like the work
of novices- OF the s2eO.OOOOOO that were
taken out of France to feed this gigantic
swindle not more than $50.O0OOO0 was ex-
pended upon the actual work of construct
ing the canal In other words, out of every
b.
scripers nearly 50 stolen outright by
those actively engaged in perpetrating this
awful hoax The canal as il is to-day shows
only family the result of this $50 600 GOO in
vestment. for of the actual work necessary
TO complete IL not more than one-ffth ac-
cording TO competent engineers, has been
done. The crime Is. in the light of these
curSory facts, revealed a monstrous one
1t means simply this: After more than a
score OF years and the expenditure OF more
money than would have been required TO
finish the waterway, fOur-fifths Of the nee
essary work remains 10 be done and nearly
$200.OpO.0O0 remains TO be expended i'm the
doing OF 1t. Add TO this the fact that for
decade and half interOceanic commerce
has been restricted, its development re-
tarded, the growth OF nations stayed and
trade subjected To the most vexatious and
costly delays, anG one may realize the en-
ormity of IL all.
The world at large little appreciates what
a riot OF graft this strip of desOlate mias-
matte land has witnessed. Neither letter
press descriptions nor photographs can i'm
part an accurate idea OF IT, Seen with the
naked eye. gauged by personal observation
however. II stands out glaring and inde-
Iensiole. oPon every hand, from the mo-
nent one enters the mouth of the canal at
Colon until. after traversing this roufe he
emerges at the Pacific entrance. there OBJ
trudes upon the gaze indisputable evidence
OF a most wicked waste of money The
scene is one which makes an American n
proud OF his people; for corrllpt as Arner
leans may be. their corruption is spOradic
and IN every American effort there is some
honesty Here there We're only grafters.
worked
stantly and with unflagging industry The
result Is unanswerable indictment of
french honesty, competency and capacity
for no punishment which could be devised
could mt the crime which created this
enormous wreck. robbed France and ruth
lessiy blackened regulations
a GLIMPSE AT CANAL HISTORY.
II is with convictions such as / have ex-
pressed that every American on the spot
must contemplate this enterprise True.
the ruin OF the French undertaking has
given our nation an opportunity to display
It's resources, parade its enterprise, and
gain at this vital point a foothold of sur
passing Importance: but there Is small con-
ISOLATION In all OF this. That America will
utilize this opportunity to the fullest no.
body doubts. one must. however regret
tnat American opportunity is born OF such
hideous stigmatizatiOn Of the French ma
ton IN this, though. we are ourselves
biameable, Tor had we shown a quarter of
century ago that enterprise which now
characterizes our Nation. we might ea siIy
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