Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
EMPEROR JACQUES OF SAHARA
NOT A FREIK MONARCH
Special Correspondence of Tbs Star.

Special Correspondence or ihe star.
LONDON. June Il. 1905.
jacques L. Emperor of the Sahara, erst-
while known to fame as NJ. Lebaudy OF
Paris, and the reputed possessor or Tar
more money than brains, is now commonly
regarded as a notorety-seeking freak
whose kingdom should be restricted to the
confines of a lunatic asylum. That Is the
way he is usually written up. But an
EngIishman who recently has had abundant
opportunities for studying Lebaudy at close
range takes an entirely different view or
him.
w. L. de S. LennoX is his name and ne
has just returned from years stay at Tro-
ia where the eccentric Frenchman has es-
tablished the capital of what he dreams will
some day be a mighty empire. Nor can it
be said that Mr.. Lennox has any reason
| to be prejudiced in Lebaudy's favor. For
merly an officer in the British volunteers,
he thought that he might be able to get
snug Billet in the emperor's army he
/ didn't get Ii because, he says, he would
not forswear his English citizensnlp ana
turn Mahomedan. That was not calculated
to make him an admirer of Jacques l. Not
withstanding this he gives assurances that
his Saharan majesty Is much moderated
man. Instead of being devoted to mere
| idle show, pomp and vanity. he said that
Leba,dy- has proved himself an energetic
and capable administrator. who Is doing
f-dffffcuit work In an excellent fashion. trans
forming a barren waste into a productive
region and Introducing law and order where
brigandage was formerly the favorite oc-
cupation of the people.
y
Jacques l." he said. has done wonders
| in country that formerly produced hard
| ly anything and was wholly given up to
brigandage and poverty. Two years ago.
when he went to Sahara, the territory over
| which he now rules was in a most primitive
state. Now law and order have been es-
tablished there schools have been opened.
| an embryonic city of 6.000 people has been
| brought into existence, many acres have
been brought under cultivation and yield
sugar cotton rice and tobacco, While stores,
granafies and other Improvements have
| been introduced. His empire is self-sup-
porting and well governed. He himselr
| leads a most industrious life and is the
| hardest worker in his kingdom. His role
| is that of beneficent autocrat He has
installed Frenchmen at the head or the
various departments OF his government.
| They are practical men and good organic
ers and have displayed remarkable tact in
dealing with the Arabs, who are naturally
| a most intraetable people
ut Is true that jacques maintains a
| harem, but he does so solely because to OBJ
tain respect for his authority, he finds 1t
necessary TO conform to the customs OF MS
| people. There is nothing of the Hbertne
a bout him. All the men in his employ are
given pay and rations sufficient to enable
| them to maintain three wives apiece,
which, by the way. is only one-half the reg
ulation Mahommedan matrimonial allow
ance. He wants no outside interference ana
discourages the settlement of foreigners I'M
| til such time as he has more fully developed
| the commercial resources of the country.
X X
s~There is now under the emperor's rule
about 1000 square miles and a population
of something like 1900 people Through
his domains there are constantly passing
camel trains, originating in Central Africa
These caravans chiefly go to Morocco carry
ing ivory, cereals, figs, dates, hides. gold
etc. Before he appeared these caravans
were subject to constant depredations by
brigands. Jacques 1 exacts a tribute from
these caravans ii is true, but In return he
gives them military escort. watering priv
ileges at the wells and full protection.
THE imperial army is composed of 1000
men, each with camel, and reserve
force of 600. Every soldier is well equipped
with the most modern small arms. These
men, as well as everybody in the empire,
can always count on plenty to eat, which
is something they could never do before
1t is self-interest which binds them to the
new order of things. The national faith is
Mahommedan, which Lebaudy nominaliy
processes. although he is really a Catholic.
Much of his power is exercised through
the Mahommedan priests, and force is
never used except to keep the peace. He is
making French the national language.
using 1t In all official communications and
teaching 1t in the schools.
He employs a great deal of ceremonial
pomp, and his durbars are grand affairs,
but this is necessary to properly impress
the Arab mind with his Importance. Agri-
culture is the foundation of Lebaudy's
scheme of empire. He Is now getting two
crops of wheat each year from 1000 acres
of land. This is to be doubled this year.
Up to the present time he has carried on
his operations only in an experimental
form. These experiments have resulted so
favorably that he has decided to concen-
trate his efforts on wheat, sugar and cot
ton, all under irrigation. there Is plenty
of available water. i expect to hear of his
exporting wheat inside of another year.
X
When Lebaudy visits Europe his as
sumption of imperial dignity is always ridi-
culed; but on these trips he is by no means
the fool some people take him for, and
drives some shrewd bargains in the matter
of securing supplies for the development of
his kingdom. Troja. his capital. is a city
of tin. the buildings being altogether of
corrugated iron, but he will soon commence
It's construction in more permanent form.
He has decided upon a currency system
and the coinage will probably be minted IN
Birmingham, England. Dies are being cut
for postage stamps and l am told he will
try and get into the postal union Improved
agricultural machinery is to be introduced.
anr the more serious stages of the agricul-
turai development of the country is to be
proceeded with expeditiously. He will not
tolerate adventures.
Whatever the public may think of I,e
Daudy and his scheme. 1 am decidedly of
the opinion that he is working along the
proper lines. and that he will make a ire
mendouS success. and that without the aid
OF any other backing than his own