Evening star., 1905-11-10
NO PROFIT FROM CAN AL
MIR. BUNAU VARILLA'S CONNEC-
TON WITH THE PROJECT.
To the Editor of The Star.

| To the Editor of The Star:
Ny attention has been called to an artt-
| Gle of The Evening Star, published in its
| issue of November 4, purporting to write
| the inside story of the revolution of Pan
anna
1 shall write, myself this story when the
appropriate time will come, nobody but my
self can write it correctly.
l do not want to discuss tales made of
guesses, combined with historical facts, but
L have the right to claim from the fairness
of a fair paper to rectify assertions which
tend TO debase my character and to mis-
represent the aim of my actions.
l am spoken of in the article referred to
as Mr.. Bunau-Varilla of the French Ca
nal Company" and somewhat further, af
ter having mentioned my name, the author
of the article speaks of 'other French
agents"
have never been an agent of anybody.
ani particularly not of the New Panama
Canal Company.
Not only was I never connected with said
company in the representation of their in
terests here, but | have always been far
from being friendly to them, and l have
more than once publicly attacked and stig-
matized the weak and hesitating policy
which prevented the Panama canal from
being concluded by the French share and
bondholders of the first company for their
honor and their interests.
Since the fall of the old company, my
life has been devoted to the vindication OF
this noble page of the French scientific his
tory and to the resurrection of the most
generous scheme of man. which everybody.
the world over, declared to be dead for
ever
Having been placed at the head of these
gigantic works by the old company twenty
years ago, I could not very well descend to
be the salaried and concealed agent of the
new one.
You will therefore understand how hurt
full 1t is for me to see printed in a respon-
sible paper like yours this abomfnable CAL
umny: ''Mr. BunauVarilla is said to have
made q fortune out of the sale and other
French agents to have received large
sums"
/ do not write the following statement for
those people of low moral level, who can
not conceive but sordid aims and mercenary
considera tions for the acts of man. For
tie others among your readers, simply
say that would have considered for me an
infamy to derive any material benefit from
campaign made by me for the defense
of great scientific conception or my coun-
try before a foreign nation.
Since began in 1901 my campaign in the
United States for the defense of scientific
truth-a campaign which Is still lasting to-
day, and of which the purchase of the
rights of the French company and the
revolution of Panama were two memorable
Incidents. but after all incidents-I took
great care not to touch. in the management
OF my private affairs anything which,
through direct or indirect connection with
the Panama interests, would result in bene-
fting me materially nor compensate the
large expenses which had to stand in tho
performance of this high duty.
1t was in obedience to this principle that
| I refused from the republic of Panama any
| compensation for my services. The only
| expense for which l admitted a reimburse
ment were the expenses of the cablegrams,
| amounting to four or five thousand dollars,
which sent minister plenipotentiary at
| washington to my government, and of
| which have not even yet been reimbursed,
because / thought 1t belonged to the re-
| public of Panama to establish the account
| and to take the initiative of reimbursing
| of that debt of honor
/ hope you will think me justified in re-
| ouesting you to give publicity to this letter.
| am, SIR, very respectfully yours,
P. BUNAU VARILLA.