Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11

marine boats Why should dirigible bal
looms not make good scouts? Santos Du-
mont nayigated the air between st. Cloud
and the Eiffel Tower and return against a
time limit and n strong breeze
''And automobiles | suggested. II was
thinking of your Steam House'-thcre vas
automobillSm on great scale before auto
mobilism was dreamed Of
The fine old gentleman flushed with pleas
ure. THE auto he said, lis the most
precious of inventions because It's destiny
Is to combat one of the greatest dangers OF
the future-the tendency of populations to
desert the country and mass in great cities.
The three-storeyed life, underground. on
the surface, and above the surface in your
skyscrapers-these threatened to be the
specters of the coming centuries. Blu. now
the time is near at hand when every ordi-
nary citizen may possess his auto-and with
IT will come an emigration back 10 the
land. The rich will certainly take more
and more to country life. For one thing
they will feel more secure In the country
free from the reproaChful gaze of the poor"
you do not believe in socialism,
Romances of Business Life.
"Who can tell if it will prove a success
for the poor man? If were young enough
L would be tempted to take up the greatest
ser of subjects the romancer of the future
will have at his hand-the romances of bus
mess life, with the intricate intrgues of
syndicates, trusts. combinations and gigan-
tic deals America began 1t, and tho
world is following. 1 have been reading
Mr. Wells When the Sleeper Wakes His
picture of the gigantic remorsaless social
machinery of tomorrow is a terrible one.''
Yet you, OF all men, must believe IN
progress?" l asked.
Progress toward WHAT" he asked in re-
turn. Progress Is a word that may be
abused. When l look at the progress or
the Japanese In l think of my story,
The Five Hundred Millions of the Begun
Half the colossal fortune went to the
founders of virtuous community. half to
the followers Of sombre genius whose
ideal was one of forceful seR-aggrandize-
ment. The two communities developed ac-
cording to the possibilities of modern
science-the one toward sweetness and
light, and the other-ln different direction.
Now, which tendency will our own ciViliza-
ton take?'
Jules Verne has become a very old man.
His wife had spoken to me of the cataracts
he has on each eye, which render him prac-
tically blind. A great oculist wishes to re-
move them assuring him of success in ad-
vance. but Jules Verne is in doubt and
breads the operation. All this, together
with his late grip renders him weakly
and nervous. The enthusiasm had died out
of his face. 1 tried to brace him up by
speaking of the English and American adj
miration for his works.
The Love Element.
81 have always admired the Anglo-Sax-
ons," he said Members of the English
speaking races make good heroes for me.
where there Is story of invention or scien-
tific pioneering. because of their GOODNESS
and go-ahead qualities"
And also because love enters SO little
into your Stories" l suggested-because
Frenchmen imagine Anglo-Saxons cold"
IT deny that in toto.' exclaimed the great
old man, all his enthusiasm returning in a
flash. Il deny that there is no love in my
stories. Take Mistress Branican and the
charming girls In many of my other novels.
When the soft influence is necessary. 1t Is
always there Love, however, Is an alb
sorbing passion; and my heroes regularly
need all their nerve and interest to get OUT
of their difficulties. Were they in love all
the time they would stick where we found
them in the first chapter-beside the loved
one. Besides Uhis with the Frenchmans
difficulty In understanding love in any way
but one) l have always wished that my
stories might be placed unhesitatlngly in
the hands of young people"
They may be. 1t is perhaps his greatest
title to glory that Jules Verne is at once
the most-read and the cleanest of French
writers. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.