Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-18

England mas royal commission at WORK
seeking means to check the hitherto irre-
sistible inroads Of the ocean on the valuable
land of the island. The attacks OF Neptune
on Alblon's rockbound shores ere an old
story, and many thousands Of pounds have
been expended in measures OF defense. Rlit
they have been wasted. Between 1851 and
1858 the British admiralty alone expended
$4,000 without satisfactory results. In 1867
the British Board OF Trade undertook to
supervise the work. but has been unable
to do much on account OF lack Of funds.
In the meantime the relentless sea has con-
tinued to encroach. In Yorkshire, espe-
cially. from Bridlington for a distance OF
thirty miles, the sea has in the last ten
years absorbed thousands Of acres Of valu-
able land. The effect has been the same
in Essex and In Kent.
There are certain points on the coast
where the encroaching sea has left a tragic
and romantic spectacle. The cliffs at the
seaside resorts OF Hornsea and withernsea.
in Yorkshire have completely collapsed.
Within the last ten years the chalk cliffs
at Beachy Head, Sussex. have been torn
asunder and pulverized for 100 yards in
land. On a cliff in Norfolk stands the seli-
tary tower Of a ruined church. whose con-
gregation once came from numerous VII
lagos which are now beneath the sea- But
possibly the most tragic scene OF all is
that presented Just beyond Eastbourne.
where Fort Langtry Is situated. The sea
has beaten down part Of the outer defenscs
of the fort, great masses of brickwork
falling In every direction-more effectually
shattered than could have been done by the
explosion Of twelve-inch shells.
All this was brought out at the first
meeting held at Westminster the other
day of the royal commission on coast ero-
sion. At subsequent sittings an attempt
will be made to Ak the responsibility OF
permitting the continued Entertainments of
the sea and to suggest legislation by which
the Board OF Trade may be empowered
with the use of sufficient funds to stop the
calamity.
A writer in the Review Of Reviews SAYS
that France is now playing the role of the
worlds banker. England lost its claim to
the title when II went to war in South
Africa. A generation ago one had to gu
to London to feel the pulse of the inter-
national money market. To-day one makes
a better diagnosis in Paris
The strides toward financial supremacy
which France IS making have been most
rapid in the last FIVE years. In that time
French investors have taken up many
million francs Of foreign obligations. They
furnished Great Britain with much of the
capital that went to finance the Boer war;
they loaned enormous amounts TO Russas
practically supplying the money needed In
the struggle against Japan; they provided
Germany with 1000 10000 marks in 1so4-5
to carry on Its tremendous Industrial enter
prlses; they took a liberal amount Of the
last Japanese loan. more than half of the
pnS of Ioa f AM nd
supplied borrowers in the United States
with fully 900 during the tight money
period of last winter and are now financing
the bond and note issues of GONE OF our
greatest corporations
There is great reservoir OF free capital
in France which Is being tapped by the
other thirsty. nations and which. in spite
of the drain on It, keeps well filled and
shows no sign of exhaustion. The Bank
of France, the largest hoarder of gold next
to the United States treasury, has In It's
vaults today nearly $500, 5000 of the pre-
cious metal: two years ago II had $3.50, coo, 900
and in 1900. when Paris began slowly to
forge ahead Of London as the center OF
largest money supply. the institution held
only $375, 100000.
How has France, a nation industrially in
ferior to Germany and with a commerce
such a power in world finance? The an
swer is,--through its domestic economy.
For frugality, thrift, intense application to
the work in hand and the commendable
ambition to carve from life's labors enough
to make bright the inevitable rainy day
and to cheer old age the Frenchman has
no peer. To save is an inherited desire.
The poorest peasant in the least produc-
tive parish of the republic manages to put
aside a little each year for a competency
and the fishermen down on the Brittany
coast would have starved a few winters
ago, when the catch was almost nothing,
had they not been able to draw from the
savings Of more fruitful years. Tens OF
thousands OF small shopkeepers innkeepers,
scantiy paid government employees are
investors, and their combined savings have
provided the funds to finance many a ma
, ton and carry 1t through lean period.
The population of France is about 40 OOO, 600
people, the wealth of France is nearly S45,-
| 900 OO0,OO0,~ This wealth is evenly distrib-
uted. The number of estates administered
in 1901 was 1874, 7S7, and of these one-half
were for values ranging from less than
$4,000 to a little under 100000. Only three
were over 100000.
American sojourners in Switzerland who
have for some time noticed the way in
which enterprising advertising agencies
have been posting up the Alps, will APP
preciate the following letter written by
Ernst Zahn OF Goschenen, a member of
/ the Ligue pour la Conservation de la
Suisse Picturesque:
"In our so beautiful land nature is, alas
ever increasingly disfigured In all kinds OF
ways. How good it is that here and there
protest from abroad, and especially from
/ England, excites attention. No lover OF
nature can fail sincerely to lament that
! tine mountain railways are gradually be-
coming a national plague. The Zlnal rail-
! way is one of the Objectionable projects OPP
/ posed by many Swiss, who cannot see in
/ railways the source of every blessing
Equally injurious and real danger to
! the scenery of a whole district is the line
which is planned from Goschenen to An
dermatt. and. in spite of all our resist
ance, unfortunately obtaiped a concession
some time ago. Andermatt is not four
miles from Goschenen. splendid road
| leads thither through the imposing ravine
OF the Scholenen, over the world renowned
Devils bridge and through the Urnerloch.
In the frenzy OF speculation and inspired
| tba nf he n