Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17
HAS A LEVER IN SUEz
Sultan May Repeal Charter of
Canal Company.
WHAT 1T WOULD MEAN
Why the Powers Never Garry Out War
Threats
EXPLAINED BY A DIPLOMAT
The Complicated Politics Surrounding
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Between
France and England.
EXPLAINED BY A DIPLOMAT

Recent special dispatches in The Star.
coming directly from Constantinople, indi-
cate that another demonstration is about to
be paraded at the doors of Turkey, on &C
count of Abdul Hands unwillingness 10
consent to another demand of European
power. The preparations for the naval
demonstration or the demonstration itself,
are not Of sufficient Importance to be taken
ND as worthy OF consideration. What is ex-
traordinary In these pageants, authorized
at different times by all the great powers
70 their Inevitable return to their respective
ports without having accomplished any
thing save the amusement of the sultan, or
his subordinates, II he be not present. 1t Is,
therefore evident that good reason must
exist for such empty-handed returns. II
never could be charged that any fleet when
has gone to the Bosphorus was not power
full enough to destroy every port ana coast
village in European Turkey. But not even
an ordinary rifle was ever shot on lnese
occasions. The cannon were all ponSheo'
but the ammunition remained In the hoio.
Star reader wants to know what TINS
important mystery Is. Inc q ueslioh Wa
pronounced TO a prominent diplomat VINO
answered. The Suez canal Ihereln mes
the generally accepted explanation. Ihen
he added: ..a
and | am glad to give you some facts con-
corning 1t which will correct erroneous I'M
pressions The powers have often threat
ened to seize a Turkish port or DIochaae
the Dardanelles. If such a thing is ever at
tempted, nothing more may be expected OF
the sultan than a defiant stand: bit the
powers will not dare to carry out thelr
threats because they know that the ruler OF
Turkey may repeal the charter of the. Suez
canal and would hold it for redress Inc
sultan's authority In the canal zone Is
rather obscure and often forgotten. III ne
should declare the forfeiture of the CHAR
ter. the blow would stagger eontnental
Europe particularly England for time
AT least The British government now re-
ceives probably about 40 per cent OF all |
incomes derived by the payment or Tolls.
OF course Abdul Hamid would not do such
n thing unless pressure should be LrouCht |
TO bear upon him. but the result would Sc
riously affect the financial centers of Eu-
rope.
Project Centuries Old.
The history leading to this condition OF
affairs is complicated, but it is interesting
and timely, in view of the troubles and for
tunes of the Panama enterprise explained
the diplomat. when NJ. de Lesseps, the
originator and builder Of the Suez canal,
was received into the French Academy
Ernst Renan one of the immortals told his
audience that the cutting of the waterway
was one of the dreams of antiquity; that
I.eibnitz recommended 1t 10 Louis xiv, and
that the French directory put it in It's pro-
gram when il undertook the expedition to
Renan the conquest of arms was con-
quest Of science. The day before Christmas
of 1T9S our illustrious colleague, Gen. Bona
parte left Cairo accompanied by Berthier,
Monge Rerthollet and several other men,
bers of the institute, and of certain mer-
chants who had obtained permission to Join
his escort. On the Both he found to- the
north of Suez the remains of an ancient ca
nal and followed 1t for five leagues; nve
days afterward he saw near Bellies the
other extremity of the canal of the Phara-
nIa he arsfshD n 10 M
mission were the starting point of all the
subsequent designs. One error only, the be-
lief in an inequality of the levels OF the
two seas-always denied by Laplece and
Fourier-was mixed with these valuable re-
searches. and 1t delayed for half a century
the execution of the work planned by the
heroic engineers of 1898
Hostility of Britishers.
The origin of the present enterprise goes
back to 1854. Mehemet Ali was in the Lib
yam desert with IL 900 MEN, and his camp
was near Lake Mareotis when he was join
ed by de Lesseps, who had known him in
Paris. De Lesseps ATTAINED there and then
the concession OF the canal. He made a pre-
lminary exploration OF the country with
Mougel and Iinant Bey; he verified the
equality of the level of the two seas, which
had already been demonstrated.
notwithstanding the strenuous opposi-
ton of Lord Stratford de Radcliffe, then
English ambassador at Constantinople de
Lesseps secured the appreciation of the
grand vizier After some negotiations, II
was agreed between the governments of
France and England that the two leave the
affair of the Suez isthmus to itself. and
would consider IL a mere commercial and
Industrial enterprise. De Lesseps met op-
position in England. Lord Palmerston was
very hostile TO the project. and his hostility
was felt at Constantinople. After four
years of appeals to public opinion de Les
seps dared TO make an appeal to the Eu-
ropean public. The capital of the COM
A.y.1 M fv, AZ
60 shares OF 500 francs each. He re-
served 1896 shares to England. Austria
Russia and the United States. while the
rest was offered TO the French public. The
emission was covered and the society was
legally constituted.
The work to be executed extended for
100 kilometers, and five years were judged
necessary for the maritime canal. 1t IS
not easy to imagine now all the difficulties
with which de Lesseps had to contend.
financial. technical and economical. Me-
hemet's successor, Said died in 1862 and
was replaced by Ismail Pasha. who received
the title of khedive. The latter substituted
free labor for the forced labor or 'corvee.'
IL was thought that this reform would ruin
the company but the use of improved and
gigantic dredging machines saved it. The
inauguration of the canal occurred late in
1859, with great pomp and In the presence
OF notabilities. Among these were Empress
Eugene. the Austrian emperor. khedive Is
mall. the Princess of Holland, the heirs
prtsumptive to the crowns OF Russia and
Netherlands, as well as the Emir Abd-el-
Kader.
How England Obtained Control.
THE financial difficulties became very
great continued the diplomat Yet the
receipts rose gradually. In 1870 khedive
Ismail, whose expenses had been excessive
sold the 1862 shares which ne possessed
TO the English government at the price OF
1Oo.OOo.o0o francs. which represented a
value of 56S francs a share When these
shares were offered to England parliament
was not IN session. but Lord Beaconsfield
bodily bought them. had them paid for tenn
porarily by the Rothschilds, and later ask