The Washington herald., 1914-06-28

France was inaugurated by him and toll
gates were torn away. Applying his
hammers to the Alps. he did what the
Romans had not dared to try. tracing
cious roads over and under mountains
which had interposed since time began to
Make enemies Of nations who had rISe
Like kindred droIs. been ningled into 0ue
Wherever he found a barrier between
men, whether of nature or OF law, ne
impetuously threw himself against II in
rage to remove II. Capturing city
he leveled its walls. Capturing a citadel.
he dismantled it. The first general of
modern times to lead a big army over
the Alps, he constructed pleasant prom
enades across them by which the merest
holiday soldier was freely challenged to
invade France.
The great Simplon road from Switzer-
land into Italy cost $500 a mile and as
many as 5000 workmen were employed
upon II at one time There is no more
fittlng monument OF the constructive
genius of Napoleon than the Gallery Of
Gonde on the Simplon, where a tunnel
nearly go yards long pierces an enormous
mass of rock that seemed TO make the
road impossible. No traveller reads with
out thrill of admiration the inscription
at the portal of the tunnel:
Acre ItaIo. 1905 Nap. Imp.
Two other Alpine roads of his reign are
the Mounts Cents and that over Mont
Genevre, both leading from France into
Italy. A fourth is the Grande Corniche,
the noblest road in the world. which he
built SO high up on the brow of the Mari
time Alps from Nice to Mentone that the
British gUnboats could not shell an army
marching by it into Italy. From Metz
TO 'Mayence on the Rhine he throw a
highway across trackless marshes and
through vast forests. When travelling in
Belgium he came TO the Meuse one day
to find the ferry laid up for repairs.
L.
bridge shall be built over the Meuse at
Givet." Organizing a messenger service
by stage over the roads and bridges with
which he knit his empire together, 1t was
his boast that he could dispatch letter
to Milan and receive an answer in only
eight days or exchange communications
with Naples in only fifteen.
Amazing Activities.
All over France, Italy, Belgium. Hol-
land and the Rhine country the observant
traveller comes upon enduring and use
full mementoes of Napoleons amazing
activities as a builder. The great ports
of Antwerp, Cherbourg and Boulogne are
more indebted to his reign than to any
other for their present Importance. The
facade of the Milan Cathedral had waited
400 years to be completed, but he ordered
IL finished in short order. At the same
time he decreed the construction of the
pretty marble arch which marks in that
city the completion of the Simplon road.
but Canova's bronze statue Of the EN-
perors nude figure, which was designed
for the arch stands instead in the court
yard of the Brera Gallery at Milan.
On a brief visit to Venice, Napoleon
ordered the demolition OF a group of old
monasteries and laid out the Public Gar
den: transferred the cathedral honors
from st. Peters to the more famous
church of st. Marks. and authorized the
expenditure of 81. 100000 in improving the
harbor and the canals
He was never to see Rome. but in an
ticipation Of visit to the Eternal City
after his return from Russia, he planned
Greaf Trade War Betveen France