Evening star., 1923-02-15
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
LY PAUL v. COLLINS.

'T cannot say what proportion fs
completed. II has taken a good deal
OF time getting ready. We are now
prepared TO 90 on with the work.
which will be finished In three years"
VIII the expense exceed your arst
TT will not The entire cost vii,
not exceed $4,000. 600 pounds sterling.
The ,suez canal cost 100000"
" 4
After writing the interview. it was
taken to Comte do Lesseps and trans
lated verbally to him, whereupon he
Endorsed the copy and signed it:
'"rhe above interview has been read
to me and vouch for its accuracy in
FERDINAND DE LEssEPs."
The venerable engineer became
voluble in discussing his hobby. and
time slipped by. hour after hour. 1t
was in his palatial home, and home
life showed in the clamberfng upon
the arm of his chair by little girl.
his grandchildrzwho looked wearily at
the American. and finally put her baby
reproachfni side glance at the
stranger, as she exclaimed: "Mais.
granpere, vous parlez trop."
y X
Subsequent decades confirmed the
prophetic protest of the child, for
mono Of the promoters promises and
optimism. was fulfilled. The French
did not finish the Panama in 1889, as
he guaranteed; locks were found es-
sential. and it was many years before
President Roosevelt cut the Gordian
knot of ineficiency. and demanded
that he should 'see the dirt fly" In
1913 there were employed under
American management 44,733 in the
! work. Congress appropriated $375,-
100000 to cover the entire cost. The
actual union of the waters Of the two
oceans occurred October 10, 1918. and
the formal opening of the canal was
made nine years ago this month.
The talk OF the Nicaragua canal
is for action at some future date
when. it is thought. the accrued
profits Of the Panama canal will pay
for the construction OF the second
ditch-some $400. 100000. according 10
estimates. 1t is TO have locks at each
end.
The amazing disclosure by Mrs
Thomas G.. Winter. president of the
General Federation OF Women's Clubs,
that she had been offered. in writing,
a bribe OF s25o,0oo IL she would come
to Washington and lobby for a ''cer-
tain measure" is so serious that
Congress will not fail 70 probe the
proposed conspiracy. The fedora
tion also was to be tempted by the
the measure passed they would
finance federation headquarters
building, to be erected in Washing
ton at no cost to the clubs.
The certain biil'' has not yet been
presented to Congress, and is not
likely to be introduced until the ex-
posure has been forgotten. Mrs Win
ter declines to tell what it is all
about.
Then there comes the exposure Of
alleged waste and possible corruption
amounting to millions in the Vet
erans' Bureau.
| These are indications that. in spite
of the armistice. and in spite. even.
of the return of our watch on the
Rhine. the war spirit is not yet en-
tirely forgotten. There's millions
in it, If the alleged bribers were
ready to. give lobbyist tool quar-
ter OF million. and add, perhaps. a
million or more for a marble build
ing. such as the Federation of
Women's Clubs would expect. to
match Continental Hall of the D. A
r. and to harmo onize with the Red
Cross building and the Pan-Amcri
can building--it would be an affront
| to offer less-what millions must the
| promoters Of the scheme expect?
| The first inklings of the Veterans
Bureau scandal are too horrible to
contemplate. With veterans sick.
suffering and dying for want of ade
quate hospital care-thieyes are
| charged with looting the funds.
copyright. 1871