Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-16

abOut Ills HGtk, anu tAASti AlOii tAtSN
safe vantage point she did frown such
a pretty Scowl as she exclaimed;
''Mais, granpere, Vous paI'sez trop."
So the caller took the hint and de-
parted, but ''he who fights and runs
away. may live to hight another day.
and next day the scribe returned with
his copy all written, and when ii was
translated to the interviewed by
member of his family, this indorse
ment was signed:
"The above interview has been
read to he and | vouch for it's ac-
curscy in every particular.
(Signed)
FERDINAND DE LEsSEPs.9
A year later, in 1887. Conldr. Rob
ert r. Peary, on behalf of a company
projecting a Nicaragua canal. con-
trasted that with Panama:
I'VE shall have none of the deep
cutting so fatal to the financial pIac-
ticability of the canal Of N. de Les
seps at Panama. The engineering
feat of the great count will doubtless
be accomplished. but at go enormous
an outlay that it can never be made
profitable" Chief Engineer Stevens
done when the French failed.
And now after the Panama Canal
has been operating through its first,
decade it has piled upaa net profit eC
some sS3 100000 and traffic Is oS'sl,t
crowding III although its managers
say that by adding night traffic it can
carry double the present dema udS
and it is good for the next 20 years.
Conldr. Peary estima tedit would take
six years to build the easy Nicarag qua
Canal and an outlay OF 'S65 100000.
Chief Engineer John r.. Stevens
writing in 1908 of the Panama project,
said:
at would require very much more
time than is now available to sum up
even the reasons which, the writer be
fieSes justify the final decision, in
favor of a lock canal. He went 10
the Isthmus as chief engineer rather
in favor Of a sea-level plan, which he
abandoned, after personal study OF
the conditions. As be has reason 10
believe his influence was quite potent
in the decision, nc feels that this one
service to the country is enough Tor
q lifetime in helping to save the fatal
of a wrong conclusion
as he knows decision in favor Of a
sea.Ievel canal would have BEEN
.st> rr ee5 49, !
q Oh. 10 only that scould Nave ended
the tale of human achievement What
q short three years from 1886 to the
promised completion in 1885, Ora
possible finish in 1888, Or the trak
edy of tragedies of 1888 TO 1892.
The world knows the story of that
collapse, of the panic on the BouINe.
when the last lottery scheme to raise
funds, to continue the desperate fail-
ure had proved fruitleSs. and all
France was beside herself. as only
volatile people, people who had gull
lotined King, Queen and radicals, and
crucified Dreyfus. and was capable of
drawing and quartering their great
ast-could become 80 frenzied that they
lost all sense OF proportions. TWAS a
years after the French Rev
olution with its Reign of Terror, but
now, not necks alone. were bloody. but
hearts and honor Rnd love and loyalty
of patriots who were ''guillotined."
Read G.. Barnard Smiths Life and
Works OF Ferdinand de Lesseps'::
But when the French nation, or
French political parties. get the bit
between their teeth. nothing is to be
done with them. This was shown in
the determination TO force q proseca-s
ton against one whose head was
white with SHOWS of 81 Winters. The
possession OF the Grand Cross OF the
Legion of Honor--the supreme am.
bftion of severy Frenchman--entitles
its holder to exemption front trial be-
fore magistrates of summary jurisdic-
ton. or on the prosecution OF private
persons, SO that they can only he,
proceeded against by the public prose
cutor in the court of appeal. Accord
ingly. 1t was proposed TO abolish this
ayowedly. with view TO
the prosecution Of NJ. de 1oesseps.
? Some months before proceed
ings were instituted. and vhi'e he was
lying ill in bed at his Paris residence
in the Avenue Montague, summons
arrived for NJ. de Lesseps to appear
before NJ. Prinet. the examining
What followed was
pathetic in the extreme. The mem,
bers of his family and a few faithful
friends met in consultation, and de-
cided TO break the news to him ~
gently as possible. AS soon as he
the matter, NJ. de Lesseps
rose in his bed and called for his
clothes and his Grand Gordon of the
Legion of Honor. Those who were
present at the scene said they could
never forget the marvel then wit
messed The old man. who only few
before had seemed unable to
move for weakness, got ont of bed,
dressed himself in haste and descend.
ed the stairs without assistance.
What occurred between himself and
NJ. Prinet is not known in all it's de-
tails; but NJ. de Lesseps defended not
only. his management Of the canal,
but the canal itself. He returned
home. went to bed and was seized
with fever. The next day, he said TO
his wife. What q terrible nightmare
T have had! / imagined i was sum,
moned before the examining rnagis-
.rate; it was atrocious"
"By degrees he became conscious
that it was not dream: but from
that time forward. he ceased to speak
Of Panama. and relapsed into his
former irresponsible condition"
Five years. in prison and a fine.
What a contemptibly small punish.
nent of Ferdinand de Lesseps that
vas, in comparison with the lost,
honor of a life of glory and marvellous
Other notables--Ex-Pr President Grevy,
Clemeneeau, the World War Tiger
Ind Eiffel and many others-were
but Ferdinand de Les
seps!-the grand old man!--he was
90 old to fight ii through. He went
o his. long sleep, and mercifully
never knew how France had "Drey-
fused" the builder of the Suez Canal
Ind the prime influence I'm what was
ten times more difficult" - the
Panama Canal.
He failed. Who else failed, then!
france Observation-Disclosures -
And now the Panama Canal -
strained to meet the world need for
/ way from the Occident to the
600 900 net tons year ana
ncraa sing, ,ChrAa times the Sllez