of it, expecting to hear him declare that it was expensive fooUshness. 

 Quite the contrary. He said: "In the French time I was a conductor 

 on the Panama Railroad and I ran De Lesseps' special, when he was 

 on the Isthmus. I hardly ever took out a train without several dead 

 Frenchmen in the baggage car and I have seen the dead laid out in 

 rows in the streets of Colon, because there wasn't time to bury them. 

 Now, look at the contrast; you can see for yourself." 



I have often heard it said and have read in books that the triumphant 

 achievement of the U. S. Government, in building and operating the 

 Canal after private enterprise had confessed its inability to do the work, 

 was a convincing argument in favour of State Socialism, but this is to 

 ignore the facts. The whole organization of the Canal force was that 

 of an army encamped in a foreign country and drawing all its supplies 

 by sea from the base at home. The military organisation was not made 

 conspicuous, uniforms were not worn, but, nevertheless, the whole was 

 essentially miUtary. Not only were the prompt decision and the un- 

 hesitating carrying out of orders, which are characteristic of good sol- 

 diers, of the utmost advantage in the prosecution of the work, but the 

 Army also provided a large number of officers experienced in the ser- 

 vices of supply, of engineering, and medical and sanitary work. These 

 men could be ordered to the Isthmus as they were needed, and it was 

 not necessary to tempt them by very high pay. The staff departments 

 supplied, almost without exception, the men required in the higher 

 grades of the organisation. Socialism does not call for military rule. 



After a week of most interesting and profitable experiences and much 

 kindly hospitality from the ofllicers, I returned to Princeton. I spent a 

 month at home and then sailed for Naples, accompanied by my two 

 older daughters. This was a novel and delightful experience, for, as 

 I have explained, nearly all my travelHng has been done alone. When 

 we reached Naples, I learned that cholera was rife in Italy and that a 

 passenger who left New York on the North German Lloyd S. S. Moltke, 

 saihng later than we did, had already died of it. Naturally, I was much 

 perturbed on the girls' account, but was reassured by two German 

 physicians, to whom I had brought letters. They told me that, by taking 

 a few simple precautions, we might safely remain in Italy. From Naples 

 we went slowly northward, stopping at Rome, Florence, Venice and 

 thence, by way of the Brenner Pass and Innsbruck, to Munich and 

 Heidelberg. 



That was my last visit to Germany before the World War. I had ob- 

 served from time to time the growth of wealth and luxury and had 



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