Show CLOSED HIS CONTROVERSY First Secretary U S Embassy Paris Endn His Discussion With Clements Markham Paris April 19 Henry VIgnaud first secretary of the United Slates Embassy hero and vicepresident or the American isIs society of Paris has closed his controversy con-troversy with Sir Clcmcnts Markham president of the Royal Geographical society so-ciety which arose from the publication of lilj book Toscanelll and Columbus by publishing Sir Clements Markhums last letter and his reply thereto Mr VIgnaud brings ont several new points going to show that the letter of Toseanelll the famout Florentine astronomer astron-omer was a forgery lie declines however how-ever to fin the lesponsiblllty for It He points to the probable sources of mime I statements of various authors who hitherto hither-to have been relied on as proving the existence ex-istence of the letter I and comes to the conclusion that If the I letter I was spurious Columbus may have remained III Ignorance Igno-rance of the fraud and hence could not be expected to mention a fact of which he was not aware or of which he disapproved disap-proved if h < was warp Mr VIgnaud says If the letter was genuine gen-uine Columbus was guilty of hiding the source lo which he owed the circumstances circum-stances that today constitute his chief ti tie to glory and of claiming as hits own LIme trophies stolen from Toscanelli In the l first instance the conduct of Colum lint Is capable of a natural explanation in the second nothing can serve to remove from his memory this stain which his ac thou has Indelibly impressed thereon |