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Show 4 5 1 I THE MAN WHO SAW TOMORROW 4 f FERDINAND DE LESSEPS. Ferdinand le LessepS look his p" among tho great men who have seen tomorrow when In 1S34 he began the, years of agitation which resulted ln I tho construction of the Suez canal and the later attempt to build the : Panama canal. He could see forward to the time when the ships could go I around the world without passing to I the south of Africa and South America, Amer-ica, He was not the flrt to soe the pos-' sibllltles of a Suci canal for ther was a roundabout canal connecting the Red sea and the Mediterranean in 1380 B. C The first Napoleon also ordered a survey for a canal, but it wis the vision of de Lesjeps that revived re-vived the waning Interest of Tranc? Monsieur do I.esseps vvus seeing ahead to the possible political de-velopmenta de-velopmenta in Egypt and Turkey for years before his opportunity came in 1S54 to get a, concession from the khedive and the sultan. He encountered encoun-tered many discouragements, InciuJ-, Ing the diplomacy of England, but' in April. 1859. work was actually be- J gun and it was finished In 1869. All the foresight of de I.esseps was so thoroughly Vindicated that he was latr able to organize a company which began the construction of the Panama canai Mr de Lesseps ws the leader In the movement which led up to the formation of this company and surveys were begun In 1888. It turned out to be a failure so far as the French were concerned bui the lsion of de Lesseps spurred the 1 oited States to action and cause! th' construction of the Panama cana:. 00 A |