The Ladies of Zahle Honor Isabelle Maalouf

A select company of the ladies of Zahle held a party of tribute at the Kadri Hotel in honor of the noble lady Isabelle, wife of Georges Bey Maalouf, on the occasion of her visit to Lebanon with the members of her family. It was a most elegant party, gathering together the most prominent and most noble ladies of the country.

The party was confined to ladies only; but many of them showed a warm desire to see the bearer of the great name and the wide fame in the field of open-handedness and chivalry, Georges Bey Maalouf. This was conveyed by telephone to his home, and he quickly hastened, graciously, to satisfy this desire.

The representative of "The Woman's Voice" took advantage of this happy occasion to obtain a brief interview with this man, who enjoys a standing such as few others enjoy.

Q. — What was the spontaneous feeling that took hold of you when your feet touched the soil of Lebanon?

A. — It was without doubt a feeling of joy and gladness at returning to a homeland I loved as a boy and love still. I follow its news constantly, wishing it well-being and success and progress along the road of advancement and development which all countries are following in this period of time.

Q. — How many years is it since you last left Lebanon?
A. — Fourteen years.

Q. — Have you found that any visible progress has come over the Lebanese country during these years?

A. — I will not hide from you that I had promised myself more than I have seen... The possibilities in Lebanon are many, and I have not found that they have been turned to account to the degree that was possible... And here I would like to make clear to you my point of view on what people are accustomed to say in such a case — namely, that the government is responsible for this shortcoming. I cannot grant the soundness of this argument, because if a people wills to achieve a goal, no power in the world can stand in the face of that will... Nor is it necessary for the Lebanese to think of carrying out enormous projects, particularly as regards the industrialization of the means of production; there is no harm in the first steps in this field being trifling compared with what is achieved in the great countries. What is beyond all doubt, however, is that the making of the first step in this direction has become one of the obligations of the Lebanese, if they truly wish to march in the procession of the civilized world.

Here the representative of "The Woman's Voice" thanked him for his kindness in granting this brief interview, and left him to turn to the many friends who surrounded him with every mark of esteem and admiration.