Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-21
GRANT AND THE NICARAGUA
CANAL.
An Agent Of French Capitalists On
the Way to this Countryside
scriptions Depending On
tie Generals Accept
ance of the Presi-
dency Of the
Company.

auCo VI Tic IcSt-
dency Of the
Company.
Washington special to New York
| Herald: On Friday morning Rear
Admiral Ammen called on Presi-
dent Hayes, with a letter from an
acquaintance in Paris, assuring him
of a satisfactory arrangement in
Paris for the immediate advance
ment, when required, of one third
the capital necessary for the Meas
ragua canal enterprise by one of
the most substantial banking houses
of Europe upon condition that
General U. S. Grant will consent to
accept the Presidency of an Amer
lean company, organized for the
construction Of the work. The
writer adds that he leaves immedi-
ately for America to confer with
parties in this country interested in
this great enterprise. On receipt
Of this letter Admiral Ammen i'm
mediately telegraphed the facts to
General Grant, in Chicago.
THE INFORMATION FORWARDED TO
GENERAL GRANT.
CHICAGO, ILL, Nov. 13.-General
Grant received a telegram this
morning from Washington of such
an important nature as may require
his personal attention in the East
next week. The telegram is from
personal friend, informing him
that he had received this morning
from Paris letter giving certain
information deemed sufficiently re-
liable to require his prompt consid-
Grafton, and which is to the effect
that the writer of the letter is now
on his way across the Atlantic with
full assurances of subscriptions
amounting to one-third of the CAPT.
tai necessary to construct the
Nicaragua canal, provided Gen. U.
s. Grant asks the necessary conces-
sion for the Nicaragua grant and
becomes the president of the COM
pany. He is the bearer of letter
from the Rothschilds to Mr.. August
Belmont, and is expected in New
York about the Goth.
INTERVIEW WITH GEN. GRANT.
The Herald correspondent called
upon Gen. Grant this evening to
inquire just what was his position
in regard to the PresIeendy of the
Nicaragua Canal Company. After
a few preliminaries, and the state
ment that Admiral Ammen ex-
pected to be able to raise the res
CURED capital, provided the General
would accept the Presidency, the
correspondent asked:
"Would you accept the Presi-
dency Of the Nicaragua Interoceanic
Canal Company, II profered to
your"
[ should not like to say would
accept it," replied Gen. Grant,
upon a rumor simply that the
money could be raised. l should
want to know first that ample sub
scriptions had been made, and that
certain concessions had been OBJ
tanned from the Nlcaraguan Govern
ment.
You favor that route, then?"
eyes 1t is by far the best. The
surveys made while | was Presi>
dent were at my instigation. In
fact lnstigated the plan Indirectly.
L tried to get an appropriation for
the purpose of carrying out the
work, and had | been in office
little longer | think | could have
accomplished something"
What is your plan as to its
management should you accept the
Presidency p
Il think it should be neutral
waters, and that Congress should
pass an act assuming some sort of
supervision over it, simply to have
ali eye to its protection, because it
is on our continent.
'Do you think the subscriptions
would be made should you S gnify
your willingness to serve as Presl-
dent of the Company?"
81 am not sure" replied the
General, "that the French capital
lists would be influenced at all by
that. At any rate, l should want
to know authoritatively just what
will be done ii I consent"
"Wlll this canal project cause any
change in your plans p
cit may. should, perhaps, go
to Cuba for the winter, but I would
defer my visit if could assist this
project in any way. [ have always
felt a great interest in it, and,
whether | am an officer in the com
rany or not, shall always aid the &C.
IL Il