New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-28

INTERIOR pEPARrMENr.
General Grants views on the subject of an
inter0ceauic canal will be gwen in an article
IN the forthcoming number of The Norm
American Reu eip. Captain S. l.. Phelps, one
OF the incorporates Damed in Mr.. Morton's
bill creating The Nicaragua lnteroceanlc
Canal Company, gives reasons why Am'rcans
should ops ose the Panama Canal project The
bands of Sioux, Cheyenne and PODca Indians
VISITED he Department of the Interior yester-
d:y. and showed stiong desire to see the
Secretary.
THE iNrFROCEANlC CANAL PROJECTS.
GENERAL GRANTS vIfwS TO BE ExPREssED IN A
MAG zINg ARrCLE-srRoNG REASONS WHY
MtniC,Ns SHOULD OPPOSE TIRE scHEMs OF DIR
L. ssEps-uow TUX FRENCH INTERPRET Ex-
SECRETARY TuoMPSoVs ACCESSION
iBY TELEGRAPH TBH TRIBUNRj
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-GeDera Grant is very
DEEPLY interested IN the su set of an lnterocoanc
ship canal and an rticle dictated oy hun will APP
pear The Worth american Reuieio for February. lt
un6ers oOd that the publication of that number of
The Rov e5o VIII lie hastened much practicable
in oi the prevailing interest the subject both
in this country aud in Europe. OF course synop-
SIS OF Gomeral Grants paper can be given
10 the public until the publishers are
ready, which, 1T is expected, will be
as early az January IA. In all probability, how.
over, the article will b. mainly devoted 10 discuss
ing the advantages bat would accrue to the United
States from the construc ion of canal under
American auspices and subj ct to Amencan control.
Gcueral Grant is "a hearty believer in tue policy of
buildIIg such a canal
Hi, attitude toward the De Lesseps scheme for q
canal at Panama, under foreign control was de-
fined az the the presidency Of that enterprise
offered to him. He s SAID by one Of his inti-
male friends to have declined tho offer,
with the rem rk that he would not lend
his name and countenance to a pr ject IN which
he believed every dollar Invested would be sunk.
sides, he known to be heartily in favor of the
Nicaragua enterprise. and il quite pro able hat.
il the Ulll introduced in the House 10y Mr.. Levi
y. Morton 10 incorporate the Nicaragua
lnteroceanlc Canal Company becomes law,
General Grant will be chosen president of the
Company. and will accept tine position. Captain s.
L. Phelps, OF Washington, is one of rhe ncorporat-
named III Mr.. Morton's bill, and s also chairman
OF the Executive Committee of the " Provisional
iuteroceauIc Canal Society," Captain Phelps spent
the iaat summer in Europe the Interests of the
proposed NIcaraguAn Canal, and while there he
made carefu! an INVESTIGATION rs was practicable
Into t8e condition and prospects of the Panama
scheme
IN conversation with Captain Phelps to-day a
TRIBUNE correspondent asked: WHAT Is the un-
deTs,audlng ~ France TO tho relations Of ex-
Secretary Thompson to the Panama CompanyW ~
" Both his relations to and his standing IN the
compiuy are misreprcsented.D was the reply. /" |
have laiely received teegraphc and other advices
IRON ParIs some OF winch were Illuminating |
all American Ii is openly asserted by the promot- |
ers of the DE Lssseps scheme III Paris, as am IN
formed, that there need DO further |
r..r Of AYpp
can opposition. IL given out that /
the American Minister OF Il irne Affairs one OF the
ADVISERS of tue President has been
won 10y office IN the company and salary
of b25. 900 year rhe impression ls created that
snOuld the Of other members of the CaOinet
or favorable legislation by Congress be needed it
can also be bJus sht for money. In word, French
men are assured that 10 opposition to the De Les
seDs scheme the United States prevail against
the of money.
Frenchmen are told" continued Captain Phelps,
" that large subscr ptons TO the Panama shares are
beng made in the United States, and that Mr..
has been made president III order that he
cy represent the Interests of the American share
holders. The real truth. far can ascertain, is
that no actual bona ide subscriptions to the Panama
,b ares have yet been made in the United States.
The committee of American ba kers, undeTS tand,
I'D no take "A single snare they are to recelve a
of per centum upon the shares they
ell and, IN certain event, they acquire GER
tain property IN shares themselves. Bui thus far,
repeat Americans have acquired no vested rights
whatever in the Panama Canal Company. If
hey had the case would be different one, and |
here might be some proprley IN having an Amori-
an president to represent American interests in the
company at salary of $4,000. As 1t is. the pro-
eediDg justly subject to the criticism of having
TAX siunlU tn American |
lOn 10 ths scheme and TO overcome uueasiness and
uspicion among foreign capitalists"
DO YOU kpow the amount OF European subscrIp- =
ons to the Panama sharesi" asked the CORE
DOndent. h
NO" was the reply; that is something have Z
cen unable TO ascertain. heard De Lesseps assert
a meeting Of the Golden Club July o. that he a
ad more money offered than he wanted. At that a
me he said American subscriptions would be re- II
,iyed simply as favor to American investors. but
nat European capitalists ready and anxious .
take every share offered. make great deal of y
owance for everything that DE Lesseps says on el
la subject. 1t ~ represented that heavy sub5crlp-
ons TO the shares have been made b.. German cap o
asts That may be true, but have not yet III
ard of a German president of the company being
Osen TO represent the interests of German share IL
,lders at salary of $4,000 year"
" Have any of the shares been taken III Englandp
the English are afraid Of De Lesseps since the
iez affair. They do not believe In hIm or his Pan
ma project ~
" VINO are the most active promoters of the enter "
ise IN FranceY s;
' Well found that a 'ring,' largely composed of | s
G adheTents of the late LOUIS Napoleon "
,st active in pushing the scheme De Lesseps si
,nseif is a relative of the ex-Empress Eugene. be
eutenant Wyse Is related 10 the family OF the "a
.e Emperor. Ex- Queen Isabella of Spain, al n,
ough without means of her own, is ardeDtly in- N'
es ed in the project. great many OF the Others te
,st actively engaged i0 pushing the scheme are a
the same stripe These people all animated ~
tbe same hope, that by she means offered by :, -
, control of the Panama Canal. French ia
as they term them. Latln--Ideas will eventn- de
y ,iomlnate in Central America. and form "a bar on
? against the advance of Anglo-SaxOn notions IN W
A. directlop OF course they also expect to levy pa