Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-15


Credit IndustrIeI-The BOOIIess Err
rand TO LIMA Bit Of UnwritIen
HistOrY-Duty of the Government
TO the VIcIOrs and VanquIshed.
WASHINGTON, June 14.-W. h. Trescott,
late Commissioner of the United States to
the South American Republics of Chill,
Peru and Bolivia, was examined by the
Hcuse Committee on Foreign Affairs to day.
Witness received his first commission from
the President in November last, was con-
frmed by the Senate in December, and re-
ceived a second commission through Mr..
Frelinghuysen, who was then Secretary of
State. He was appointed special Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary,
and in general terms the object of his mis-
sion was to attempt to bring the bellIgerent
States of Chilli, Peru and Bolivia to-
gether, and if possible induce them
to make peace. Witness knew
nothing whatever of the correspondent of
Shipherd. Never saw hiTs but once, and
none Of his papers ever came into his (wit-
| messy hands. Just before witness left this
city tor South America Mr.. Blaine showed
him one of Shepherds letters and his
(Blaine's) reply to it. It was the letter in
which he told Shipherd never to speak to
| him again. With this exception witness
knew nothing of the Shipherd papers or the
missing papers.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Williams,
witness stated that he had no knowledge
that any Minister of the United States was
cOrrupty Influenced 10 connection with the
Credit lndus,riel or any other company.
Witness was satisfied that there had never
been time when the Credit Industriel was
or could be made practical factor in the
settlement Of the difficulties between Chill
and Peru.
Witness had an interview with the Chilian
Secretary of Foreign Affairs and intimated
to him that the GILLIAN people, by their
structures upon Mr.. HurlbuL's course, evi-
denced by articles in their newspapers, were
doing him an Injustice, and the Minister re-
piled that the Chilian Government had no
charge whatever to make against Hurlbut.
Mr.. Williams stated to the committee
that he had been notified that the Secretary
of ate would to-day send to Congress a
large mass of original correspondence bear
| ing on Mr.. Trescott's mission, and, unless
some member of the committee desired to
ask some questions, he thought 1t would be
better to adjourn for few days to give
bubLu du W CAhmlu6 tulS cJT-
respondence.
Mr.. Belmont then put number of ques-
tions, with view to show that the Credit
Industriel was the company which was
meant although 1t was not mentioned in
the Instructions of the State Department to
Hurlbut OF June 18th,
MIR. Trescott was asked IL he had commu-
nicated with anyone since his return
| from South America in regard to the
GrpIit industrial and ronIfa6 ha no
written to M. Robert Randall In response to
a letter from that gentle man, in which he
| He'd his wv tless y attention to certain por
| tions of Mr.. Blaine's testimony, and asked
| MIN for a statement of his (witnesso recol-
lection in the matters involved. MIR. Tres
| colt added 81 do not wish to be drawn
| into any controversy as to the accuracy of
the memory of either Mr.. Blaine or Mr..
Randall
Mr.. Belmont-I am simply trying to as
certain what, ii any, were the rela ions of
the State Department with the Credit 10,
| dustriel.
Mr. Trescott-I know nothing OF what
pass ed between Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Randall.
! | knew MIR. Randall as the agent or repre-
sentative of the Credit Industriel. AS Iuu-
derstood 1t, Randall was under the impress
SIGN that certain relations had been estab-
lisbed between the Credit Industriel and the
! State Department, and thought Mr.. Blaine
| had taken up the Landreau
claim and had forced 1t upon the govern
ments of Chill and Peru to the detriment of
the success Of his company. AS point of
fact, however, the question had never
reached the point of practical consideration,
''and | so told Randall"
! Mr.. Trescott was asked if he did not draft
| the instructions of June 15, and replied
that he did not remember
Some discussion ensued as to the pro-
prey of compelling the witness to disclose
who wrote GER ain dispatches. Mr.. Trescott
stated that ne was perfectly willing to an
| swer any and all questions not conflicting
with his obligations to the President and
| Secretary of State, but all official dispatches
signed by the Secretary of State were his
| (the Secretary's) dispatches, and he wit
| ness doubted the propriety Of his being
questioned IN regard to their authorship.
Mr.. Belmont stated that he deemed 1t per-
tinent to the quiry to show that the Credit
| Iudustriel was the company which was
meant in the instructions of June 18th,
| although it was not mentioned by name.
| The witness yesterday made light OF it, aud
made the point that th9 Credit Industrel
was not mentioned at all. He desired wit
ness to state whether he had any other
company In mind.
Mr.. Trescott replied that his opinion of
the subj. was formed after be reached
E6Ius budb lIOLu Wndh u6 u6dIu OuSI6 NE
was satisfied that TIE Credit Industriel was
the only agency that might possibly accom-
| plish the payment of the war indemnity,
and 1t was the only agency he ever heard Of
while there.
Mr. Belmont asked several other questions
in regard to witness acquaintance with
Eimore, Susrez and others, and In explana-
tion stated that his obi 3ct was to show what
kind of government that of Calderon was,
hot ha prar. coraf faff ffxya rNf
was also the representative Of the
Credit IndustrIel, and also that If it was 60
! we'll understood that the Credit Industrel
was the only company offering a practica-
BILE plan, that it was not thought necessary
| In the dispatches to mention it by name
| The inquiry was not pursued further, how
| ever.
Mr.. Trescott was excused, with the un-
derstanding that he would be recalled In a
few days.
TREsCoTT's MISSION.
The Chill Peruvian espondence trans
mitted to the House to-day is very volumln-
Gus, and only occasional extracts can be
| given.
In the earlier correspondence Mr.. Tres
colt describes the uneasiness which existed
on his arrival in Chill as to what m ght be
| the ultimate purpose of the United States
as regarded the bellgerent nations, and
| correspOndinglY great expectations in Peru
in the same direction. On January 9th
Mr.. Trescott wrote to Mr.. Frelinghuysen
that he had had three confidential confer
ences with the Chilian Secretary
| for Foreign Affairs since his last
| dispatch, and that it was evident to him
| (Trescott) that not only the interests of the
| belligerents, but that the position of the
| United States required a prompt decision
| as to the extent to which it would further
intervene in endeavoring to secure
peace. That the conditions imposed by
| Chill seemed hard, but that Peru was DOW
erless to help herself. That without the in.
tervention OF the United States Chill could
and would compel Peru to accept any terms
she might choose to impose. That the ces
sion by Peru of Tarapaca was unavoidable,
unless the United States meant to intervene
forcibly.
Under date of February Sd Mr.. Trescott
wrote to Mr.. FreliDghuysen from Vina Del
| Mar, Chilli, informing him that he Tres
| cott) had received letter from Hurlbut.
saying that he had already extended the in,
vitation of the President to the pov-
ernment of Peru to attend the pro-
posed Congress ia Washington. In
| this letter Trescott says:s This action,
of which had been so apprehensive, ren-
| dered 1t necessary that An invitation should
| also be extended to Chill, for had no doubt
that the fact would be published IN the
Lima papers, and by the last mail from Lima
find that not only the fact, but
the interview in full has been published.
I AS an interview with the Secretary for For
| eign Affairs had been appointed for Tues
| day last (January 31), Mr.. Blaine accompa.
MED me in order to read the invitation in
company with his Instructions The inter
view had been arranged for the purpose
| of cOmOarfuQ our respective drafts NJ