The Portland daily press., 1882-06-15
The CREDIT INDUsTRIEL.

Testimony of Mr.. Trescott before the
Committee.
WASHINGTON, June 14-W. H. Trescott, late
Commissioner of the United States to Chill,
Peru and Bolivia, was examined by the House
committee or foreign affairs today.
The witness said he received his first COM
mission from the President in November last,
was confirmed by the Senate in Decembsr and
received a second commission through MI:
Frelinihuysen, who was then Secretary OF
State He was appointed special minister
plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary. In
general terms the object of his mission was to
attempt to bring the belligerent states OF Chilli,
Peru and Bolovia together and II possible to
induce them to make peace. The witness knew
nothing whatever of the correspondence OF
Shipherd; never saw him but once, and none
of his papers ever came into his (the witnesss)
hands. just before the witness left for South
America Mr.. Blaine showed him one OF Ship
herds letters and his (Blaine's) reply to 1t. 1t
was the letter in which he told Shipherd never
to speak to him again. With this exception
the witness knew nothing of Shipherd or OF his
missing papers.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Williams the
witness stated that he had no knowledge that
any minister of the United States was influ-
enced in connection with the Credit Industriel
or any other company, or that the late Minis
ter Hurlbut was in any way corruptly infiuenc-
ed. He found that great dissatisfaction exist
ed in Chill with the official course of Hurlbut,
but he never heard the least intimation that
he was corruptly influenced in his action to-
ward Chilli. or that he had any personal inter
est in the Credit Industriel or other financial
schemes. LIZ fact, the witness was satisfied
that there had never been time when the
Credit Industriel was or could be made prac-
tical factor in the settlement OF the d1thcultles
between Chill and Peru. The witness had an
interview with the Chilian Secretary OF For
eign Affairs and intimated to him that the
Chiian people by their structures upon Hurl-
burts course, evidenced by articles in their
newspapers, were doing him injustice, and the
minister replied that the Chilian government
had no charge whatever to make against Hurl-
but.
Mr. Williams stated to the committee that
he had been notified that the Secretary OF
State would to send to Congress large mass
of original correspondence bearing upon Tres
colts mission, and unless some member of the
committee desired to ask some questions, he
thought it would be better to adjourn for few
days to give them opportunity to examine the
correspondence.
Mr. Belmont desired to put a few questions
and inquired, "Do L understand you, Mr..
Trescott to say that the plan of the Credit In
dustrie was the only one that could have
been practical?"
Att was the only one that henrd of that
seemed to have sufficient financial status to
warrant the expectation that it might furnish
means to pay the war indemnity.
Q.-The first steps contemplated in the plan
of this company were the cesSion of Tarapaca
to Chill and the establishment of some form of
government in Peru with which to treat, were
they not?
Al do not know as to that. The Credit
Industriel was purely financial enterprise
that wanted to administer on the nitrates and
guano.
Mr.. Belmont then put anumber of questions
with a view to showing that the Credit In
dustrel was the company which was meant
although it was not mentioned in the lnstruc-
tions of the State department to Hurlbut of
June 10TH
Mr.. Trescott was asked if he had communi-
Gated with any one since his return from South
America in regard to the Credit Industriel and
replied that he had written to Robert Randall
in response to a letter from that gentleman In
which he called his (witness's) attention to
certain portions of Mr.. Blaine's testimony and
asked him for statement OF his (wltuess.s)
recollection upon the matters involved. Mr..
Trescott added, 81 do not wish to be drawn in
to any controversy as to the accuracy OF the
memory of either Mr.. Blaine or Mr.. Randall"
Mr.. Belmont am simply trying to ascer-
tain what, If any, were the relations of the
State Department to the Credit Industriel.
Mr.. Trescott-I know nothing of what pass
ed between Messrs. Blaine and Randall.
knew Randall as the agent or representative OF
the Credit Industriel. As / understand it,
Randall was under the impression that GER
tain relations had been established between
the Credit Industriel and the State Depart
ment and he thought that Blaine had taken up
the LdQQr9au Ctalu duu Lau lOIC6u IL upOH tuo
two governments of Chill and Peru to the de-
triment of the success of his company. As a
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 10, and replied that
he did not remember. Some discussion ensu-
ed as TO the prcpriety of compelling the wit
ness to disclose who wrote certain dispatches
Mr.. Trescott stated that he was perfectly
4oo aud oil mt
conflicting with his obligations to the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State, but all official de-
spatches signed by the Secretary of State wore
his (the secretary's) dispatches, and he (wit-
ness, doubted the propriety of his being ques-
toned in regard to their a lthorship.
Mr. Belmont stated that he deemed it per-
tinent to the inquiry to show that the Credit
Indastriel was the company which was men-
toned in the instructions of June 10, although
it was not mentioned by name. The witness
yesterday made light of 1t, and made the point
that the Credit Industriel was not mentioned
at all. He desired the witness to state whether
he (witness) had any other company in mind.
MI Trescott replied that his opinion on the
subject was formed after he reached Peru; that
from what he heard there he was satisfied that
the Credit Industriel was the only agency that
could accomplish the payment of the war in
demnity, and it was the only agency that he
ever heard of while there.
Mr. Belmont asked several other questions in
regard to witness's acquaintance with MI. FL
more Mr. Suarez and others, and in expiana-
tion said his object was to show what kind OF
government that of Calderon was when Elmore,
the representative of it was representative OF
the Credit Industriel, and also thaG IL was SO
well understood that the Credit lndustriel was
the only company offering practlcaoie plan
that it was not thought necessary In dispatches
to mention it by name.
The inquiry was not pursued further, now
ever, as the hour OF adjournment had arrived
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