Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-23
''GRANT AND ROMERO,
Their Relations TO the Mexican Treaty.
LETTER FROM GEN. GRANT CoSrRADIcTrNG yARIous
EISsTATEMENTS.
WHAT SENIOR ROMERO SAYS

LhTIEh FkOA GkS. GRANT CoNTRADICTTNG yARIOCS
EIssTATENENrs.
WHAT SENIOR ROMERO SAYS
The following letter nom Gen. Grant, and report
OF an interview with Senor Romero supply an
authentic statement OF their relations TO the
Mexican treaty:
NEW YORK CITY, January %, 1884.
To the Editor Of THE wAsHISGroS EVENING STAR:
In your issue OF Saturday, headed 1.-The Mexican
Ireaty-The Senate Declines 10 Ratify It at
present. ind the following paragraph:
WHY SOME SENATOR'S VOTED AGAINST IT
member OF Congress said TO . STAR reporter day:
There were some votes several of them at least
against the Mexican treaty in the Senate for this reason
ou see Grant and Romero PARTNERS I'm MEXICO and
.ney obtained some large concessions from that
Grant is the United States commissionsr and Romero
me Meniean colnmissioner. and both OF them wer'
smspected-and rally can't say it more than
I these two men partners in business had
a cand m sehg the they want and
patent enough to Outweigh this SUBSECTION. Why several
San @nrS Tho no know 3s eonsudd that the safest
The statement that ..;rant and Romero were
partners IN Mexico, and they obtained some large
concessions from that government In relation TO
railroad and steamboat lines,r IS wholly without
foundation. Mr.. Romero and myself never had in
our lives any pecuniary tranactiOns or business
transactions OF any kind Since the close or our ne
oelllon and the expulsion OF MaNimflian from Mext-
GoAneTe mas been warm sympathy between Mr.
homero and myself, our views being coinctdent as
10 Inc relations that ought 10 exist between Mexico
anu the United states. We have both devoted
much time 10 bringing about more Intimate re!a-
uons between the TWO republics. and entirely gra-
lulIouSly on our own part. !, myself. have 10 pc
cuniary interest In any OF the improvements which
are taxing place In Mexico with American capital,
but Zee. great interest I'm their success.
In the paragraph quoted above you saw: sit was
siiSpected-and, really. can't say IL was more than
& &sa>picohLthat these Two men, partners in buoi-
ness, mad big private Interests Ia that treaty: that
1t would aid them in developing the noN0poiies
theS want" &C. As stated above. Mr.. Romero ana
myself are not partners In anything Ne have.
nellher OF uS-l certainly have not-anv more in
tereSt In the ratification or the treaty than any
oCer private citizen OF my country. 1 believe irs
ratlilcation would be a great step towards alb
u>hlng those relations between two cont tpoIls re-,
pupics whlch ought TO exist, and which would be
or mutual advantage.
might say here that I'm some Of tha arguments
Winch nave read I'm the periodicals of the time
nave seen urged against treaty the fact that Cuba
was SO near TO Mexico that II would be an easy
Halter 10 snip their sugar 10 that country and
snip IL from there. thus evading the duties. OF
course stringent laws would be passed TO make
SuCh acts dangerous; but, aside from any law
There are two answers 10 that objection to the
treaty. either OF which is IN ITSELF conclusive as
against that Objection. F1rst-MeNico has a higher
larlH upon sugar than the United States has and
tiiey have no provision in their laws for rebate OF
duties where Imported articles are re-exporred
nr,a ne second conclusive answer Is that 1, is only
crude sugar which IS admitted free under the
treaty. and the difference between the Cuban raw
sugar and the Mexican raw sugar Il so great that
IL would not even require expert tell the diff
ference between them by the 'fee" alone II he was
blindfolded.
write this from sick room and by dictation.
ana therefore VIII not go into details aS would IL
was able 10 sit up and write myself might add
however, that Willie have spent thousands or dol
lars OF my own money a nd great deal or time TO
advance the development OF Mexico by United
states capital and by American influence have not
one dollar interest In all that has been done and
no pecuniary interest whatever In the country ex-
cept That am one Of the subscribers 10 railroad
which lies wholly to the south OF the city OF MeXl-
co, and the SUCCESS OF which Is very doubtful in
tnese ulneS, when IL Is so difficult 10 raise caIltal
Tor any such enterprises There is no steamboat
charter or other. monopoly la which have the
slightest pecuniary interest My whole interest is
In developing those relations which believe oug mt
10 exist between contiguous countries, and parIlc-
ulafy those f Ike Institutions, and iii the case OF
Mexico think IL more important because or her
great undeveloped resources which must make her
soon commercial state OF very great Importance.
very truly yours, L. S. GRANT
WHAT SENIOR ROMERO SAYS.
STAR reporter called Senor Romero this
morning to hear what he had to say in
regard to the matter treated In General
Grants letter, and was very courteously re-
celved. Senor Romero said that he felt himself
hlghly honored when his name was mentioned In
connection with Gen. Grants. he Is sure the
general Is Incapable OF doing anything that is not
hlghly honorable. 81 KNOW" said he, ''that Gen.
Graht has not now, and has not had, any personal
Interest in Mexico which might be served With the
ratncdtion OF the reciprocity treaty. tien. Grant
mas always been a warm, sincere and disinterested
friend or Mexico, and with a view TO serve that
country, and not with any object OF personal gain,
he consented TO organize a company OF competent
gentlemen OF this country for the purpose OF build
Ing u road from the City Of Mexico 10 the Mexican
frontier With Guatemala, which road has not yet
been begun, and Is not likely TO lie built Tor the
present. SO tar as am concerned, am friend
ana more than this, great admirer or Gen. Grant.
believe hln 10 be one OF the pureSt and greatest
men OF this country and OF this century, and have
no doubt his name viii be handed down to poster-
lty as one or the greatest men Ia American his
tory.
1, myself, do not hold a single share In any rail-
road now Quilt or about 10 be built In Mexico or
any other personal interest IN any or them, but not
Withstandlag this try to help them all. not for
any reason OF personal lront, but Tor reasons OF
Puolc good TO my country, which needs such roads
,or Its development and prosperity. IL has been
mtlmated that the treaty has been framed FOR the
advantage OF railroads, and am at a loss 10 know
how railroads could be benefited IL they had nuth-
Ing TO carry.
The truth Is that believe myself TO be as sincere
and disinterested friend or the United states as
Gen Grant Is OF Mexico, and that as each OF us
KNOWS well 0oCh countries. the treaty which We
signed Is really reciprocal In It's benefits To boh
ana in my opinion the best Interests OF them buta
have been consulted and provided Tor ia that IL
SLrumeut"