The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-02
TITLE TO PANAMA CANAL FRENCH COMPANIES PROOF OF
 RIGHT TO IT.

tOrney Genefah AMo1 - nnAhoh~
 French Opinions That the Company
 Has Fall Title to and Power to Turn
 Over the Property-No One to- Ques-
 ton Conveyance to United States. >-s
 New York, Oct. 1-Willian Nelson Cromwell, general counsel for the new Panama Canal company, who returned yesterday from Paris, this afternoon said: .z.-.a. zss= =.3 zs During the last six weeks of corlsec- utive examination, prepared and de- livered to Attorney General Knox, in Paris, and to his special assistant, Mr. Russell, every conveyance, decree, con- cession or other document relating to the properties of the New Panama Ca- nal company, from it's inception in 1878 to this hour showing a. complete and perfect chain of title in the New Pana- ma company, and it's unquestionable power to convey the canal, the plant, concessions and other property to the United States, free and clear of all liens or claims of any kind. This enor- nous mass of documents was most pa- tiently and ably examined by the at- torney general and Mir. Russell.
 T also have the qualification of say ing that after the most exhaustive ex- animation H. Du Butt, late president of the Bar association of France, Leon Devine, former president of the Bar as- sociation of France; Paul Sontard, counsel in France for the New Panama company: Henri Thieblin, counsel for the liquidator of the old company, and M Limbourg, counsel for the represen- tative of the bondholders of the old company, who are unquestionably lead- comptny, who are unquestionably lead- CTS of the bar of France, delivered opinions unequivocally concurring in my opinion and supplen1enting it by an opinion completely answering the spec ial objections which had been raised in the course of congressional debates, and fully sustaining the titles and powers of the company.
 "To M. Waldeck- Rousseau, who has just resigned the premiership of France to resume the practice of his profess sion, submitted all the documents and questions and have received his elabo- rate opinion endorsing the same opin- ion and in addition giving his conclu- sions that the title to the property is perfect and that the United, States will acquire a complete and valid title thereto, free from any possible compli- cations from creditors or stockholders of the old company.
 ""The conveyance of the New Panama Canal company will be supplemented ed by the official concurrence of the liqui- dator of the old company, and by the representatives of bondholders of the old company, who have been fully au- thorized by decree of the court to grant such conveyance. Thus there is left no one to question the convey ance.
 q now assert that the title of the New Panama company to the property proposed to be conveyed is valid, ab- solute and unquestionable; that the power of the new company to convey to the United States with the concur renee of Colombia is full and complete; that the new company is in no sense liable for the obligations of the old company; that the consent of France is not necessary; that the United States will not become liable in any sense, Ie- gal or moral, for the obligations of the old company: and that no complica- tions can possibly arise to the United States from the acquisition of the prop erty.
 "In my Judgment it only remains to conclude a treaty with Colombia to fully satisfy the provisions of the Spooner law. That treaty has been. a good one Only three or four points are still er-discussion."