The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-18
GAVE AID TO MATOS
ASPHALT COMPANY FURNISHED
 FUNDS TO CAsTRO's ENEMY.
General Francis v. Greene is Asked to Answer only one Question, But I'm Doing so Gives Much
 Information.

New York, Oct 17.-General Francis
 " Greene. former president of the Ma tional Asphalt Company was examined | today before United tSates Commissioner
 Gilchrist as a witness in behalf Of the Venezuelan government in the action l instituted by the latter against the New
 York and Bermudez Company to recover
 about $l1.000.000 because of the latter l organizations alleged assistance of the
 Mates revolution in 1901.
 General Greene was asked but one
 question. his reply being to the effect
 that the defendant company did
 materially aid the revolutionists.
 The question put to General Greene by Lawyer Rufus B. Cowing, Jr., rep resenting the Venezuelan government was as follows:
 State. whether when you returned from Europe in 1901. you knew John M Mack, Avery D. Andrews and Arthur w Sewall, or any of them as represen- tatives of the National Asphalt Compa- ny, or any of the allied companies, were in communication with M. A. Matos. or were aiding him with money, or in any other mannerT
 My only knowledge" replied General Greene. "of this matter. comes from what was told me by Messrs. Mack, Andrews and Sewall. When I return ed from Europe in October, 1901, I was surprised to learn from them that dur ing my absence they had decided to support Matos in his contest with Cas- tro.
 q told them that thought they had made a great mistake, because what they had done was not acting in good faith with the State Department at Washington. which up to that time, and largely on representations made by me to Secretary Hay, had supported the Bermudez Company to such an extent as to enable it to continue in possession of it's property. I told them that in view of what they had done during my absence 1t would be impossible for me to make any further claims at the State Department in Washington in behalf of the Bermudez Company, and in fact, I never did after that go to the State Department in behalf of the Asphalt Company.
 T also told them that I thought it was a great mistake, because 1t would cost the company great deal of money in addition to the amount which they told me they had already expended, which as I recollect was in the neigh borhood of $100.000 and that the com pany was not in a position to spend such large sums of money, nor could 1t accomplish any good results, for in my opinion Matos could not succeed and 1t would ultimately be known that the company had aided him, and this would weaken it's position before the Venezue- Ian government. told them my own Judgment was that the proper policy for the company to pursue was to rely up- on the support of State Department at Washington.
 This. however. they said. was im- possible, for they had already made ar arrangements to support Matos and if he should succeed, as they thought he would. the company then would be able to protect it's interests in Venezuela.
 Tn view of my position in the mat ter, very little was told to me of what was actually done in support of Mates The business was transacted under the direction of the officers above named and largely without my knowledge While I was president of the National Asphalt Company, MT. Mack and friends controlled large majority of the stock and he was also vice president of the company, and virtually in control.
 ''The company passed into the hands of a receiver about two months later. and after that time I had practically no voice in the management of the company"