Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-12-12
THE PANAMA CANAL.

Ii was Lord BolinSbroke who OBJ
served hat 1t $ great deal bet
ter TO prove a man liar without
cal ing MIN one than to call him
one without proving IT,"
And the pres dent OF the Tn tied
5 ates. who has establish rec
ord by number OF men he has nom
mated TO membership II the men
dacity cub mas no doubt been re-
heotinS very Soberly along the lin
or the Bolingbroke adv'ce ever since
he 50 hastily ami bluntly assailed
the editor OF he Ind annapolis News.
The latter paper simply reproduce
cl from the New York Word charg-
es VIII CHI had been repeatedly made
during the recent campaign to the
eject that the United States gov
eminent paid forty millions OF dol
larJ for the French Panama Canal
concess !ons, which might have been
| bought in the open market for four
millions OF dollars, and paid an
addit onal ten million dollars for a
manufactured" Panama Republic
The World called for an explana-
ion as 10 who got this money.
The impulsive president OF the
United States rushed into print to
say-at me when there was the
least excuse for saying anything
that the United States DID not pay
cent of the forty million dollars
to any American citizen.
That the whole sum was maid TO
the liquidator appointed by the
! French government.
And that. SO far as he knew
there was no syndicate IN this coun.
try which had any dealings, dlrec;
or indirect, with this government.
The World, as he newspaper
which first gave currency to the
charges, comes to the defense of
Mr.. Delavan Smith. of the Indian
apolis New", and declares that to
the best of his knowledge and be-
lief each and every one Of the aboya
statements is false and that he
president knew them to be false
when he made them.
This is strong language, but the
facts presented blythe World place
the president of the United States
In a position where, to put IL mild
ly, the average citizen W uld not
| Ike to be.
1t develops that when William
Nelson Cromwell testified that there
was no contract, Senator Morgan. of
Alabama, produced a contract by
which Cromwell was exclusively
empowered" to effect with an Amer
lean syndicate the Americanizat. on
or the Panama Canal company, on a
certain basis.
senator Morgan also unearthed a
copy of the five million dollar syndI-
cate agreement. So the syndicate
was formed, and five million dollars
was enough TO buy out the rights of
the French Panama Canal Company.
And yet the president says there
was no syndicate.
Cromwell testified that he, repre-
senting the new Panama Canal. to-
either with representatives of the
United States attorney general.
'consummated the transfer and sale
to the United States"
Mr. Roosevelt says the govern
ment paid the forty millions direct
to the French government.
The check was made payable to
j. p. Morgan & Co.
Mr.. Roosevelt says the forty m u
Ions were paid to the liquidator of
the French government.
Mr. Cromwell testified that TWEEN
ty-five millions were paid to the lia-
uidator; leaving fifteen mill ons. of
which amount twelve millions were
distributed among the stockholders
OF the new Panama Canal Company
Whose interests had cost only five
millions) and that three millions
were then walt ng for distribution.
And yet Mr. Roosevelt says the
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