Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-11

holders of the obligations of the old COM
pany: that these persons appeared in per-
son at the Office of the liqudator to re-
ceipt for the moneys paid to them; that
they numbered 226, 296 the largest num-
Der of individuals probably ever appear
ing in person upon single business at
fair and that the average amount paid
was $1o6. The complete and detailed rec
ord of these payments. together with the
names and receipts of every person to
whom payment was made and the amount
of such payment. is in the hands OF the
liquidator at his offices at 80 Rue Etienne
Marcel. Paris. which Is in a prominent
and frequented part of the city near the
bourse. easily found by any one desirous
of doing so.
LAS to the fund paid to the new Panama
Canal Company. that company at the
time of the sale Of it's property to the
United States went into liquidation. and
l am likewise recently informed that the
distribution of its assets among its share
holders was made through four leading
banks of PariS-the Credit LyonnalS. So
ciete Generate. Compton, National d Els.
compte de Paris and Credit Industriel ct
Commercial. in three separate payments
July Is, 1904, February g. 1908 and June
10. 1909. covering a period of four years,
and was completed in June, 1908. ms
liquidation took place at the regular Of
fees of the company. 10 Rue Louis la
Grand. Paris, readily found by anybody
who honestly sought TO find them.
Never Bought or Sold Shares.
Neither l nor my law firm nor any
one connected with me ever owned. direct
ly or indirectly. any share of stock in the
new Panama Canal Company nor any of
the obligations or securities Of the old
Panama Canal Company nor never
bought or sold any of the shares or Sc
curities of either one of said companies.
nor was directly or indirectly interested
in them
Il am also positive that not man in
public life in America in or out of Con-
gress ever had the least pecuniary IN
terest in the Panama canal.
Il do not know and never have known
of any American citizen who has ever
dealt in any of the shares of the new
Panama Canal Company or the shares OF
bonds of the old company.
The whole story of Americans or some
American syndicate buying up the Pana-
ma canal securities at low price or at
any price and then turning them in upon
liquidation at profit is a fiction and
connection. The money of the United
States went to France and was distribute
ed to the hundreds of thousands OF for
eign owners. none of whom so far as L
know. was Americans.
Denied by Henry w. Taft.
Mr.. Cromwells statement was shown to
Henry w. Taft brother Of the President
elect and half-brother of Charles P. Taft,
last night He read it carefully and
wrote the following statement:
Neither my brother Charles nor 1. nor
any member of our family. directly or in
directly, had any interest in or made any
profit from the purchase of the Panama
canal by our government. None of us
was interested, directly or remotely. in
any syndicate or underwriting having any
stock or interest in the stock of any COM
pany which ever had anything to do with
the Panama canal. None of us had any
connection. directly or Indirectly. with any
If the transactions leading up to the
transfer of the canal to our government.