The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-07
MAY INVESTIGATE PANAMA CANAL DEAL Rainey Proposes a Sweep
 ing Investigation
FRAUD IS INITIATED
Will Ask That Roosevelt, Cromwell and Other Prominent Men Be Called To Testify--Southern
 Men To Boost Washington

| Washington, April e.--tSpecial IA sweeping investigation of the whole Pan anna transaction, by which the Republic of Colombia lost a prosperous state and | the United States acquired it's present rights in the canal zone, Is proposed by Representative Henry T. Rainey of llli- | nos, a member of the new ways ana means committee With this in view he | today introduced a resolution which has | been referred to the committee on for eign affairs. of which Representative William sulzer of New York is the chair | man.
 | If he can procure this Investigation it | is the desire of Mir Rainey to act as counsel for the prosecution and cross examine the various witnesses. He will ask that former President Theodore Roosevelt, William Nelson Cromwell and other with the purchase of the Panama canal companies properties and fran chises and with the negotiations which resulted in the acquisition by the United States of the canal zone shall testify. q am anxious through this resolution, " said MT. Rainey today, ito take the lid off this whole malodorous affair. l want to have the facts given complete pNb- 1 licity I want the investigation for the purpose of having the equities of the situation as between the United States, Colombia and Panama established. The American people have right to know. want to open up the whole question as to what became of the money. My resolution is also partly predcated on a statement recently made in California by Theodore Roosevelt, when he declared that he just took Panama, and did so so whether 1t was right not. Mir. Roosevelt added the further interesting statement that if Congress had stopped to determine the equities of the situation Congress would be debating the canal purchase yet.
 l Should Be Investigated 1 There should be a most complete in- vestigation as to how we got the canal
 ,ne how the republic of Panama was | formed, how Colombia. was treated and If this resolution can be passed. I would like to have the foreign affairs commit tee after it's investigation of the subject report its conclusions, and I shall urge that the differences between the United States and Colombia growing out of the | Panama affair shall be submitted to The Hague tribunal to determine what, if anything, the United States owes to Co., lomba.
 The investigation should go into | that entire transaction and will enable us to obtain the direct testimony of every witness that can be called shall ask that Colonel Roosevelt. Will liam Nelson Cromwell and others be | summoned and interrogated, that the committee go into the question of wh at became of the $40,000, ,O00 which the | United States agreed to pay to the French canal companies. which they did not get. When the Investigation Is held | we expect to. show that the French companies did not get this money and | we will show just where the money went, who got it, and what fees were paid. We will be ready to prove all | of that
 Not First Speech
 
 House delivered a speech on the Pan- anna case following which Colonel I Roosevelt. after the names of one of | President Tafts broth CTS had been mentioned, tried to have several news papers tried for criminal libel in the federal courts in the District of Co., lumbia a contest which resulted in the recent sweeping decision of the I United States supreme court uphold ing the contentious of New York | newspaper that the Roosevelt admin istration was wrong In it's proceedure Following that decision the department of justice quashed the indictments whichs had been obtained but upon which the publishers indicted could not be tried in the federal courts under the ruling of the highest tribunal. l MT. Rainey will ask the foreign af- fairs committee to grant him an i'm mediate hearing on his resolution In this preliminary hearing he will ask that numerous witnesses be called and he is now getting his evidence in shape for the investigation which he feels confident Is now coming although il has been delayed several years. | Washington, April 6.-tSpecial. )-An | organization to be composed of 100 southern men who are interested in | the development of Washington will be perfected at a luncheon to be given | by B. H. Warner next Wednesday. Ac- | cording to those who are fostering the movement this organization will con. duct an educational campaign to show the people of the south why their rep resentatives in Congress should be ac- tive in supporting projects for the ben eft of the national capital
 | A number of southern men now res. | idents of this city are interested in the movement and 1t Is their purpose tc demonstrate to the southern people tha, the interests of this city are co-inci- dent with the interests of a greater nation through greater south.
 OITICK WORK CTOpC