The Washington herald., 1914-06-23
BANKERS TO BE
CALLED IN PROBE
Financiers viii Be Asked to
Explain Their Concessions
IN Nicaragua.
SENATOR'S TO DIG DEEP
Douglas Testi6es He Is Under Salary
from Republic-Side Issue
to Treaty.


Members Of the banking firm Of Brown
Brothers and OF seligman & Co. will be
subpoenaed to testify as to their interests
in Central America and particularly IN
Nicaragua, before the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee. II was learned yes
tenday. Others who will probably be
summoned in connection with the inves-
tigation OF Nicaraguan affairs are Minpr
C. Keith, OF the United Fruit CompaAy,
and John Gray. attorney for Mr.. Keith.
for the United Fruit Company, and for
the late Samuel NJ. Jarvis, who at one
time planned to take over the Nicara-
guam Railroad. and with his friends con-
troIled the National Bank OF San Do
mingo.
The Investigation is partially the result
of the pending Nicaraguan treaty. which
is being considered by the Foreign Re-
lations Committee. Secretary Of State
Bryan appeared before the committee
again yesterday.
The committee reported favorably the
resolution providing for an investigation
of the connection of certain bankers with
the State Department in obtaining con-
eessons In Nicaragua.
Gray to Be GrilIed.
It is expected that Mr.. Gray. an at
torney Of Delaware, will be grilled
severely on his relations at the State
Department, where he has long rep
resented a number OF corporations. In
this inquiry the subcommittee OF the
Foreign Relations Committee will be
particularly interested, since Boar w.
Long, whose nomination as Minister to
Honduras 1t is now investigating. tes-
tified that Mr.. Gray interested himself
in his candidacy enough to approach
several Senators and ask them to vote
for Longs confirmation. Long said
that he first met Mr.. Gray when the
latter represented some New York In
terests which desired railroad con-
cession in Honduras, the very country
to which Long has been appointed Min
lister.
Minister of Finance Cuadro. OF Mica
raEua, and the Nicaraguan Minister 10
the United States will go. on the stand
today before the committee to explain
what would be done with the s3,oOo.0OO
It is proposed to pay that country under
the treaty.
Douglas on stand.
Attorney Charles A. Douglas. who.
with Secretary Bryan. occupied most Of
the time yesterday, admitted that prob
ably most of the people Of Nicaragua
were opposed to the idea OF a protectorate
as embraced in the Platt amendment. He
told the committee of the pressing need
Of Nicaragua for 100000 Senator Yill-
lam Alden Smith commented that II the
country had to have s. O0o.0oo he did not
see that the payment TO her of 100000
by the United States would entirely ex-
tricate her from her difficulties
Douglas rather surprised the committee
by stating that he was on salary from
Nicaragua and had no contract involving
a contingent fee. He was questioned
closely on this point. as there have been
many rumors as to the amount Of money
he would receive should the treaty be
ratified by the Senate.
In rely to questions Secretary Bryan
admitted that protests had been received
against the treaty from Costa Rica-
After the meeting a rather pessimistic
tone was taken by opponents Of the
treaty, most of them adopting a blood
be upon your own heads" policy. which.
when taken together with the comment
yesterday on the treaties by the Presi-
dent. rather indicated surrender Of the
right.