"The American End of the Panama Scandal"

The article discusses a Congressional investigation into the American committee in support of Ferdinand De Lesseps’ Panama Canal scheme. Jesse Seligman testified as to his firm’s involvement in the scheme and the committee’s efforts to influence American policy in favor of the canal project. He discussed financial payments from De Lesseps’ French investors to the American committee and how they were divided among the banks whose directors formed the committee and the head of the committee, Secretary of the Navy Richard W. Thompson. Thompson had resigned his cabinet post to become head of the committee. “The American End of the Panama Scandal,” Herald, February 16, 1893, 1.