THE SUEZ CANAL SHARE STORY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 6

THE SUEZ CANAL SHARE STORY

SOME INTERESTING DETAILS.

Sir Henry Lucy, in tho January "Cornhill," tolls once more, in a continuation of his "Sixty Years in the Wilderness," the story of the purchase by England nf the Khedive's shares in the Suez Canal. As is well known, it was the late Frederick Greenwood who suggested the

"deal," particulars of which some may not knoy.\ On a certain Sunday night in the spring of. 1875 Greenwood, Sir H. Lucy says, chanced to be dining in Bruton Street with Henry Oppenheim, oneof the original proprietors of the "Daily News." During a residence in Paris and Egypt that gentleman, just settling down in London, was brought into close connection with Egyptian affairs. On the previous day ho heard of tho intention of the impecunious Khedive to sell on bloc his holding in the capital of the Sue;; Canal. Greenwood instantly saw the opportunity for a great stroke of State. On leaving Bruton Street he went direct to the private residence of the Foreign Secretary (Lord Derby) and told him of the rare chance. Lord Derby informed the Prime Minister. Inquiry secretly made at Cairo disclosed tha fnct that the Khedive would "part" for a sum of four millions sterling. But it must be money down. The Promise of the Rothschilds. It was. Greenwood told Sir Henry Lucy, on Lord Deaconsfield's personal sug"o's(ion that tlm difficulty, at the moment apparently insuperable, was overcome. Tho consent of Parliament was necessary to confirmation of the ileal. That involved both delay and publicity, cither fatal to sucees;. Late on the Thursday night, following the liruton Street diiuier, the Premier sent his private scerelry, Montague Corry, to call on Jiarnn Kothschild. at the tilue head of Hie. "real financial house. Even a Rothschild did not happen to have about him at the moment a trifle of four millions sterlimr. Nor was it possible, in accordance with the tradition" of ths house, that such u transaction should be filtered upon without having been considered in family council. Cnrry accordingly relumed d> the Premier without ih'fiuiln reply. II ramc promptly uu U,<- following ii.i'.niimr, tin' terms being dial (lie money would he advanced mi a coiiiiiiN-fiun of i'. pr>r crnl.

A Good Week's Work. rei-m* wor- prHly slid', sir TTeury uf ".eiu'l.lHlll. The i'i'ly w'ii'li envy, and they "ere i1i*.,,*,,,,* ~.jh, „„„.•, snverily m-licfi (lie mttl I •- r fliliii- K>l,,|-,. H,, House of r-iitiiiiK.ii--. Tin- i;<,lli-i.|ii|.|-. :,nil 11.-ir fricmN .Icl'emle.l Ilirm „„ t|.,. tniund tliiif Hie colu'-il h-air-!i<-!ioti invnlvcil it •ppi'idin measure of ii-1;. 'I'lif-ic vrut alisolulely no sceuritv beynnd !I H . infliicneo of Hip Premier, -lill inasler of a majority in the. Ifousi- of Commons and nM-cd In invoke ils aid in nril'T to r.};l:iin 'I'm--liiiiiieiilary "iniflini!. The r.-holp Ihinhapppned 1,e1.«-ron Iwo Sundays. On II, P lirsl (ireonwnod cliti.-d at finiloii Streeton Ihe sH-orid. rail ing mi T.i.rd Derby. ]~. learned Ilia! tin* Inin-aifinn had beeii suc-ce-sliilly ciirrii't! Ilirninsli, and wns invited l« -■»>■ ivliMf f.,ri.i Ms per-oiK,! rmm. pense'should lake, llr deelitir,! lo spncilv n rerni.-t. m-nle-fii.-: li" had .h.iie imlhin'i' 1,i,l !iis ,|.iiv. 11, |~,f..i- year-. Sir Hem-v ai!d«, hi= trieiMl- !.r-:r-,| 1,;,,, ~,„,,■,- uilji nol-iirnl l->ill»nips< ' \ lii= i»f/icrous avowal beimr taken literaJlj.