1890-December-12: E.

1890-December-12: E. C. Reed, an agent for American businessman William P. Clyde, informed the Navy Department that Anténor Firmin—whom U.S. officials considered the “power behind the throne”—had hinted at the possibility of transferring the French banking concession to American capitalists. This maneuver reflected the broader Harrison administration strategy of using private commercial interests and “Big Business” as a wedge to displace European (specifically French and British) influence on the island.