Bell Telephone Company companies and to provide further funds for expansion of its overall telephone infrastructure. On April 17, 1880, National Bell was split into the American Bell Telephone Company, led by Theodore Vail as general manager, and with the International Bell Telephone Company (IBTC) as a holding company for its international subsidiaries. IBTC's first non-North American subsidiary was the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTM), established by Hubbard at Antwerp, Belgium, in 1882. The Bell System's Bell Telephone Company of Canada subsidiary, wholly owned by the National Bell, had been established two years earlier. Alexander Graham Bell's ten shares of Bell Telephone Company
Elisha Gray and Alexander Bell telephone controversy depressed. However, Wilber's April 8, 1886, affidavit was also sworn to and signed before Thomas W. Swan. These conflicting affidavits discredited Wilber. Furthermore, the April 8 affidavit signed by Wilbur had been drawn up for him by lawyers for the Pan-Electric Telephone Company which at the time was being sued by Bell Telephone for patent infringement. In addition, the Pan-Electric Company was being investigated by the U.S. Congress for having given the U.S. Attorney General Augustus Garland 500,000 shares of Pan-Electric Telephone. Subsequently, Garland brought suit against Bell to annul the Bell patents. The Speaker of the House of Representatives