The San Francisco call., 1895-12-30
Berlin Firms Ready to Negotiate
for the Purchase of
Bonds.
YULETIDE IN THE FATHERLAND
Routine Cares Give Way to Christ.
mas Cheer in Court and
Cottage.

surprisingly rapid within the last few
days. Berlin and Frankfort took the lead
of London in speculative buying OF Ameri-
can stocks, and operators here have,
on the whole, benefited by the selling
which was done in London, and at no
time during the Wall street panic have
the German bourses been so much in
fluenced as was the English market. The
buying set in earlier here, and even in
vestors took chance in securing stocks at
low values. The bourse closed notably
firm on Saturday after considerable buying
of American railroad securities.
The course of operations here gives evi-
dence of the decreasing influence OF Lon
don upon matters OF finance in which
German financiers or investors are inter
ested. Financiers are no longer inclined
to accept the tendencies of the London
market as a good guide in important
monetary enterprises at the present mo-
ment.
1t is not forgotten how Germany abb
sorbed the American loans at low values
during the war of the American rebellion,
when the bonds were almost unstable in
London. So, when English financial
houses seem to hesitate over the reception
of a new bond issue, the Washington Gov
ernment, If it is so desirous of having for
eign markets take part in the loan, might
find German firms prepared to negotiate.
The belief here in the permanence of peace
between the United States and Great Brit
ain is absolute, and the general conviction
in the recovery of a healthy condition OF
American finances is mistaken.
The capture in Athens of Baron Won
Hammerstein, the former editor of the
Kreuz Zeitung, who absconded under
charges of forgery and embezzlement,
created tremendous sensation IN politi-
cal and social circles when his arrest be-
came known on Saturday. The arrest of
this fugitive has cut the ground from un-
der the feet of the Socialist leaders, and
may even be said to have carried away the
feet of some of them. All along one of the
chief weapons of the Socialist press and
the Socialist parliamentary leaders has
consisted ot insinuations that the Govern
ment had connived at Hammerstein s
escape and frowned upon genuine attempts
to bring him back, in order to prevent dis
closures affecting the Conservative sup
POllSIS vi lilO OOfCIHLIcAl. AC CdpbuiO
of Hammerstein has taken the wind out
of the sails of the Socialistic craft and rem
dered the Hammerstein letters, which the
Socialists were holding over the heads of
many Conservative members of the Reich
stag, almost if not wholly valueless as ter
rorizing measures.
Now it seems that there never has been
a moment since the disappearance of
Hammerstein that the Government has
not been earnest and unceasing in its en-
deavors to find him and bring him back to
justice, no matter who might be injured
by any revelations which his prosecution
might entail. The political police tracked
him through Switzerland and Italy and
finally spotted him as he was landing
from a steamer at Pir8us, the port of
Athens and five miles from that city.
Having run him down the police commits
saries watched him closely during the en-
tire time occupied in making applications
in secret to the Greek Government for his
surrender. The Government of Greece
does not extradite culprits except for capi-
tai offenses. but under pressure from Ber-
lin the Athens authorities took advantage
of Hamnerstein's having recorded him
self as "Wiliam Herbart" to expel him
from the kingdom as an anarchist suspect.
Hammerstein was therefore compelled to
leave and embarked on a steamer for
Brindisi. The German police also
took the steamer and the moment
the vessel sailed Commissary Wolf of the
Berlin political police placed him under
arrest. The conduct of the Government
in the Hammerstein matter, having thus
been vindicated the police will be allowed
free hand to pursue their plan of social
ist repression, while the Conservatives, no
longer deferred by socialist menaces OF
damaging revelations, will urge repression
measures in the Reichstag.
Berlin now has the prospect of an ex-
tremely racy scandal season between the
Hammerstein case and the revelations con-
tanned in the Won Kotze documents, which
are in the possession of Fritz friedman
the absconding Berlin lawyer. According
to current report Friedman is now In Lon
don, where he has prepared a pamphlet,
attacking high legal and political persons,
which he threatens to publish if the Ger
man authorities molest him anywhere. II
is understood that Friedmann wants q for
NAL permit to return to Germany, nomi-
nally incognito, in order to settle his af-
fairs and is now negotiating with the
proper authorities in Berlin to that end.
The Christmas season, according to re-
ports made by the leading shops in Berlin,
shows boom in business. The sale OF
the cheaper class of goods has been slack
in favor of the higher and more costly
class, and the casual onlooker would con-
slider that the merchants, as we'll as the
public, have been having a fine time all
around. The North German Gazette says
that Berlin has received and sent out
Christmas parcels far exceeding in mum.
Der those sent and received during the
Christmas week of 1894.
The celebration in the New Palace al
Potsdam on Christmas eve was even more
brilliant than usual. The Emperor and
Empress and the members of their family
entered the Shell Hall at o'clock in the
afternoon attended by the members of the
imperial household. The presents were
spread out upon tables placed along the
walls and the young Princes could hardly
be restrained from infractions of etiquette
by rushing forward to admire the hand
some gifts before all of the company had