Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-26
BARON
The German Ambassador interviewed on
Current German-American Questions.
How the Canal Mt kiel Was Built and
How the Cost Was Bon ne-MOne-
tnry Conference Prospects.

Baron Won Thielman. the new German
ambassador. has been interviewed on cur
rent German-American questions.
THE project of a .deep-water canal cor
Meeting the Baltic with the North sea
was devised century or more ago." said
he, but 1t was not until, about twenty
years ago that the German government
took it up and gave sit practical form.
These two great seas along Germany's
coast have between them abneutral coun-
try, Denmark, and they are Gturally con-
nected by the three channels running be-
tween the islands off the Danish coast.
But in the winter these natural water
ways are choked up by the ice, and should
there be war, access through them might
be stopped by an enemy. 1t was des:r-
able therefore, for commercial, we'll as
strategic reasons, that a permanent water
way should connect these seas. There has
been a small canal between them, but as
it was but five feet deep, it was of little
value to commerce. -.E..T -'-
How 1t Was Built.
lat first the project of great canal was
urged by private parties, a prominent en-
gineer of Hamburg making the plans. Then
the government took it UP. SO that it has
been built entirely as a government enter
prise, without private interests. feature
that deserves special attention is that the
entire work, involving an expenditure of
about forty millions, has been completed
at cost below the original estimates by
$4,000. This is probably without paral-
lei in the construction of great public
works. And besides completing the canal
inside the estimates, high bridge, costing
about $5OO.OOO has been built In addition
How the Cost Was Borne.
1.-THE cost of the CANAL continued the
ambassador, has been borne by the Ger
man empire and the Prussian state jointly
as each receives special advantages from
it. There have been no popular loans or
lotteries in connection with it as was the
case with the building of the Suez canal
Whether it will yield an income on the
large investment remains to be seen, but
the returns will come to the country at
large rather than to the government as an
investment. Although built by Germany 1t
is open to the world on exactly the same
terms as to German ships. A schedule OF
tolls has been established, without dis
elimination, except that craft belonging to
the government and to the canal conStfuc-
ton force go free"
Monetary Conference Prospects.
What are the prospects, he was asked,
that Germany will participate in an inter-
national monetary conference?"
Let me ask the ambassador responded
good naturally, what the United States
atical in both cases. To be sure the Ameri-
can Congress has provided for delegates
from this country if there is to be a con-
ference, but 1T is yet to be determined that
one will be called. 1 was present at the
last conference and was not deeply i'm
pressed with the character of its delibera-
lions or with It's results"
Baron Won Thielman Is known in Ger
many as a gold man, though the conserva-
tive party to which he belongs is rather
favorable to silver. The agitation for sill
yer, he said, came mainly from the agra
rian population in the north of Germany
and was largely due to the low prices OF
farm products. He did not believe the i'm
perial government would take any step to-
ward the calling of an International none
tary conference until after the reichstag
assembled in November, and great deal
then would depend upon that body.
Restrictions Against American Cattle.
When asked if Germany Intended to re-
move the restrictions pat in force last sum-
mer against American cattleiHhe ambassa-
dor replied that this would nit be delayed
after Germany was assured that our cattle
were free from Texas Fever, and he denied
very positively that GermanSas policy re-
specting American cattle was. in retaliation
for the differential duty levied by the
American tariff law on German sugars.