The morning call., 1895-02-17
GERMANY TN FAVOR
Of BIMEHALL[SM[.
EMPEROR WILLIAM INTERESTED
IN THE FINANCES OF
UNCLE SAM.
ACTION OF THE REICHSTAG.
COUNT Won MIRBAcH's PLAN FOR
AN INTERNATIONAL MONETARY
CONFERENCE ADOPTED.

the United States and Europe has been the
subject on which the political and finan-
cial world in Berlin have been chiefly
occupied during the past week. The
financial troubles in the United States are
followed here with the closest attention,
and the National.Zeitung, Klein's Journal,
and other newspapers have commented at
various lengths upon the situation at
Washington.
On Wednesday night, during the sub
scription ball at the Royal Opera-house
the Emperor showed the interest he felt in
the matter by engaging in lengthy con-
versation with Mr.. Runyon, the Ameri-
can ambassador, on American financial
affairs. The conversation touched on the
tariff and political questions, but his Maj
esty asked to be informed more especially
about the financial crisis, the coinage
troubles, and the gold reserve in the ma
tional treasury. On receiving the informa-
ton that he sought the Emperor added
some remarks, including an expression of
his hope that financial matters in Mr..
Runyon's country would be soon straight
ened out again. He also took occasion to
refer to the close commercial relations be-
tween Germany apd the United States.
An important phase of the silver ques-
ton was reached to-day when the Reich
stag declared in favor OF the resolution SUBJ
mitted yesterday by Count Won Mirbach,
agrarlan leader, summoning another inter-
national conference on the currency ques-
! ton Mirbach' s resolution instructed the
Federal Government to issue invitations
for an international Monetary Congress to
| take action for the rehabilitation of silver
as circulating medium. Previous to its
adoption, Count Won Posadowsky-We gner,
Secretary of State for the Imperial Treas
ury in behalf of the Government declared
its sympathy with the object aimed at by
the resolution. The motion, which was
submitted to the Reichstag by Mirbach,
had received the signatures of the unusually
large number of 21O members of that BODY,
comprising Conservatives, National Lib
erals, UItramontanes and members of
other parties. Among the signers were to
be found not only the names of protested
bimetallists, but other members who have
heretofore maintained more or less neu-
trail attitude on the question of bimetallism.
One of the signers was the son of Prince
Hohenlohe, the imperial Chancellor.
The bimetallists who signed the motion
want nothing more or less than bimetal-
lism. But for the time being they have
been prevented from formulating a motion
to that effect by the opposition of their
moderate colleagues, who do not desire an
alteration of the gold currency. There is a
suspicion afoat that the support of the
latter is not entirely genuine, but has as
its motive a desire to bring about an inter-
national conference, which decision they
believe will be adverse to the reinstatement
of silver, and thus settle the question for
some time to come.
The result of the debate was fore
Swallowed yesterday, when Prince Hohen-
lobe indicated the attitude of the Govern
ment in a carefully worded declaration,
which he read as follows:
without prejudicing our imperial cur
rency, one must confess that the difference
in the value of gold and silver continues to
react upon our commercial life. Follow
ing, therefore, the tendencies which lead
to the appointment of civil commission,
| am ready to consider in conjunction with
the federal governments whether we can
not enter upon a friendly interchange of
opinion as to the common remedial
measures with the other states which are
chiefly interested in maintaining the value
of silver"
When Mirbach's motion came up in the
Reichstag this afternoon in its regular
order, the discussion was resumed by
Siegel National Liberal. He opposed
the resolution and urged that the i'm
preston should not be created abroad that
the Reichstag considered the existing
monetary system unsuited to the interests
of Germany. He was convinced that Great
Britain would take no part in any inter
national agreement for the introduction of
a double standard.
Leuschner of the Reichspartie declared
that he was in favor of an international
conference, which he was fully persuaded
would adopt the principle of bimetallism.
Richter of the Peoples party said that
Hohenlohe was temporizing. His attitude
indicated a desire on the part of the Gov
eminent to bow before the. agrarians.
Laughter This vacillation was danger
in such an important matter. The present
resolution was an agrarian intermizzio,
preceding the principal act-the protec-
zionist resolution of Count Won Kanitz II
he got nothing the agrarians would stir up
such discomfort as would not be allayed by
ten anti-revolution bills. [Cheers by the
Radicals.l
Count Won Posadowsky- Wegner, who fol-
lowed Richter, said that it was not to be
denied that the ever-failing price of silver
was prejudicial to industry and to the Ger
man silver mines. Consequently the de-
cline tended to deprive large body of
working men of their means of subsistence.
Even monometallists admitted that the
depreciation in the price of silver was
harmful. The Premier and Minister of
Finance of France had stated that France
must reverse the double standard and that
Germany was responsible because she first
began the use of the gold standard The
rural population believed that the fall in
the price of silver was answerable for the
drain in the value OF the product. This
opinion was shared moreover, by many
manufacturers. Therefore it was the duty
of the Government to return benevolent
answer to the question which had been put
by majority of the Reichstag.
This utterance was greeted with much
Conservative cheering.