New-York tribune., 1896-07-24
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FINANCIERS HERE.
THEY ARE KEENLY INTERESTED IN THE
POLITICAL SITUATION.
PRESIDENT sONADA. OF THE SPECIE bANN VT
YOKOHAMA. TALKS OF THE EASTERN WAR


pprsrDrNT sONADA OF THE SPECIE BANK Or'
YOKOHAMA TALKS OF THE EASTERN WAR
OUTLOOK AND EXPRESSES VIEWS
ON THE SILVER QUESTION
The marty OF Japanese fnanciers who are on me
way TO England to take charge OF tne wa"
domn,tv which China has deposited In the Bank or
England are spending two weeks In the CITY pre-
v,ous ,o sailing for London. They are staying at
the Hotel Majestic, and each day Is spent IN
visiting local points Of interest. The party con-
sjsts of s. Hayakawa, secretary OF the minister
of Finance OF Japan. Counsellor TO the MihiSis
Of Finance and Government Inspector OF BANKS
X Sonada president of the Specie Bank OF ioko-
hama: T. Yamato chief cashier of the Imperial
Rank of Japan; " Yanayaga. a director or the
Rank of Japan and X. j. Imanish, secretary or
President Sonada. When the peace treaty was
concluded after the war between China ana japan
China promised to pay the sum OF 2oo"oW taeis
war indemnity, or about Sl5oWoWo IN American
money. Half that sum has already been turned
over nv tho Chinese Embassy In London to the
Jopanese Embassy, and deposited in tho Bank OF
England
'The Imperial Bank Of Japan" said President
Sonada yesterday, is not allowed to have any Tor
egn agencies 1t is to Japan what the Bank OF
France is to France the Imperial Bank OF
Prussia is to Germany. 1t is a Government bank'
and the Government will not allow 1t to have any
foreign agencies As representing the Specie Bank
of Yokohama, are made agents or the BANK or
Japan We will go to London. receive the money
and then act upon advces received there as TO the
distribution Of it. 1t may be expended In part or
entirely In building Warships ana In securing lie"
facilities for Japan"
Does Japan by these warke preparations, eN
pect more trouble in the East?" President Sonada
was asked. He replied quickly:
mo, I think not. China is now our good neigh.
Dor. All business men. and think all men In gem
I, 1nalx for
more trouble. We simply building ships and
equpping ourselves with arms to make a showing
In the worlds affairs. We do not want to fight
any more but that there IS another uprising
in Formosa. That province gives us more trouble
than China did The people rise up intermittently
and make trouble for us. We must fight them but
we peaceable, and want to turn to commerce
more than war. | director in the Japanese
Mail Steamship Company. which has just made
connection with this country by getting a port at
Seattle. 1 think that will be good thing, as 1t
will bring this country and Japan in closer fellow
ship than they are now"
'Will Bryan be elected do you think?' asked
President Sonada. there a lull in the con-
versaton. The japanese fnancier dresses in the
latest European fashion, speaks English perfectly
and takes a keen interest In American affairs
Upon being told that 1t was not likely, he replied
laughngly:
"Ah, that is what you say; but I have gone
through the West. and they tell me out there that
he will l would be sorry to him elected and
his notions carried into effect. 1t would be fol-
lowed by n widespread panic that would cause
only ruin in this country. but all over the world,
even In Japan. In Japan we have what you might
call the free coinage Of silver That is. gold and
silver can be taken TO the mnts and coined alike,
but cannot maintain any parity between the
metals Silver is really the standard. and the gold
America. The gold huctuatcs in value but silver
keeps relatively about equal to the value of the
bullion. Your silver men tell me that this coun-
try is big enough and strong enough to adopt the
free coinage of silver. doubt II. / would look
such a step dangerous experiment, and. while
1t might succeed. do not believe that 1t would I
Japan perhaps. is not the best in the world but
every knows the value OF the money In circu-
ation. and | believe In letting well enough alone:
When | first elected president OF the Bank OF
Yokohama your Congress had just passed the
Sherman law I remember that II caused conster-
nation in Japan. and we had much TO contend
and such factor In the worlds commerce that
II cannot effect n change Ike that the free-slver
advocate without tremendous risk and an
almost certain panic. am bimetallst In the
the world could be induced to maintain a ratio be-
tween the metals / would be glad OF II, but do
mint the silver of the world and determine upon a
fixed parity between 1t and gold without great
deal OF trouble"
Tho little party taking deep interest In the
political situation in this country and talk ntelli
gently about the campaign. They amazed at
the assumption OF the silver men In trying to make
I'm declaring 53-cent dollar In silver equal TO 100
cent dollar In gold. They are at loss TO calculate
how II Is to be done. and cannot see why II It is
DONE all the silver Of the world Will not pour into
American mints and why their silver dollar. which
does not pretend TO pass for more than SO cents,
could not be brought here and passed to equal
gold 1t would be good thing for them. they say.
but they don't see the equity OF it. and doubt the
wisdom OF the experiment.