Arizona republican., 1899-03-06
Germany Building Up Her Mer-
 chant Marine.
BUILDING MANY NEW SHIPS
Subsidies for Those So Constructed That They Can Be Readily COn- Verfed Into Fast CrusierS-Large Amount of German Capital In- vested AbrOad-FOreian interests of inc Nation Vastly increased.

Washington, March 5.-"DeveIop- ment of Commercial, Maritime and Traffic Interests in Germany in 1871 to 1S9S.' is the title of special re- port by the British commercial attache at Berlin. Mir. Gastrell, made to the British foreign office, a copy of which has just been received by the treasury bureau of statistics. This report, which covers 72 closely printed pages, contains large number of extremely interesting and suggestive statements.
 Discussing the causes of prosperity of German commerce, the report says:
 The prosperity of commercial and industrial interests has been great and may be said to be the direct and joint achievements of the eminently satis- factory conditions in Germany of the methods of education, of production and of distribution. It would seem as If the success of the Germans in com peting in trade and industry with for eign nations must be largely attributed to distinct superiority in special points under these three heads.
 Particular attention should also he paid to the rapidly increasing amount of German capital invested abroad. The financial interests of the empire, especially iH South America are immense, but it is not possible to satisfactorily estimate the total amounts. In banking circles, foreign loans, such as those to China and Den 0rlT
 much in favor, and large sums have been sent to Russia, Hungary and Roumania. In some quarters it is thought that German capital has been too freely granted to foreign countries at low interest.
 Commenting on the foreign trade policy of Germany, the consul gives a an example of the careful attention given by the government to this sub Ject, the following statement with ref erence to the trade of China:
 The new departure of Germany in acquiring KiaO-chao bay a year ago. now made free port, is an important fact commercially for the development of trade with the east, which has late- Iy been subject of care to the govern ment. They, two years ago, sent out a commercial mission to Japan and China, which recently brought back valuable information and samples re- garding suitable goods for sale there; these data and sample collections are being kept secret for the especial bene Tit of the German manufacturers pro- duclng such commodities. The minis ter Of commerce has also recently communicated to the interested classes lengthy memorandum which deals with German exportation to China. It gives the result of detailed examfna- ton or Chinese statistics made With the view of placing before German merchants lists of all the chief inn ports into China which should be suD- piled from Germany; and it contains many valuable hints and suggestions der1Ved from authoritative sources which are likely to assist the public in obtaining reliable information on tha conditions of the markets in that part of the world.''
 Under the head of "The Rise of the Maritime Interests 9 the report says.
 Among the many directions in which the German empire has been pushing it's economic expansion as a powerful European state in recent years, none is more remarkable than the line of development of it's mari time interests in the broad sense of the term, which includes ship building carrying power, and Over-sea com merce together with it's necessary pro- lection and represented by navy. Sea interests and sea power are the natural corollaries of trade interests and in- dustrial power, and they today take a leading place in German politics, whereas up to quite recent times they were of quite secondary importance to politicians and still less to the nation at large. It is, however, only since 1881, that moved by national consider ations the German government decid- cd to foster the growth of ship build ing; but the intention to do so did not take practical shape until the first sub sidy bill of 1885. By this action they afforded material support to the CO., lonial and commercial aspirations Of the empire. Though the principal then laid down has since been extend ed, it is almost entirely due to the en- crgy of private individuals that such high level of efficiency in this direction has been attained that, at the present time, the German ship building yards have been offered more orders than they can possibly carry out.
 There are now being constructed for the Hamburg American Steamship company 14 new large ships of 144,980