The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-29
Representatives of Business Interests
Interfering with the Work of
the state Department..
INTERVIEW WITH AN OFFICIAL
WHO SAYS AGENTS OF GREAT MEAT
FIRMS ARE TOO BOAsTFUL.
Germany, He Asserts, should Not BE
Blamed for Excluding 'sEmba lined"
Stun-Business Depression.

BERLIN, Dec. 2s.-American diplomacy
in Berlin, so far as it relates to commercial
controversies, is hampered by the interfer-
ence of the private interests concerned.
The force of the representations of the
State Department has been continually i'm
paired by American business men acting
independently of diplomatic channels. This
is the rather startling purport of a COM
munication made to the correspondent of
the Associated Press to-day by a parsonage
closely related to the Foreign Office. from
whom something was sought more candid
than the Foreign Offices carefully-framed
statements usually are. Naturally. this
parsonage can only speak plainly for pub
LEGATION abroad When speaking anony-
mously he buries the essential under the
less important statements He said:
II suggest these memoranda for explain
ing German governmental views on three
or four things that are the subject of cor
respondence with our Foreign Office. There
is the meat question, always with us, and
likely TO be again troublesome in the
spring, if our new inspection regulations
become Imperative. Underlying the meat
dispute is, of course, the protective tariff
idea, in which your statesmen have edu-
Gated us. But, beyond that how can you
blame us if we exclude canned meats after
the embalmed-beef testimony. Public opin-
ion here has most unpleasant recollections
of that testimony and is now irritated by
the boastful utterances of representatives
of the great meat firms, whose attitude is
that, whether the meat is good or bad
Germans must buy 1t. as they cannot raise
enough for their own use. These firms,
may say, are striving to reach the German
government by influences outside of your
State Department Much of the trouble We
are giving American insurance companies
originates in the intrigues of these great
concerns against each other In order to Sc
cure semi-exclusive field. They have filled
several cases in our Foreign Office with Sc
cret documents against their American
rivals, sach as so-called exposures of meth
DDS of doing business and attacks on the
integrity of their financial operations and
investments Our case against the foreign
insurance companies is upheld by briefs
against them prepared by their rivals in
their own country"
Abiding to the approaching period when
a new commercial treaty will probably be
negotiated with the United States. the in
formant of the correspondent said: Ger
many will want her full share of the ad-
arrangements with other countries We
justly consider it a grievance that the
United. States under the most favored ma
ton idea is able TO profit by any new com
mercial convention we enter into with an
other country while Germany is unable to
participate in a reciprocal treaty which the
United States makes with another coun-
try
The general business situation occupies
increasing attention. AS the year closes
careful observers admit that the situation
grows worse. The recently expressed hopes
that an improvement had begun have been
dissipated. The railway earnings show
a decrease compared with 1900. A signifi-
cant fact is that $50 Berlin foundries, ma
chine shops and electrical establishments
have petitioned the Prussian Ministry for
orders, even at prices involving a loss, in
order to avoid discharging their labOrers
Elsewhere the dismissals of working peo-
pie, the curtailment of wages and the
shortening of hours of labor continue. The
greatest iron company in Silesia has Just
reduced wages Is per cent
f. The distress in Berlin is shown by the
fact that the sales of Christmas trees were
100000 less than in 1900 The merchants
have begun to feel the effects of the lower
purchasing powers of the people. Some
financiers refer to the low money rates and
to the demand for foreign loans as indica-
tions of returning confidence More careful
critics of the situation, however, see there
in evidence of deep-seated lack of conf
dence in Germanys business situation
which prevents any new industrial under
takings in spite of the low prices of raw
materials and the low rate of wages The
papers say no Improvement may be ex-
pected while the uncertainty regarding
commercial treaties lasts.
XXX
A summary of Germanys naval activity
during the year 1901 shows that four bat
tleships were launched and that one ar
mored cruiser, one gunboat several large
torpedo boat destroyerS and four coast de-
Tense vessels have been remOdeled. Other
vessels have also been remodeled.