Evening star., 1902-01-13


of agrarian success.
How completely the agrarian party doml-
mates the legislative branch of the govern
ment is shown by the fact that the en-
peror has not yet made good his promise
of last spring to bring up the canal bill.
The financial classes and banks are clam
orng for the reform of the Borsen law and
the repeal of the anti-option regulations,
which have proven to be failures. But the
agrarianS passed the BorSen law and the
anti-option bill and refuse to listen to the
appeal of the banks and exchanges. Kaiser
William regarded the Caprivi treaieS as
the salvation of Germany. and has been
eatedly quoted as favoring their re-
newal in 1903. But so strong is the feudal-
ist party that it is able 10 baik the viii OF
the powers that be. not alone IN refusing
to enact a tariff bill without clause
which shuts out reciprocity, but also IN
preventing the canal bill from coming be-
fore the reichstag. Under the statutes
Kaiser William may dissolve the reiehstag.
as was done last spring. but to accomplish
this it is necessary to obtain the co-opera-
tive action of the upper legislative cham
ber. the bundesrath. This assembly, how
ever is agrarian to the marrow. Conse-
auently the friends of a liberal tariff pol
icy and reciprocity treaties have no re-
course left open.
Outlook is Gloomy.
The present year expires with a gloomy
shadow overspreading Germany. Months
have passed since the bank crash laid bare
the weak and unhealthy condition of Ger
many's financial enterprises. But there Is
no evidence of revival. Everywhere there
are large stocks of material on hand and
no market. The export movement declnes
a a rapid pace securities continue 10 1all
and speculative interest devotes itself sole
ly to American copper. transcontlnental
railway consultations. Standard Oll, TO-
Dacco shares, South African mining shares
and colonial stocks. German securities are
,tta ioppred Meanwhile the llthertO
powerful syndicates which commanded
prices production. home consumption and
export of coal. iron, copper. steel mill prod
ucts textile goods and other branches or
trade and production find themselves utter
Iy at loss to encompass the situation The
almost dead certainty that the agragrlans
will succeed in enacting their tariff bill, the
abolition of trade treaties with Russia,
Austria Hungary. Italy, Roumania. .Argen-
tine and other countries leaves the indus
trial and commercial clements all at sea.
Enterprises in Africa, South America, emma
and concessions in Turkey are aban-
doned because German investment money
is afraid to trust home talent and finds bet
ter harvests in buying American securities.
Effort to Maintain Prices.
The German syndicates try to keep up the
prices at home in spite of the congestion
of stocks, the clamor of home consumers
for cheaper material and the competition of
American exporters. The coal and coke
kartels have already capitulated by lower
ing the contract rates for the ensuing year.
But the complaint still goes through the
land that these SyndicateS Sacrlnce nome
trade in order to extend the export move
ment Until the American invasion" un-
dermined a number of the syndicates and
kartels, notably the copper ring, the IRON
and steel syndicates and coal combine, there
was no one to dispute their arbitrary prices,
artificially limited production and discrim-
ination against the home consumers. But
now manufacturers and consumers of raw
material who were at the mercy of these
rings have made connections with Ameri-
can exporting interests VINO supply cheaper
material. and thus have destroyed the pres
tige of the syndicates. These combinations
naturally favor the protective tariff on raw
materials, but the mass of manufacturers.
mills and industries which find American
competition wholesome want raw materials
from the United States admitted on lib
eral basis.
Whether due to agrarian influence or the
Observation-Disclosures sect, it is fact
which the papers bring home to observers
every day that there is a campaign OF VII
liication and Misrepresentation just row in
progress which is designed to arouse senti-
ment against the ''Yanky" for political
purposes. The Monroe doctrine and the
revolutions in South America afford the
leader writer's countless opportunities TO
mssstate the intentions of the United
States The Pan-American congress at
Mexico is pictured as the preliminary step
American republics under the Union hat"
The Monroe doctrine is looked upon as an
instrument which is to serve, when the ripe
time approaches, as a weapon to make all
territory on the western hemisphere part
of the. United States. THE time is not
distant" says one of these inspired COM
mentators. when Canada will be swal-
lowed and the affairs Of the hemisphere
will be ruled from Washington. The same
imperialism which planted the stars and
stripes in Porto Rican and Philippine soil
viii soon gather all North as well as South
America to its banners.
Criticisn of Tariff Relations.
The tariff relations between the United
States and Cuba likewise afford text for
strong criticism. Cuba is regarded as a
foreign country, and German commentators
insist that IL a reduction rs granted Cuba
for sugar and tobacco the same privilege
must be extended to Germany Germany
is increasing its trade with Cuba and fears
that any special tarin arrangement be-
tween the island and the United States
VIII leave German trade in the lurch- It
is also with painful anxiety that the Ger
man commercial interests await the deci-