The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-22
VONSTENCEL'S WOES
New Chancellor of German Ex-
chequer Has His Troubles.

Special Foreign Service.
d ERLIN, Nov. 21.-Baron Hermann Won
ID Stengel, Emperor Williams new
chancellor of the eXchequer is con-
fronted by one of the knottiest financial
problems with which modern Germany
has ever had to wrestle-how to meet in
creasing national expenditure with a cor
respondingly decreasing revenue. The So
luton of the question will involve prac-
teal revolution in the system of govern
ment f1nance-new arrangements with the
various Independent states Of the en-
pire with reference to pro rata contribu-
lions to the imperial treasury, new
schemes Of internal and external taxation.
a possible reorganization of the national
currency. and a score of other vexing
propositions. To add to the new minis
ter's woes, the great cash-eating depart
ments of the kaiser's government-the
army and navy-are clamoring appeal
ingly for more money; the army wants
more cavalry and artillery divisions and a
complete rearmament costing $25, 900, 600:
the navy Is fevertshly anxious to cram
into the next five years the completion of
Emperor Williams great thirty eight bat
tleship programme, designed to extend
over thirteen years.
Baron Won Thielmann, whom Emperor
William relieved of the finance minister's
T.,
the task of satisfying all these hungry
departmental wolves, and Baron Won
Stengel, with fine record Of successful
accomplishment as a state financier in
Bavaria, has been summoned to Berlin
to accomplish the herculean task of max
ing imperial ends meet. His friends assert
that he will do so. In appointing him the
kaiser was compelled, owing to the ext
gencies requiring an experienced hand
to depart from his newly established rule
of calling only young man into the cab
met, for the new secretary of the treas
ury is seventy-three years old. He has,
however, been an unusually active pub
lie figure, and during the bitter discus
sions preceding the passage of the new
German tariff law, he was especially
prominent in his capacity as Bavaria S
representative in the federal council-the
upper house, Of the German empire s
parliamentary system Stengel comes from
old Rhineland- Westphalian stock. his an
cestors having been made member of
the Prussian nobility by Frederick the
Great. He has been national character
since 1884, when Bavaria and the Grand
Duchy of Sake Meining jointly sent him
to Berlin as their representative In the
federal council.
Apart from his personal ability, which is
recognized everywhere, Stengefs appoint
ment may partially be construed as an
imperial SOD to Bavaria, where section
alism rules strong, especially with ref
erence to Prussia and the predominance
1t enjoys in imperial affairs. South Ger
many, therefore, is greatly fattered by
the kaiser's selection of one Of its favor
tie sons for the important post of impe-
rial finance minister. II Won Stengel
solves the sums which beset him he will
have earned a place in contemporary
ernan history alongside of Won Moquel,
the late Prussian chancellor of the exche-
uuer who brought to the intricate work of
financial statecraft the peculiar talents
which made Moltke and Bismarck strong.