New-York tribune., 1903-02-14


r1ent and its representatives 1t is to be found
even ii the language attributed to Mr. Lrnan-
tour who is described by Mr.. Benedict as 1.-The
bearer Of the communication from that govern
nnent" This is only one Of Mr.. Benedicts
misconceptions of the situation, for Mr Liman-
tour is not the bearer OF any communication
from the Mexican Government is not in this
country at present and has not been here
for nearly two years The language quoted is
however. from an official communication made
TO this government two weeks ago by Senior
Azpi-oz. the Mexican Ambassador. For
proper understanding of the extracts quoted
which are gathered in disconnected fragments
from a long document, a study Of the context is
necessary
Even as the extracts stand, however. It VIII
be noted that there is no reference whatever TO
the gold STANDARD. SehOr Azpiroz discourages
''the adoption by Mexico Of gold currency"
and says that the scale OF wages and prices
and the habits Of the Mexican people are not
well adapted to the introduction Of gold as the
principal medium of circulation" The adoption
Of the gold standard and the adoption Of "a
gold currency or Of gold as the principal
medium Of circulation" are two vastly different
things The United States is a gold standard
country, but how many Of its eighty million
inha bitants ever see any gold currency" or
use gold as the principal medium OF circula-
tior''? On the contrary, some SS50OOGoo0 OF the
active circulating medium is silver. silver GER
tiacates and government notes. TO say nothing
Of national bank notes.
As 10 what the intentions Of the Mexican Gov
ernment really are, il is necessary to read more
than the extracts which Mr.. Benedict quotes
from the document submitted by SehOr Azpiroz.
For example, the amba assad dor, in another part
Of the same document says:
The Mexican Government does not seek the
restoration Of free coinage Of silver by either lhe
gold or silver using nations, and does not ask
the United States 10 modify her present none
tary standard 1t is recognized by this gov
ernnlent that bir1etalisrn. in the sense of free
coinage of both metals. Is policy which has
been definitely discarded by the Ie4dlng powers
OF Europe and by the United States, and that II
would be futile TO ask its restoration II is
desired that the governments OF gold countries
where silver is used and the governments or
silver countries shall cooperate in formulating
some plan for esta blishing dehnite relaton-
ship between their gold and silver moneys mot
rnetals and shall take proper measures 10 main
tain such relationship.
In explaining the Mexican proposition, En-
rique c. Creel the leading banker Of Mexico
and senior member OF the Mexican Monetary
Commission, in this country. said in an
interview in The Tribune:
It is the intention of the Mexican Government
to start policy within the lines Of the
gold standard system, and to fix a gold value
10 the silver currency to be used IN silver using
Countries ana 70 ttIsFNS i-SsssSFS
arrangements for the use of silver coins as frae
fioual currency and subsidiary currency. as
u provide as far as possible. monetary system
Of the world on the gold basis
Again. in a later interview, Mr.. Creel said
The only thing that IS giving some trouble to
the business community ia the low price Of sill
Yer and the fact that Mexico is the silver
currency basis. II might be thought by some
people that Mexico is trying TO hX A value 10
silver in general terms. whether silver bullion
or silver currency. This is not the case. and 1t
is very important TO draw the lines and deal in
dependenty with the two propositions The