The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-15
Many Pro-German Finan- ciers of New York Are Apparently Eager to Join in Gigantic Deal
OPPOSITION WILL PROBABLY BE FELT
 IN MIDDLE WEST
Wall Street Bankers With German Connections Felt Slighted at Being Over looked

New York. September 14.-The pro-Ger- man element of New Yorks financial world probably will be invited to partici- pate, if they signify that they desire such an invitation, in floating the sl.oOO.- ooo.ooo loan Great Britain and France seek In this country.
 The moneyed faction of this element, Wall street heard, would be glad to have chance to help Another faction, com- posed largely of middle. western bankers with pro-German sympathies, would bit terly oppose participation in raising funds for the use of Germany's enemies, even though the money were spent in the United States.
 This was the big feature in today's ne- gotiations of the Anglo French financial commission with Wall street bankers en- deavoring to assist in adjusting the ex- chance situation.
 Heretofore the commission has met and conferred only with bankers broadly in | their sympathies and connections Not . banking house with even the remotest connection with German financial inter ests has bidden to send Its repre- sentatives to the meetings at which fnan- ciers have met the commission and dis cussed terms of the proposed loan.
 Change in Policy
 Some of the largest financial institu- tions in the United States, including the big banking house of Kuhn, Loeb & Co.,, have thus been excluded. Apparently 1t had been taken for granted that It would l,o f4r,o xxrif man synpathies to contribute. but this sN'iey xass disavowed .S-asly by Basil B. Blackett. secretary of the commission.
 Mir. Blackett said he did not know who had arranged that none of the members of these firms should meet the commits sioners.
 Overtures looking to the possible par | ticipation of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. were ' said today to be in the making. James J. Hill, who has championed the cause \ of the commission. left J. F. Morgan's | office today for the office of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and there sat down for a 2O-minute talk with his old time friend, Jacob H. Schif.
 MT. Hill discussed the loan with MT Echiff. From another source it was re- ported that Kuhn, Loeb & Co. would not
 
 join hands with Morgan and participate in the loan. A report directly the re- verse of this, however, also gane0 CIT culation. It was impossible to verify either.
 German Bankers Willing
 One big pro-German banker here said
 There is no doubt in my mind that many banking houses with Teutonic affil- iations might be induced to take part in i this undertaking because 1t is essential the maintenance of the commerce and Hindustries of the United States" H Some pro-German bankers feel keenly <the failure of their firms to receive in- \ vitation to meet the commissioners. They point out they are primarily Americans notwithstanding what their sympathies are in the European conflict; that their interests and the welfare of the United States are identical, and that if they have to choose between a continuance of American prosperity and hard times they choose prosperity, no matter to whom they will have to lend money.
 Wall street hears, however, that pro- German bankers of Chicago, Cincinnati St Louis, Milwaukee and other middle western cities would oppose bitterly any action looking to the financing of the loan by American banks. These bankers, ac- cording to report, will take active steps to combat the tendency of other panKs to lend the money.
 NO one WOulu permit nlS name to De linked with the report that some pro- German sympathzers were prepared to take extreme measures, but Wall street heard that German sympathizers of the middle west were contemplating floata- tion of $500, 100000 loan here for Germany with the sole purpose of withdrawing this vast sum from the money markets of America and making it unavailable for the allies.
 'gt would be far better" the origina- tors of this plan were quoted as having said. ito tie up this great amount and pay interest on it. keeping it idle. than to permit it to fall into the hands of Germanys enemies. It would cost in Interest $25,000,000 year and would be worth the price," they were quoted as saying.
 This was not the only retaliatory meas ure expressed in the form of Wall street rumor, It was said that the more partisan workers were prepared to ad- vocate that the pro-German depositors show their displeosure with any banks participating in the proposed credit loan to France and Great Britain by seeking other depositaries for their funds.
 Wisdom of Measure Doubted
 Some of the pro-German bankers be- lieve the Anglo-French commission has made grave mistake in placing it's re- quirements so high as $1O0o. 900. Such a drain on the resources of the banks and other financial institutions of the cou.l- try. they assert, would not only be un- necessary but would constitute menace to the moneyed interests of the country
 These pro-German bankers declined to discuss the attitude of the average Ger man- American depositor toward any lnstl- hutton participating in the proposed joan, but they pointed out that German cym- pathizers constitute considerable part of Nine bank patronage in some of the larger cities and that not few are to be found among the officials of such institutions.
 The hopes of the anti-British loan con- tingent were not buoyed by a statement made on behalf of the National City bank.
 the largest in America. This institution has 2500 correspondent banks scattered
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