New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-07
{. A. CONANT dies
In CUBA'S SERVICE
Was Aiding Financial Sys-
tenn of Republic-Advised
u. S. on Currency.

Charles A. Conant, retired banker
and financial adviser to the Uaited
States government in several currency
reforms, died in Havana on Sunday
night, of hemorrhage of the stomach.
He left this city on June 20 at the
invitation of the President Of Cuba,
who desired him to supervise a reform
in the financial system Of the republic.
Announcement of his death was re-
ceived yesterday at his Office, 80 Mas
sau Street. No plans had beer made
last night for disposition of his body
and il was not known whether it would
be brought to this country or buried
in Cuba.
Mr.. Conant was ffty-four years old
last Friday. He was educated in the
public schools Of Winchester, Mass,
where he was born, and at nineteen be-
came newspaper reporter, deyoting
special attention to writing about poll
tics and finance. In 1886 his special
ties in journalism brought him 10
Washington, where for thirteen years
ne conducted bureaus for THE New
York Journal of Commerce" and THE
Springfield Republican"
In 1901 Secretary Root appointed Mr.
Conant special commissioner TO the
Philippines TO investigate coinage and
banking conditions for the War Depart
ment. His report in favor Of a gold
exchange standard was adopted in prin.
ciple in the Philippine coinage act.
Named Chief of Trust Company.
Mr. Commits knowledge Of foreign
banking methods was recognized the
following year in his selection as treas
urer of the Morton Trust Company OF
this city.
Through banking associations he be-
came a director in the Manila Railroad,
the National Bank of Nicaragua and
the Credit Clearing House. President
Roosevelt named him as a member Of
the Commission on International EX-
change which, in the summer of 1908,
conferred with the European govern
ments concerning the reform Of cur
rency systems IN China and other
Oriental countries.
In the same year, at the invitation
Of the Mexican government, Mr.. Conant
went TO Mexico with Professor Jere-
miah W. jerks, of Cornell, and Edward
Brush, of this city, 70 confer with q
committee on the reform Of the cur
rency and the best means Of securing
the cooperation of other powers IN
giving stability to the currency Of the
silver-uslng countries. Mr. Consnt
also assisted the United States govern
ment in suggesting a currency measure
for the Panama Republic somewhat
similar to that Of the Philippines. In
1910, and again in 1912, he was the
technical delegate Of this country 20
the International Conference on Bills
of Exchange, which met at The Hague.
In the winter of l91l-12 he visited
Nicaragua to prepare plan of none
tary reform for that country.
tie was a member of the American
Economics Association, the Chamber OF
Commerce of New York, the American
Academy Of Political and Social Sci
ence, the American Asiatic Society and
the Societe d'Economie Politique de
France. He founded the Washington
Economic Society, and was a member
of the Cosmos Club in that city and the
Lawyers and Reform clubs in New
York.
Wrote Books on Finance.
Among Mr. Commits books on finance
are "A History of Modern Banks of
Issue. The United States in the
Orient" Alexander Hamilton" Wall
Street and the Country" and "Princi-
pies of Money and Banking" which
was translated into French IN 1905.
Mr.. Conant was strong advocate OF
national central bank. In 1915 ne,
with Frank A. Nanderlip, as represen-
tative of the Chamber of Commerce
currency commission, attended a con-
ference with the American Bankers AS
ISOLATION commission at Washington,
at which the central bank proposition
was discussed. In an address made in
1911 Mr.. Conant advocated a commits
sion, with the object of bringing about
full and careful consideration Of the
differences between the government and
the big trusts.
Mr.. Conant was unmarried. He lived
at 1913 East Fifty-third Street