Semi-weekly herald., 1915-06-10

sinking of the Lusitania, and at an
early opportunity | took train for
Holland, SO as to once more be on
neutral ground.
German Finances.
l shall not soon forget a little in
cident which took place at the end Of
my visit Of inspection to the Imperial
Bank at Berlin.
| first met the president of the
bank, who is German, and we had
talk through my interpreter. He
He gave me lot of pamphlets ex-
planning German finances, and then
the vice president came along to
conduct me through the bank. At
the end OF the tour Mr.. Frankinthall
called ME Senator; l Immediately
corrected him by saying that I was
an ex-senator, not now in office. The
German financier Immediately inquired
If the senator's in America were now
elected by the direct vote of the peo-
pic. and I told him that that was the
case. He then inquired if the new
elections had sent more radicals to the
senate, to which replied in the mega
tive, that the elections had been as
usual and that there had been no
change in the type of men. He then
suggested that it was supposed that
the American senate would be con-
trolled by the radicals, and / told
him that that had been the case for
a number of years anyway. This SEEM
ed to surprise him, and also was sur
prised that he knew that such a
change had been made in the manner
of electing senators in the United
States. As a matter of fact I did
not suppose that anybody in Germany
knew or cared as to our manner and
way of electing senators, but it seems
that the upper classes in Germany
have been keeping close tab on the
progress of what is termed in this
part of the world "the lower classes .
Radicals in Germany.
The inquiry made suggested that
possibly there were issues underlying
the war in Germany which did not ap-
pear on the surface. asked my ques-
toner if the radicals had been making
progress in Germany during the past
few years and he replied affirmative
ly. / also asked him what the last
previous elections showed before the
var commenced, and he said that the
radical or socialistic element came
very near to having amajority in the
reichstag. have been thinking since
that conversation that possibly there
would now have been great discord
in Germany were it not for the war,
but Of course the declaration of war
united every element with the war
party, and now Germany stands as
a solid country against those she
considers to be her enemies.
German affairs have been in the
control of the rich, very few men
controlling Germany in every re-
spect. Her industries are in the hands
OF trusts. and combinations are en-
courased by the government, at least
this has been true in the past. Ger
many's wonderful industrial system
has been built up by the trusts, an
example of this being her steamship
lines, which represent trusts. Incl
dentA'ly, with the progress made by
Il c trusts the working man has been
somewhat benefited.
Under present circumstances Ger
many is going forward with her war
with the greatest unanim;ty, and this
is especially true Of the Prussians,
who comprise the war party or mill
tary spirit Of the German empire.
Contrast With England.
The working men in Germany are
not striking for more wages, neither
are hey threatening the government
bat instead they are fighting its bat
ties ana dying in its trenches.
Great Britain presents a strange
contrast in all these respects to Ger
many. The British seem to fight the
war without any particular disturb
ance or sacrifices. 1t is difficult to
analyze the conditions of British in
dustry and society. The British work
ing man loves England and he would
not leave the country If he were Of
fered farm somewhere else, and this
is especially true if he lives in Lon
don where his parents lived and where
all his kindred have lived for genera
tons. Yet the British workingman
has, in the present situation, regard
ell himself as thing apart from the
government, and has never acted as
If he felt that it was his government