ountries who have
always boasted of their culture.

* * * * *

COMMERCE AND TRADE RELATIONS
BETWEEN GERMANY AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Germany's financial rise since 1870--Export and import with the United
States of America--The present firm condition of German finance.

Politicians and commercial men must base their plans upon facts, as they
are and not as they wish they were, otherwise they fail. France has
closed its eyes not only to the great intellectual and moral assists of
Germany but also to its commercial resources.

France has repeatedly declared that Germany could not effect a serious
political opposition, because a war would result in the ruin of its
commercial and financial strength. This we heard in the Morocco crisis,
also in the Balkan wars. Germany's love of peace which was tested in the
above-mentioned cases strengthened the French in their error. He,
however, who has taken the trouble to visit Germany and the Germans in
their places of employment--and especially Americans in recent years
have done this, however, also many Englishmen, who in vain have
protested against the war with Germany--he can testify to the
astonishing commercial advancement which Germany has made since its
political union by Bismarck.

A few facts and statistics may recall this to memory. The population of
Germany has since 1870, immigrants excluded, increased from 40,000,000
to 67,000,000, round numbers. Incomes and wages in particular have
approximately doubled during the last generation; savings deposits have
increased sixfold. Although, only a generation ago, commerce and trade
employed only about two-fifths of the population, now more than
three-fifths are engaged in this field of work, and Germany, as a result
of its agricultural economy and increased intense farming, is today the
third largest agricultural country of the world. In the coal and iron
industries Germany is second only to America. In one generation its coal
production increased two and a half fold, its raw iron production almost
fourfold. During the same period of time the capital of the German banks
increased fourfold and their reserve fund eightfold. Characteristic of
Germany is the fact that hand in hand with this active private
initiative is a strong feeling for the great universal interests and for
organic co-operation of private and State resources. This feeling
explains the perfect working of our State