THE ,.: OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND. , SUNDAY MORNING. JULY 19. 1914. 1 . ' 11 . ". 'y . "". .. .. -. .' '.' '.. .. i ...... . . . . - -. . . - .... , . ,, , . 1 -.., 1 - -; - n .,' . r . 1 Jl" - -- .. . , j EUROPE AMP . THE: MEW , AMEMGAW.-- BAMHMG IMWX : THE business and financial world of Europe Is intensely curious as to our new banking law, and naturally anxious as to its prob able effect on foreign finance, accord ing 'to Deputy Controller Edmund p. Fisher of New York, recently returned to the United States from abroad. His deductions as to European con- . ditiona will be of great Interest, for they are those of en American banker ' generally recognized as a financial ex pert. He is a member f the cur-, rency committee of tbe United States Chamber of Commerce. He was called as an expert before the banking and currency committee' of , the Unitec" States house - of representatives at early as 10S, and has since then nota, bly devoted his time to tbe cause ot banking reform. ' - The primary object of his European Journey was discussion with the best minds of the three great Europe&a central ! banks of the philosophy un derlying their various discount poli ties and the extent to which those principles might be applied under the new American banking system. As his conferences developed he found himself bombarded with queries con cerning the new American federal reserve system, of which European bankers spparently had but a hazy notion. 'ha discussing with me the new American system." he said, "and the establishment of an open money mar ket in the United States, a prominent European banker, inclined to the opinion that America will for a Ion time be very hesitant to establish banking relations with foreign coun tries, particularly with those ot-6outh America and the orient, which will require a most intimate knowledge or international credits. " "It is generally-asserted by Euro pean bankers that a least some bold ness in reaching out for the world's business is necessary to securing even a small "part of it. and they think American bankers lack ihat quality. "On the other hand. It is naturally the desire of the American bankers that the dollar, as well as the pound sterling, shall be recognized in the markets of the worlds European think this will be accomplished only after many years of effort, and base this belief in part upon the proverbial timidity of the American banker and financier. "And it was pointed out to me that though the Germans have what is generally regarded as an admirable banking system, the mark is not yet used to any great extent in interna tional business, although every en Beavor has been made to elevate it into competition with the pound. "While it is well known, of course, among bankers, that the premier posi tion of the pound sterling is due ti England's enormous surplus wealtn available for investment in foreign countries, yet there would seem to be no reason why, with the strong posi tion America now occupies in tie world of finance, the dollar should not soon take Its proper place in interna tional business. The sentiment of financial. Eng land toward us is not without its in terest. Kspeclally it seems fearful that FOfhe Insidious principle of inflation has been deftly hidden in our federal reserve act. "In arguing against this I showed 1 hat there Is a very definite ability to 'nflato in England, France and Ger many, and that there could be no flexi ble control through a discount policy without that inherent tendency, but that It did not follow that inflation would Inevitably occur after the es tablishment of such a system, and that this would all depend upon the man agement. 'I call attention to the fact that the men who had been thinking most on banking principles during the de velopment of the new system are quite conscious of the danger of in flation, and that everything possible, will be done in the United States' to safeguard public interests through tho establihmsent of a conservative policy. "I heard much discussion of the present gold export movement,- and much lnjulry as to its causes. I pointed out that a gold export move ment at this time indicated a funda mental strength here, that we imported gold in 1907, when we were weak, and that, as Paris and London are admit tedly in an unsatisfactory condition,. the last analysis makes it plain that ' they must be in part receiving help from the United States.. Confusion of Thought Abroad "Some fear was expressed by a few prominent British bankers that New York might become, . under the t new banking Impulse, their serious com petitor for the world's business. "One prominent English banker in particular had been studying the f ed i eral reserve act. He had read it many .' times, and, though still somewhat con- fused as to a few of its details, be lleved that it would prove to be ex traordinarily efficient. " "His study of the situation led him to believe that New York will gradu ally begin to finance its own inter national business, and that American merchants and manufacturers will no longer be compelled to pay a commis sion on. foreign exchange, both to New York and London. . . "In general, however, I found abroad . a very great confusion of thought in relation to our proposed system, and I was much pleased to have the oppor : tunlty of addressing upon the subject - several groups of bankers at private dinners and conferences. Such oppor- ( tunities enabled me to brush aside the r technicalities of our new plan and how how really simple it will be - when It actually Is In operation. ' ' "Naturally I .waa much interested when I found that;our New York cjty revenue bills are growing in European popularity. - The very fact that there has been some generafdistrust of or- - ', tinsry' investments has created a defi nite demand for New York city securi lies, .which are regarded as gilt edged. . , "The city's exhibit at the Lyons Foreign Financiers Slow to Understand- It but Willing to Admit Its Merits, Says Deputy Controller Fisher, Who Has Just Returned from Abroad. International ' urban exposition ? was - given a credit basis, and every attempt waa made to show by means of it what ' a magnificent field for Investors New ' York offers. The entire financial state ment of the city for 1913 was reduced, in our exhibit, to the very graphic fact, especially appealing to the - French mind, that the Income of New York city for that year from all sources was more than one billion francs. One bil lion. A large sum. -. ' "Specifically the exhibit occupied 12 galleries in the American building, and -waa generally regarded as one of the best in the exposition. -V As it will be open for six months, it made me feel that the expenditure of $20,000, which represents its total cost, .was well made, particularly as the material will later be available for use in connection with the city's exhibit at the Panama Pacific fair.", I asked Mr. Fisher to 'summarize .general European, conditions as he found them. ' "Ignoring the question of the wealth . of the three great countries." he replied, "It of course is manifest, even to the casual observer, that there is a great difference between the fi nancial policies of France and Ger . many and that of England. "Speaking broadly, the fiscal policy of France and Germany has been to stimulate agriculture, while In Eng land this most vital of topics has been largely ignored. The Financing of Wars 'This divergence of national meth od has been emphasized, recently, by a book of which W. R. LawsonJ an English economist, is the author, and' which discusses the financing of wars. ' "In this volume he clearly shows the ability of France and Germany to maintain themselves, entirely or prac tically without outside aid during a war in other words, he shows that they are able to engage in conflict without absolute abandonment of food stuff production, while he points out that England, In time of European war, would be virtually helpless were she deprived of the aid of the United States. "It may be that these facts, are .now more generally recognised in England than they have been in the past. Lloyd George is trying desperately to break up the great British landed estates, and a nobleman of great wealth with whom. I had a conference upon- the matter told me he had sold an estate of 4500 acres as a result of the George policy. "However it is interesting to note that although he offered this land at fairprices to his own tenants, agree ing to take back large ten year pur chase money mortgages In part pay ment, they .proved loath to break the old landlord and tenant relations, and - be was eventually compelled to sell a portion of the land to outsiders. "It is now quietly suggested in Eng land that a. moderate protective tax might enable be British farmer ' to profitably aise and sell his products at home. This would stop the very definite movement away from general agriculture and toward cattle grazing. It would especially enable the Eng lish and' Welsh farmers to find a sure market for their produce. At present Welsh farmers, who hitherto have been prosperous, are running down because of the uncertainty of the market. "In France I had the pleasure of lunching with Ambassador Herrick, and he interested me with the state ment 'that he is writing a book on agricultural - credits. "In my conversation with him I emphasized my firm belief that it will be wise to take up this question defi nitely in this country only after the new federal reserve system has had an opportunity to become thoroughly established. . "In Germany the ability to colonize is one of the principal topics of cur rem aiscussion. The query -as -to whether the German might not better reach out for land elsewhere is con tinually before the publicr but the an swer which I gathered from rather ex tensive talk with many is that when the Germans leave the fatherland they become citizens of the lands to which they emigrate. They do not naturally colonize, "What may be called Internation alism is becoming so potent and ap parent among Germans who have emigrated that the heads of the Ger man government are admitting, sadly. . that while the German whoejhas set tled abroad may love his fatherland, he will be loyal to the government of his domicile,, so long as it gives him r protection and a fair opportunity for individual development. "After J left France the government changed.' The nation is still charac terized by the French money-ln-the-old-blue-stocking thrift which is so fa mous; but the French have bought too freely of certain questionable for eign securities. This is an old habit with them. "I am inclined to think that In the present government this has resulted In a policy too antagonistic toward foreign investments, as was recently evidenced in the imposition of a tax of S'per cent upon all Income arising from such investments. "The question of discovering new fields for taxation Is a vital one in every European country, and - all at present are much overtaxed, r So far as I can see, the only solution must lie in the decrease of armaments, the dis bandment -of armies, and the .develop ment of -r. producing - rather than of fighting men. " "To return for a moment to Eng land: I there had the opportunity for a discussion of the Irish question with a member of the house of lords. He regards the whole Situation as almost unsolvably ' unfortunate, ; and thinks the only possible - way ou t may very well be the federation of four Irish districts, each retaining such self . government, as may be necessary. "This, be seemed to think, was the eastest manner of avoiding what vlr- tuany would Te the establishment of a the growing light revealing the ti foreign country . upon the .far side of , tanlc mountains lying at our feet, en- ,. - 7.; :',- tV.;v . '. '" :" ... - - - -v - -. yA . Ill YJ . A '1 7V 4i V"'" rl "'' ' ' ' ' "t""'-i ','t- y 't ' ', !, r i l , - : ::ii&a I i' '' . . r-. .,a11 ' , rs , : ,.r : .., j: the rish Channel, a contingency which fills the average British heart with horror. "He asked me if the American gov- tain the creation of Alaska Into a foreign country thus, and called at tention to the fact that such pro cedure with regard to Ireland must be more abhorrent to the Englishman than that would be to us, f or.but a few ENGLISH AS YEARS ago a Portuguese set out to teach his fellow-countrymen the English language without going through the trifling formality of finding out how it was spoken. The result was "English As She is Spoke." that mirth-provoking classic, dear to Britons and "Americans alike, which has gone through edition after edition, despite its author's desperate attempt -"to buy it in when he found out that he had made a laughing stock of himself. Now - comes another masterpiece of unconscious humor,' also by a Portu guese, which is a worthy successor to the aforementioned classic It is a Nbooklet whose author tries to explain to tourists the beauties of three great historical monuments in ; Portugal Alcobaca, Batalha, and Thomar In order that they , may flock there and leave pounds sterling . and dollars in Portuguese pockets. Unfortunately, the said auth'or knew as much about the English language as did he of "English As She Is , Spoke," so It is probable that the main result of his production, will be shouts of laughter from those whom he Intended to lure to his native land. The booklet had that effect on one who picked it up with the intention of learning something about Portugal. All he learned was a great deal about English as she is not spoken. -' The Portuguese writer begins with . an impressive address to all, Portu guese as well as foreigners, .who neglect Portugal In order to see other lands. With patriotic' horror, he ex- CiaimSt' , Xr - :-". ': 'v'. Unheard of sacrilege! I dlt just the contrary. To see our blessed country, to admire, apreciate, study, avaluate her is our first duty as tourists and more so when this country has won ders of art. a dear sky, variegated sceneries, and a beautiful blue sea.' Yes, my ladles , and gentlemen, go round the world; see what it has to show and tell me If you' have ever seen scenes such as I am going to " describe, to- you. " Having ' thus prepared you, the( au thor, taking the . reader by the hand, plunges him head over heels Into the following burst of molten language: Climb up with me to a high stand point. For Instance, to Marao moun tain which ' borders on the historical Douro and Minho districts and stand ing ; In" : the chapel of our Lord of Serra, observe the sunrise on a- clear July day; a ! magnificent panorama to the east which unveal 1 itself with Edmand D. Fisher. miles of water divide Ireland from England. John Bull Much Worried i "To the outsider looking on It would seem as if the crowding problems which beset Great Britain have very much disturbed the British mind. 'Whether the possibility Is real or T SHE IS SPOKE" HAS RIVAL Guidebook to Attract Tourists to Portugal IsaComedVOI ErrOrS. chanting rivers, shaded fields, wonder ful valleys, flowering gardens,, pretty towns and the sea the great green sea throwing Itself upon the scintillating sands far In the distant horizon, v . To the east, whle the sun is setting in the west, we are surprised at the sight of the succeeding mountains which seem to rise one above tbe other like mighty giants.' To the south the deep blue Douro meanders through the ondulating hills,' ' sweetly, slowly, charmingly, through 1 valleys whence come the fine nectar of grapes. Now run down to the noble heart of old Portugal fed by three arteries the Mondego, the Vouga. and the Zezere, , follow their deep ravines until we come to the plains which they made, where one stretches and yawns lazily en twining round the white Colmbra, the other- winding its course through a -most lovely Holland of 10,000 nectars, the. Indomitable Zezere rushing furi ously and madly swinging round rock and stone to die In the abundant Tagus. After these passionate paragraphs, the writer reaches the central theme of his booklet, the "monumental trilogy" of Alcobaca, Batalha. and ... Thomar. First he sighs sadly at . the want of proper railroads "connecting there." The wondrous places should be made "visitable by national and foreigners." He. the writer, has done his best to remedy this lamentable state of affairs, but In vein: . 7 ' It Is a hfrd campaign, I said, and very hard It is, it has been even fatigu ing, because In Portugal an economio and patriotic idea can only hold at tbe . cost 'of so much energy that one Is . tired out and gets his hair white! Undaunted, however, he rushes baek into the thick of his "campaign," and proceeds to describe the three great Portuguese monuments, "this excel ling and monumental trilogy,", as he duba them. "'. ' ' '' J ' ... '-- First comes the church of Alcobaca, "worthy , of a- ; detailed study on ac- count of ita architectural worth." Ba talha Is found deserving of much more extended mention. 'The Portuguese scribe waxes eloquent about it In these remarkable words: - Batalha Is also the result of a f e vent vow of the Illustrious prince of Copyright by Amerlnaa Press Asaodatioa- imaginary, the matter of a German war has become a great British prob lem, and when to this are added the suffrage problem, the Irish problem and the agricultural production, . or land problem, John Bull finds himself confronted with too much food for thought. "It Is interesting to note, while we "Boa Memorla" on the eve of the im mortal feat of arms at Al jubarrota. Eve of faith and glory, of valour and heroism, of oppression and lib erty, of life and death in - which a handful of Portuguese prepare to seal of on lvaro Paea and the burning words of one Joao das Regras. Night of uncertainty and of anxiety! In this night above the sleeping tents hangs the bold and brave spirit of one D. Nuno who at the tremendous hour, and likewise his king, with bent knees, prays from heaven to deliver "the land by none subdued." And waa not! Half an hour was enough. Yes only so much did this epic fight Jost re sulting in the-surprising victory on the most glorious day of l&August, 1385. A monument grand as is the pa' triotlc aoul which originated so much generous blood of so many heroes, let us admire It as the sublime encarna tlon of this . heroio embrace which joined the people and the king in set tling his country In the great work of the independence of Portuguese land Ilka the radiant artlstlo budding of the XIV century. Extricating himself finally from this labyrinth, the author rushes val iantly onward to the monastery of Thomar, the third of the "excellent and monumental trilogy." It was ' built, we learn' with difficulty, to commemorate the great deeds of the Portuguese navigators of hundreds of years ago. , - The walls of Thomar, he Informs us. are covered with carvings remi niscent . of those glorious times "strong rope work of, our well-fitted barges, a variety of sea weeds, watch dogs and rat-killing cats of our nu merous fleet, a musculous soldier holding an oat (oak?) by the roots perhaps to use this mighty giant for making his ship." . Elsewhere on the same walls are carved " the elevating frown" of the arrogant figure on the prow of our brave ships and the full sails "of "those elegant boats that took us to the wonderful and enchanting India." " , 'After thus doing Justice to Portu " gal's great trilogy the writer con cludes with this patriotic outburst: , Having this architectural trio .In a most defected railway conditions. Is It B0our aui' 10 30111 mem wun rail thereby obtaining economic profits for, our country? More so as the tourist comfortable and quick travel- -ln to these times which Is character- . ised by mad speeds. are mentioning this war problem, that the thinking men of Germany x have a very strong admiration for the English; that they freely admit war to be the last thing they can. con template with complaeency, and that the talk of war which from .time to time springs up Is largely profes sional. , The1 German merchants relations with England-have been intimate and generally satisfactory, as a matter of fact, and both sides have beun to realize that international economics are so Interwoven that war would mean almost destruction, even to tbe aggressive nation. "Returning to European finance, '.with the hope of drawing from it something - which " may benefit our theory or practice, we find that while mis country at present nas no basis of economio control, England . and Germany have such control In the ability of the managers of their cen tral banks to raise and lower discount rates. "This banking power has a broader economic significance than moat -of us realize. An advance In the dis count rate Inevitably will draw capt tal from foreign countries and tend to offset gold exports, while stimulating importation and generally tending to discourage the financing of foreign enterprises and to minimise local loans. "It also tends to stimulate the pay ment of foreign accounts, prompts borrowing abroad where money may be cheaper, discourages speculation In securities - and commodities, , stim ulates exportation of goods for money and -retards importation. Crystallized, It tends to reduce security and com modity. "All these things being true, it Is quite evident that the federal re serve board at the helm of our na tional finances will have tremendous, though necessary, power. There is necessity so to study the undercurrent economic movements that business difficulties may, as far as possible, be prevented. Action too frequently comes after the financial sickness has severely gripped the patient. "In general the managers of the European central banks admitted to me that their action is largely based upon superficial conditions, rather than upon deep and fundamental knowledge of the undercurrent of economic life. ... "As a general proposition It is safe to state that Americans also, like all other peoples, base their actions prin cipally upon the surface trends is business and financial life, with which they are familiar. Question of Prices "While the economic principles in volved are sometimes appreciated by the more careful thinkers, they are usually overlooked or brushed aside by the majority before the desire for immediate profits. "The average man in business does . not realise that the undercurrent must eventually come to the top and that upon his preparedness must depend his fate. "Every period of business activity carries with It the cumulative force of Its own errors, which ultimately must be cleared.' In the past we cleared through panics. In the future we hope the clearing, the general read, justment, will be effected without panics, by means of a wise discount policy. The whole question of these super ficial and undercurrent relations fund amentally is one of prices. Business men talk freely of what they call In flation, but unfortunately they spend little time In analyzing and correcting . those causes which are responsible for . the unfortunate changes In pries re lations, which often force the rnvolun tary sals of commodities and securi ties in periods of crisis and, readjust ment. "Such circumstances have given the European central banks their best op portunities for usefulness. The Amer ican Federal Reserve board will Justi fy its existence only by making com o. plete studies of the principles under lying a discount policy. The board must have sufficient nerve to act at times when its policy will be certain of severe criticism. "Setting aside the question of sup ply and demand,' which has Its own problems, what may be called the equilibrium of. price relationship can and must be - maintained, as far ' as possible in our complex business life, by the new board. "I am satisfied that ; the discount policy of the great European banks is' prompted in the main "by due regard 'for-ihe Interests of all the people, and rarely Is controlled by consideration of the Interests of any particular clique. "In answer to my questions as to whether discount policies were based on facts ascertained through Invest! gations into economio conditions, the reply, in at least one instance, waa a very definite, No; we leave that to the economists ' . "But later the admission was made that while no special relation is rec ognized between ths business . mind and ths mind of - the 'economist. - ths best results will corns, from a com posite judgment, based . on economic principles considered In the light of business experience.' "What subjects other than the dls- count policy did -yoa especially lnves- tigate. whUe a broad T" - I asked Mr. y careful Into clears inglj'Z x.4tay hTr. been very well developed In .England and Germany, but little has been dons In France, because- of the large use of gold rather than checks. "It seems to me that In the United States we must retain the various clearing houses and not burden the central institutions with the mech anism of Internal clearing. It really la largely a question of who shall do the wprk. "Under the present clearing-system, the banks themselves attend to the sorting of the checks, and the whole operation Is, , of course, reduced by this process to a very simple affair. "If our state and national systems were unified and every bank bad an account with a near-by federal re serve bank, clearing of course could be effected by thff charge and credit principle. This, however, would throw enormous detail work upon the cen tral organization, "The clearing house is an essential feature of the banking mechanics of both the London and Berlin systems. London clears what are called the city, metropolitan, and country items, separately, and these include virtually all the checks drawn upon any bank In Great Britain which has an account in London. "Similarly, here It would be possi ble, by mutual consent, through the medium of the 12 central reserve banks, to effect satisfactory clearance of the checks of all the country banks of the United States, if fhr. provided sufficient reserve money at Washington for the ultimate clearing w uunreneei ere-was, or course, much discus sion In England of the general subject of gold and its relation to the credit - f' lw ave been developed in those countries where the checking system is generally used. The English system thus has be come largely a credit aystem, the ulti mate reserve being the balances in the Bank of England, with a moderate amount of gold held In the vaulta of Individual banks. "Recently- a movement was started in Great Britain by Sir Edward Holden. president of the London City and Mid land bank, to compel each of the great banks of London to publish in its statement the actual amount of gold held by each Institution. It is nrobahl that in 1... gold holdings will be thus published, and It is generally suspected that London's banks, in consequence of this prospect, are gradually Increasing their gold reserves. "In France the general publlo Is not ' yet educated to the use df the check. Business is transacted almost exclu sively by means of gold and the notes of the Bank of France, which Is very largely a note issuing institution. One will find in each of the principal French hotels what is virtually a lit tle bank where the currency of the various airopean countries may be exchanged. "My personal experience illustrated the difficulty encountered by the per son who wishes speedily to cash even a draft on a well known American institution at a French bank. "Checks presented by regular de positors go through a long and formal routine. A check is first presented at a window where a brass token, bear ing a number, is given in exchange for It, to be held for identification purposes. "Presently the check Is passed to the bookkeeping department, for the purpose of : ascertaining credit bal ances, then It . goes to the signature department, then to the first paying teller, who counts out the money, then to the second paying teller, who veri fies the amount. "On an average, or at least this was my experience, the process takes about half an hour, and local depositors, while It Is in progress, sit patiently upon long lines of benches, waiting for the calling of their numbers. "To the American this procedure, while it may be interesting. Is Irritat ing. . He has fallen into the national habit of expecting the paying teller ot a bank to know all th-re is to be known about a check. The average French bank could be operated by one third as many men as now are Involved In this elaborate routine if American methods wir aitnniri "The German banking system more nearly than any other approximates the new federal reserve ystem de signed for this country, giving flexi bility to note Issues, adequate reserves, and proper credit accommodation to those who deserve it. "To me Germany appeared to be vm very prosperous country, in good fi nancial condition. The German ap parently looks upon the present fi nancial situations in France and Eng land with a sort of calm satisfaction. "It is rather satisfying to note that the. general European comment upon international finances was that New York and Berlin are in satisfactory condition, while Paris and London are 'confronted by the prospect of f ur-, ther liquidation before normal condi tions can obtain. Economic Readjustment "Both Paris and London for many years have been the operating thea . tres for thousands of promoters. I am told that at least 8000 promoters, hailing from almost every section of the globe, annually attempt to float enterprises in London. Naturally but a small percentage of these men sue ceedln getting the capital they seek. All this Inevitably makes it seem that banking Judgment in those capitals must have developed through genera tions of experience. "Mistakes, however, are Inevitable, and at the present these, as well as the largest of the other European banking centers, are congested . with non-liquid investments. "Summing up, after my brief sur vey of European finance, my general Impression is that the business world ia in a state of economic readjustment, both here and in Europe. "We are at the end of a long period of promotions, reorganizations, and - k cro.Mntry business in our great cities, with the diminishing tendency 0 develop real wealth. Pleasure has been too much the keynote in London. Paris, Berlin. anf New York. , -f . . ."The new period of prosperity which is before us will, tn my opinion, be sounder because It will be supported by ths new federal reserve system. The discount policy which 'Will be devel oped should be both a stimulative and a corrective, as may be necessary. "Ths new board at Washington, will be In a position to collect and to ana lyse - commercial and financial data with an efficiency never before pos sible. And although there may not be - the opportunities tn the future to de velop as much individual wealth as heretofore, there will be the, oppor tunity for what Is much better the growth of the general wealth of aU ths people." ' . "