[To TRY EDITOR OF TER " SPECTATOR...1
SIR,—The following passage, taken from the "Personal Reminiscences of Prince Bismarck," by Sidney Whitman (page 75, edition 1902), may be of some interest at the present time :—
"I lost," says the Prince, "a considerable sum years ago merely through the view I took of my official position quite independently of any consideration of profit or loss. I had invested what was a large amount for ray circumstances in Russian State Bonds. Shortly afterwards our political relations with Russia became somewhat strained. Although I did not feel the slightest anxiety concerning the stability of Russian values—in which I have always had unabated confidence—I did not think it consonant with the etiquette of my position as German Chancellor to be personally interested in Russian stocks at such a critical juncture. So I gave instructions to Bleichroeder to sell out ray holding. He implored me not to sell, and I felt that he was right. However, I still adhered to my resolution, and it cost me a good round sum of money, for at that particular moment all Russian securities had gone down very much. That loss I never made up again."
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