The scandals which have been brought to light in the
conduct of the German Colonial Department—they bear a curious likenesS to the state of affairs revealed by our War Stores Report—have raised the question of the connexion between Ministers and financial companies. Apparently in Germany the practice is stricter than with ourselves, for there seems to be some compulsion on 'a statesman to retire even from the shareholders' list of certain concerns. General von Podbielski, who had been connected for a long time with a firm of colonial outfitters, transferred his interest in the business to his wife when he accepted Ministerial office in
1897. This seems to us the acme of scrupulosity ; but General von Podbielski did more, and when the firm was put on the list of Government contractors, he went to the length of obtaining sole control for his wife over her own separate estate. The mistake began when he appeared as representing his wife's interests at meetings of the company. The particular firm has acquired a bad reputation during the war in South- West Africa, and General von Podbielski was summoned by the Imperial Chancellor to report on the nature of his interest in it. So far the Tinperor has reserved his judgMent, but we welcome the manifestation of a strictness in such matters which we would gladly see imitated here.
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