Show OUR GROWING WEALTH I + America Rapidly Becoming One of the lIoney Powers 4 MAY HELP RUSSIA OUT t CHICAGO BANXEBS DISCUSS TEE PROPOSED LOAN I 4 I Some Regard It As Improbable That America Will Advance the Money I While Others See No Benson Why It Should NotA Moneylending Nation + Chicago Dec 19A number of Chicago Chi-cago bankers and financiers have been interviewed in relation to the reported application of one of the European powers for a heavy loan In the United States Isaac G Lombard president of the American National bank said I hardly hard-ly think that this country will make a loan to Russia at least not a large one There is surplus money here but not enough to warrant a large national foreign for-eign loan America has made many foreign loans but not to governments Rates here are about as low as anywhere any-where at present Ernest A Hamill presidept of the Corn Exchange National bank said There is no question but that this I country is becoJTIing so rich that its surplus money will seek investment abroad The balances in its favor are growing larger and it is accumulating wealth at a rate that is unprecedented Money consequently is easier than elsewhere For this reason though the proposition of malting a loan to a foreign for-eign government is unprecedented in this country it seems natural and altogether alto-gether probable In case such a loan is made Clcago is in a position to provide pro-vide a considerable sum of it There is no doubt but that If Russia Rus-sia wants a loan this would be the natural place to seek it said J B Forgan vice president of the First National Na-tional bank The American money I market at nresent Is the easiest in the I world The New York banks last week added 10000000 to their accumulated surplus and the Chicago banks 5000 000 Some of the Mexican states are now taking steps to borrow in this country I have no knowledge beyond the newspaper reports that Russia Is about to secure a loan anywhere and comment on the probability of the truth of that report would be mere conjecture John C Black president of the Continental Conti-nental National bank said It Is assure as-sure to come as tomorrow that America will become a great moneylending nation na-tion like England and the greater nations na-tions of the old world The United States Is accumulating wealth twice as It would fast as any other country occasion no surprise should it be reported re-ported that Russia was seeking a loan in England or France and should not In the case of tills report that Russia may seel a loan in America Charles L Hutchinson vice president of the Corn Exchange National bank said The report that Russia is seekIng a loan in this country may be true but steals to me Improbable At least such a move Is unprecedented The mere starting start-ing of such a report indicates a hange in the financial status of this country among the nations of the world ElbridlrC G Neither president of the I I I Metropolitan Idea or the United National States bank maiming said any loan The to Russia does not seem probable chiefly I becnue Amerltan financiers are not well u L h dlll 111 ltus enough acquainted with conal1lons sin to warrant them in meeting such a proposition without a great deal of caution cau-tion The financial relations have not been close between the two couhtrles and I the matter would appear In a different light IfEngland or German or France or Belgium or any of the coutries with which we have a large trade should seek to make the loan Then too specie pay meat In Russia is a new thinS and there would be question as to the stabIlity of conditions there But America now has a large surplus to its credit i clue to tern fstof porary conditions largely in its favor such as Increased exports and large foreIgn for-eIgn credit balances But this country has lots of use for Its own money itt de veloping Its own Industries and resources and though there Is much American money abroad It does not seem probable 1 that American capital would seek inve 1 ark VfiI JiInve meat In any large sums in Russia Chauncey J mail president of the Mechanics National bank said I know nothing about condItions In Russia or the probability ot that country trying tone gotlate a government loan In America but the conditions of the money market here are such as to mako the story credible |