AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 



of the most-favored-nation clause in commercial 



^^s^&^^^ss^^^^^^s^SS^ 



v w i i in. re erous 



suggested th 



vital questions under di 



was expected. 



terms members were in favor of a central Euro- Peace associations were requested by another reso- 

 nrot "Vive tariff union. The section that dis- lution to endeavor to secure as members candidates 

 ,1 currency was absorbed in bimetallism from for political offices. Anot jr ftvored^tn^e^iblMh- 



reaus for the ex- 

 change of children 

 between various peo- 

 ples, with the view 

 of promoting closer 

 union between na- 

 tions. A committee 

 was appointed to 

 study the best means 

 of transforming ar- 

 mies, and also the 

 establishment of a 

 universal language. 



The Iron Gate of 

 the Danube. The 

 task of regulating the 

 Iron Gate of the Dan- 

 ube was intrusted to 

 Austria-Hungary by 

 the Treaty of Berlin. 



first to last. A number of the leading agrarian bi- The obstruction known as the Iron Gate lay be- 

 rnetallists joined in a message to the candidate of tween Alt-Orsova, in Hungary, and Gladova, in 

 the silverite party for the presidency of the United Servia. The work of removing the rocks and regu- 

 States, promising that if he was successful they lating the channel, which took several years to ac- 



MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF THE IRON GATE. 



would use their influence to the utmost to bring 

 about an international agreement to restore bimet- 



complish, was done successfully, and the river was 

 opened to navigation with elaborate ceremonies by 



allisin in Europe. A letter from Lord Aldenham, the Emperor Franz Josef on Sept. 27, 1896. The 



Emperor was accompanied by King Carol of Rou- 

 mania, and King Alexander of Servia. The pas- 

 sage of the river at this point has always been dif- 

 ficult and dangerous for any craft, and altogether 

 impracticable, during more than half the season, 

 for boats drawing 5 feet. At no time has the 

 river been navigable for boats drawing more than 6 

 feet between Bazias, where the river leaves the 

 Hungarian plain, and the Iron Gate, 80 miles far- 

 ther down. In this long stretch the river bed is 

 cut transversely by beds of crystallized schists and 

 granite, which cause dangerous rapids and shoals. 

 Finally, the channel was barred by the Prigada 

 reef, a wall 350 yards wide, emerging above the sur- 

 face at low water, running near the left bank for a 

 distance of nearly a mile, and then crossing diago- 

 nally to the right bank, just above Sibb. It is this 

 wall, with smaller reefs, that constituted the Iron 

 Gate proper, forming a dangerous cataract through- 

 out its length. The improvements consisted in re- 

 moving the obstructions between Bazias and the 

 Iron Gate, and excavating a canal through the 

 Prigada and other reefs, 2 miles long, 260 feet broad, 



which their idea was received, especially and 10 feet deep, along the Servian bank, making 

 on the part of the German agrarians, from whom the river navigable for the largest river steamers 

 they expected support. There appeared to l>e, t he whole way from the Black Sea up to Vienna. 

 however, a general feeling in favor of the abolition The entire work cost about $10,000,000. 



President of the British Bimetallic League, regret- 

 ting that he could not be present to impress " the 

 importance to the end in view of the remonetization 

 of silver, and its free coinage in the mints of the 

 principal nations of the world at one and the same 

 fixed ratio." was countered by a communication 

 from the secretary of the Gold Defense Association, 

 condemning bimetallism as "unsound in principle 

 and financially wrong," and averring that the Brus- 

 Monetary Conference proved that "Europe is 

 to international bimetallism." In'thesec- 

 that discussed customs, the idea of a ]\Iid- 

 Kuropcan customs union, which has found individual 

 advocates for several years past, was first formally 

 piv.-cnted. The idea is that the customs union 

 shall comprise Austria-Hungary. France, Germany, 

 Italy, and eventually Belgium and Holland. These 

 countries are to have a common customs frontier 

 for agricultural produce, and also a common settling 

 I/lace. Frankfort lieinir suggested. This customs 

 union might gradually develop.it was thought, into 

 a political union, which would secure and enforce 

 It* friends wen- disappointed at the cold- 



