Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Berlin, November 8, 1899.
Sir: Referring to Mr. White’s dispatches, Nos. 1058 and 1060, of the 31st utlimo and 3d instant, respectively, I have the honor to inform you that I made a formal call upon his excellency Baron von Rheinbaben, the new Prussian minister of the interior, this afternoon, in order to make his acquaintance. The conversation turned almost at once to the insurance question, and I communicated to the minister the contents of your telegram of October 28, by which he seemed much pleased. He told me that the question of the Mutual Life Insurance Company was now under consideration, and the local representative of that company (as I already knew) had been notified of the fact. He also inquired about the Equitable Company in general, and in particular as to the relative standing of the three great life insurance companies of New York. I told him that it would be hard to say which company was the best; that the Equitable, Mutual, and New York were generally considered as of about the same standing; that all were looked on as financially safe; that the United States Government had as much interest for one as another; and that it hoped that the readmission of the New York would soon be followed by that of the Mutual.
I have, etc.,