Q. Do you take real estate mortgages?
A. No.
Q. You are known as the sea-trade (Seehandlung) society. Why is that?
A. Frederick the Great founded the Seehandlung to promote Prussian trade, especially the oversea trade. At one time this company had a salt monopoly and a wax monopoly. The salt which came into the different ports of Prussia and the wax which came from Poland were bought up by the Seehandlung. At one time the Seehandlung also had mills, spinning and weaving plants, iron foundries, and river steamers. We still own two industrial establishments, the flour mills in Bromberg and a linen spinnery in Landeshut in Silesia.
Q. A large percentage of your funds is loaned on the stock exchange?
A. Yes.
Q. And your discount business is comparatively insignificant?
A. Not insignificant, but small compared with our loans on the stock exchange.
Q. Do you receive promissory notes from customers?
A. No.