Perils of Beryl Sprinkle World With Controversy: Perils of Beryl Provoke Controversy
In Europe, where his firm monetarist convictions are associated with 1982Ûªs devastatingly high interest rates, under secretary of the Treasury Beryl Sprinkel is sometimes referred to as ÛÏBeryl the Peril.Û (His friends point out that</br></br>But however pronounced, BerylÛªs name was mud around Treasury this week for what Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan considered a free-wheeling indiscretion: While Regan was still in</br></br>Washington, Sprinkel called a press conference in Paris last Sunday, at a meeting of major nationsÛª finance ministers, without letting his boss know about it.</br></br>The press conference made page one last Monday in some newspapers: Unless the United States and its major partners cranked up an economic expansion, the international debt crisis would worsen, Sprinkel was quoted as saying.</br></br>The irrepressible Sprinkel, a dogmatic monetarist, has very strong views on most economic is-See SPRINKEL, C9, Col. 4 sues, expresses them on the record and has often gotten out ahead of the secretary on sensitive policy matters. For example, within a few weeks after taking office in 1981, Sprinkel started to give Paul Volcker public.advice on how to run the Fed and was reined in by Regan.