The Washington herald., 1908-02-15
AID FROM MRS. GREEN
Wealthy Woman Tells of
Making Loans.
DEPLORES BUYING OF COUNTS
Declares in Characteristic Talk that
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Needs "A
Marriage with IA Titled Gentleman.
Whacks the "Big stick"

/ Boston, Mass. Feb. H-NIrs. Hetty
Green. reputed to be the wealthlest
woman in the United States. in an inter.
view to-day, predicted that Secretary
Taft would not receive the nomination
for the Presidency at the coming Repub,
lican national convention, told OF ef-
forts on the part Of some prominent peo-
pie during the late panic 20 obtain loans
! from her. and of her refusal 70 loan
money TO the Vanderbits. She declared
also that Mrs. Vanderbilt needed a guar
| dian and commented on the marriage
Of Miss Gladys to the Hungarian count.
Mrs. Green further declared that Pres
/ ident Roosevelt was partly TO blame for
/ the financial stringency, and that he
had done nothing but WELD the big
stick" The interview in part, is as fol-
| lows:
when the financial crash came I had
money and was one Of the few who
/ really had IT, The others had their IN
/ hated securities. They came TO me in
/ droves for money. / loaned 10 some OF
| them. and some of them I rejected. Six
| per cent was what I charged them, al
though ! might have had - per cent.
I Refused Loan TO VanderbIIts.
/ Il went TO the relief Of many of the
largest department stores In New York
I They were all hard pressed for ready
money. I loaned Harry Payne Whitney
s., 0.o00 loaned money 20 the New
York Central, but when the Vanderbilt
family applied I refused them. They
offered me the famous Vanderbilt jewels
/ as security / do not deal in diamonds.
They say that Mrs. Cornelius Wander
bilt Is going 20 marry a Hungarian count.
She ought 90 have a guardian instead,
If Mrs. Vanderbilt marries this foreigner.
the control Of the Vanderbilt system Of
railways will pass out OF the family 5
hands. The millions which Gladys
brought To her husband have been shift
ed to Hungary and the other millions
which her mother will have TO give out
II she marries her count, viii be given
to Hungary also.
That leaves the other members Of the
family in the position Of having TO pur-
chase railroad securities held by the two
women and 10 pay cash for them. These
foreigners won't take our securities
When they marry us they demand real
money. and they get it. Can the Van
derbilt family pay the price?
WieIds "Big stick"
Roosevelt is partly TO blame for the
present financial situation. but not wholly
In my opinion the President has not made
good. What has he actually done ex-
cept WELD the big stickT
THE net result Of his efforts has been
the imposition of enormous fines that
can't be collected.
"All this talk of Taft being the nomi-
nee Of the Republican party is moonshine
The real leaders in the party understand
the true situation. The scheme Is 10 pose
Taft before the country as the Presi-
dents choice He will get all the dele
gates he can. but he cannot get enough
to nominate him in the convention. He
knows it, and everybody else on the inside
knows it.
when il becomes apparent that he
can't carry the convention. Taft will get
up and proclaim that Theodore Roose-
velt is demanded by the country. or. If he
does not. somebody else in authority will.
Tafts whole strength will be thrown for
Roosevelt. and Teddy viii sweep the con-
vention like the prairie fire. He will have
to accept the nomination then. 1t is
beautiful scheme. and 1t will probably
work
President or Senator.
But If for any unforeseen reason IT
doesn't. Roosevelt's future is all pro
vided for. He will succeed Platt in the
United States Senate. If Roosevelt is
nominated, he will he elected. There are
1909 naturallzed foreigners TO the acre
who are aching for a chance to vote for
him His attacks against the money
powers have worked them into a frenzy
Of approval Taft is merely the nominal
man of the hour He will not make a
real run for the Presidency until after
Roosevelt has served another term"
Referring to the financial situation again
Mrs. Green said.
There We're plenty of signs for al least
two years previous to the panic that il
was coming. Some of the solidest men
of the street came to me and wanted to
unload all sorts of things on me. from
palatial residences to automobiles. The
New York Central quietly negotiated
with me for big loan. That made me
sit up and do some thinking, for that
road IS one OF the weslthiest in the world.
Real Money Scarce.
There had been an enormous imitation
of values and when the unloading pro-
cess began the holders Of the securities
found great difficulty in getting real
money from the people The stringency
was felt by the big brokers and manipu-
lators long before the public had any In
ference that such contingency existed
Il saw the handwriting on the wall. and
began quietly to call in my money. get
ting into my hands every available dollar
of my fortune against the day I knew
was coming. Every real estate deal
which l could possibly close was convert
ed into cash. / never buy real estate.
First mortgages are good enough for me.
There will be no improvement until
after election. ] believe that ultimately
prosperity viii return. American busi-
ness institutions are at heart sound. but
when good times return we will not be
upon the old inflated basis"