Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-15
Hetty Green Says She Has
Loaned Millions to Wealthy
Men OF New York
WILL NOT AID vANDERBILTs
Shrewd Woman Fnanoier Says She
Saw Crash Coming, and Had Moth
ing But Cash on Hand - Roosevelt
Blamed for Conditions and Third
Term Hinted At.

Boston. Mass Feb l5.--Mrs. Hetty
Green, the shrewdest business woman
in America, was unhtrt by the recent
panic She said so herself today and
menseIy py it had she so desired.
When the crash came she had moth
ing but money. while many of her as
sociates mad everything but money.
Many sha aided but others We're
turned Gown" without ceremony.
Among the latter class. Mrs. Green
said, was the Vanderbilt family. The
famous Vanderbilt jewels, she assert
ed, were offered as security for a loan,
but Mrs. Green did not deal in dia-
monds."
Harry Payne Whitney borrowed ST.
900 900 from her, she said, and the New
York Central also used some OF her
cash.
Mrs. Green blamed President Roose-
velts Npolicies as contributing to the
financial storm and added the presl-
dent would be reelected for another
term. In effect she said that Secretary
Taft Is only a decoy, placed in the race
TO lure delegates.
Il saw this situation developing three
wears ago, she said, and | am on
record asi predicting it. l said then
that the rich were approaching the
brink and that panic was inevitable.
There were signs which l could not
ignore Some of the most solid men
of the street came to me and wanted
to unload all sorts of things. from
palatial residences down to automo-
biles.
THE New York Central quietly ne
gotiated with me for a big loan that
made me sit up and do some thinking;
for that road is one Of the Wealthiest
in the world.
'"rhere had been enormous imitation
in values, and when the unloading pro-
cess was; begun, holders of securities
found great difficulty in getting real
money from the public. The stringency
was felt by the big brokers and manipu-
lators loag before the people had any
inkling such condition existed
II saw the handwriting on the wall
and began quietly to call in my money,
making few new transactions. and
getting into my hands every available
dollar of my fortune against the day
/ knew was coming.
Every real estate deal which / could
possibly close up converted into cash.
r l,,,., tot frct II.
cages are good enough for me.
Had Nothing But Cash.
"When the crash came | had money.
| was one Of the few who really had
it. Others had their securities and
their values I had the cash and they
had to come to me. They did come in
droves. To some of them lent money
and to some l did not. That was my
privilege.
"Thos, to whom I lent money got
it at per cent. l might Just as easily
have secured 40 per cent. But never
in my life, no matter what has been
said against me, have l practised US
ury, and no one knows it better than
the wealthy men who have had bust
ness dealings with me.
ASIDE 1EOlfl lIlO IidllSitlS, L NIiis "
the relief of many others engaged in
legitimate business. Nearly all the
big department stores in New York
came to me and lent them money.
Harry Payne Whitney applied for q
loan of s1,OoO,oOo. and let him have
it.
81 loaned money to the New York
Central, but when the Vanderbilt fam
lily applied I refused them. They came
to me some little time ago-that Is,
before the wedding-and brought box
two feet long, containing the famous
Vanderbilt Jewels. They wanted me
to take them as security and lend
them money But. Lord bless you,
knew nothing about diamonds and
such things.
"They may have been worth all that
was claimed. know a few things
about real estate mortgages, but not
jeyels. I have no use for them In my
business