The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-17

Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati En-
 quire.
 A oSTON.-Mrs. Hetty Green, in an EN interview today. made many NJ startling declarations concerning among her predictions were these two facts:
 1. The hard times have only just begun, despite all reports to the contrary.
 g. President Roosevelt will be nominated as the republican candidate for the presi- dency by the Chicago convention.
 Coupled with these remarkable declara- tions, which are entitled to weight be- cause of Mrs. Green's intimate sources of information, were many other statements of scarcely less surprising character.
 q saw the situation developing three years ago." said Mrs Green, land I am on record as predicting it. I said then that the rich were approaching the brink and that panic was inevitable.
 There were signs which could not ig- nore. Sonic of the solidest men of the street came to me and wanted to unload all sorts of things, from palatial resi- dences to automobiles. The New York Central quietly negotiated with me for a big loan, and that made me sit up and do some thinking, for that road is one of the wealthiest in the world.
 There had been an enormous imitation of values, and when the unloading pro- cess was begun the holders of the securi- ties found great difficulty in getting real money from the public. The stringency was felt by the big brokers and manipu- lators long before the people had any ink ling that such condition existed.
 q saw the handwriting on the wall, and began quietly to call in my money, making a few new transactions and get ting into my hands everysavailable dollar of my fortune against the day knew was coming. Every real estate deal which I could possibly close up was converted into cash. never buy real estate; first mortgages are good enough for me.
 When the crash came I had money, and was one of the very few who really had it. ~ The others had their securities and their values had the cash, and they had to come to me. They did come to me in droves. Some of them I lent money to and some did not. That was my privilege. Those to whom I loaned my money got it at per cent. I might just as easily have secured 80 per cent. But never in my life, no matter what has been said against me, have I practiced usury, and no one knows 1t better than the wealthy men who have had business dealings with me.
 Aside from the 'financiers I went to the relief of many others engaged in legitimate business. Nearly all the big department stores in New York came to me and I loaned them money. Harry Payne Whitney applied for a loan of | s1 100000 and I let him have it. q loaned money to the New York Gen. tral, but when the Vanderbilt family ap- plied refused them. They came to me some little time ago-that was before the wedding-and brought a 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! I know nothing about diamonds and such things. They may have been worth all that was claimed, but I don't deal in diamonds. I know "a few things about real estate mortgages but not jewels. I have no use for them in my business.
 "Thev say that Mrs. Cornelius Wander bilt is going to marry a Hungarian count She ought to have a guardian instead. Her husband was one of Gods anointed, one of the finest men I ever knew. He gratified every whim of his wife, and
 .f,,lrc f1,of man in the world is like him. She will be sadly disilusioned if she marries that foreigner.
 "If she marries him the control of the Vanderbilt system of railroads will pass out of the family's hands. The millions which Gladys brought to her husband have been shipped to Hungary and the other millions which her mother will have to give up if she marries the count will be shipped to Hungary. That leaves the other members of the family in the position of having to purchase the rail- road securities held by the two women and to. pay cash for them. Those for eigners won't take our securities. When they marry us they demand real money, and they get it. Can the Vanderbilt family pay the price? We'll
 's'Money is easier than 1t was spell back, as every one knows. Why should not it be, after the rain of government dollars which Cortelyou poured into the banks? But that is merely first aid to the injured; it does not correct the evils. The hard times are bound to continue un- til after election, and then what will happen no one knows. Ultimately the financial situation will adjust itself, but not on the past inflated basis. Personal ly, I have faith in American business institutions. and as soon as this faith spreads again to the people the financial depression will be a thing of the past, and not till then.
 Tt was caused by this very lack of faith. A good many things contributed to the loss of confidence. Roosevelt is partly to blame, but not wholly. In my opinion the President has not made good. What would you think if were to say