The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-21
MT. Morgan's Characteristic Poise

J. Pierpont Morgan, the worlds foremost financier, is as alert and virile in his seventyrsixth year as he was a quarter of a century ago.
 Responding to a summons he ap- peared this week before the congress sional committee on the probe of the so-called money trust and questions asked him by the brilliant MT. Unter- meyer, counsel for the committee, were answered promptly and frankly. He was under rapid fire but was never for moment perturbed.
 In social life MT. Morgan has long been known for his unfeigned cour- tesy, his genial comradeship and his fine culture. But as the master banker and leader in vast business projects his characteristics have been a keen insight into human nature, facility for handling complex prob lens, the ability to look at large ques- tions in large way, well nigh un- erring judgment and square dealing coupled with something like brusque- ness. In the banking world he has combined many of the elements of Napoleon Bonaparte and Prince Bis marck. His constructive genius has been distinctly Napoleonic, while in resoluteness and dominance he readily calls to mind the great iron chancellor.
 On the stand MT. Morgan's testi- mony was, as might have been expect ed, straightforward. His language was singularly laconic. There was no at tempt at evasion; no mincing of words. And with 1t all there was an under lying vein of wit and irony. Mr. Mor- gan declared with emphasis that he sought no such overpowering leader ship as the public had credited him with possessing. He denied that he  had sought to wield any extraordinary power in the financial world. Large brained man that he has been he was simply far in advance of his contem- poraries and business competitors. In his contentious replies chunks of wis dom were emitted in concrete form; and while MT. Morgan does not pose as humorist some of his phrases pro- voked a smile. When MT. Unter- meyer said, by way of suggestion, 'If a man controlled the credit of a country he would have control of all its affairs" MT. Morgan retorted, He might have that but he would not have the money If he had the credit and I had the money his customer would be badly off,"
 Credit" said MT. Morgan, shows the evidence of banking but it is not the money itself. Money is gold nothing else" The financier then pointed out that many men had credit who had no money-strong credit be- cause people believed in them. q have known a man to come into my office," he said, land I have given him a check for $1,000,00O when knew he had not cent in the world"
 MT. Morgan was honest in remark ing that while he did not object to competition he believed in co-opera- tion and combination, which is but another way of saying that he was quick to anticipate and adapt himself to modern conditions. This is an age of combination, an age of associated capital and the world would be going slow indeed if leaders attempted to work along old lines, good in their day but, in the nature of things, not adapted to twentieth century prog ress.
 MT. Morgan is like the giant oak All men must admire him for his sturdy qualities. Certainly all right minded men must think well of one who speaks honestly and conceals nothing that the public has right to know.
 But what good has all this probing of the so-called money trust done :? Mr. Morgan, always the opposite of ostentatious, has confounded the muckraker and the demagogue. Ger tain men have exploited themselves but if anything has been made plain it is that there is no such thing as a money trust.