Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-01
AND GOSSIP
Of MONEY MARTS
Capitalists Are More Willing to
Talk for Publication Now
adays Than Formerly.
BY 8. c. FORBES.

enchantment, our financiers find. Meet
one of them in Wall Street and get his
views, and nine times in ten not a word
is said of these views in the paper next
morning. But let the same financier say
half as much to newspaper corresponds
ent in The Strand, or a Partisan boule-
ward or Wilhemstrasse and, prestoi every
word becomes precious. Not only is a
dime a word cheerfully paid in cable tolls
to present his opinions. but, to give the
interview due weight the extra informa-
ton may be thrown in that he was wear
ing fine coat of tan, a check suit, a
queer hat, and smoking a long, black
cigar.
Catch a man abroad. You see. and he is
somebody In the busy world of Wall
Street he is just one among many
These foreign interviews. as well as
those condescendingly given on return
ing, are often far more funny than in
tended. Apparently the longer man has
had his finger off the financial pulse-the
farther he has been away from the marts
of the world-the more valuable become
his views on current conditions The
whole business is a survival of ancient
times-ancient in the modern sense OF
that word, for anything that is not brand =
new is ancient in these hurry scurry, off
with the old love- on with the-new DAYS.
Once upon time it was a feat, some
thing worth talking about, to cross the
ocean and peregrinate round Europe.
Therefore the home conner was something
of hero or heroine, entitled to break
into print with sentiments and impress
Atlantic today Is as common as eating
breakfast. 1t does not stamp one as a
superior being. Nor is the knowledge
gained 99s times in 1000 worth publish
ing.
| once made the suggestion that, TO
save everybody time and trouble, the in
reviewers of returning tourists should
draw up a series of Interviews" one to
suit each taste, and that the home conner
simply be asked to select A, B, C, D, E or
F, whichever best suited his mood.
a" for example, could be of the
Twas over for pleasure but everybody :
was enthusiastic over American securi-
ties" order ''B" could take a different
tone" Europeans are uneasy over our
political wrangling, and unless agitation
induce foreigners to invest in our securi-
ties. &C. perhaps, could be prepared for
the distinguished visitor who looks upon
our skyscrapers for the first time. IL
would start off, of course, with: What
do you think of American" Great, Your
skyscrapers are wonderful-perfectly
amazing. Nothing like them anywhere
else And what do you think of Ameri-
can women?" ''Wen"-the visitor hash t
yet landed--'T haven't seen as much of
them as l hope to, but those l have met
are perfectly charming" And so on
Locality has marked effect on loquac-
ity Have you ever noticed that?
J. p. Morgan will never say one word
TO a newspaper when in New York, yet
when he was at the far end of the earth,
several months ago, he sent a special
ca blegram 10 The New York American
Occasionally. too. he is quoted as having
made statements to foreign correspond
ents. Jacob II. Schiff is quite talkative
when he goes a few thousand miles from
Broadway. l asked him for a statement
on a certain subject once and he gave
me his customary explanation that he
had hard and fast rule not to be quoted
while at home Lol a few days later an
lul6iNlbW dppedItQ OI the SdLlG SUBJECT
in a New York newspaper with the state
ment that it was taken from a European
journal I asked Mr.. Schiff how he came
to break his rule, "Ohr' he exclaimed
81 gave that interview in New York, 1t is
true, but it was for a foreign paper.
James j. Hill seldom talks in St. Paul.
where he lives but he invariably says
something worth while when he comes to
New York. He can coin more meaty and
catchy phrases than any other living
American. His cost of high living is a
classic
Capitalists are more willing to talk
for publication nowadays than they used
to be Hartman set an eminent exam
ple-after John D. Rockefeller and An
drew Carnegie had blazoned the way. A
New York American representative once
asked Hartman a question-back in the
days OF silence. Mr. Hartman was not
disposed to reply. and said So you are
not refusing to speak to me-" rejoined
the expert newspaper man, but to two
or three million people The little wiz
ard looked up suddenly as if shot by
new thought That's So, he comment
ed We'll, I'll tell you-," and an inter