Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-29
RICH MERCHANT
ISBARREDFROM
HISNAIIVELAND
GBy LATEST Maill

by Latest MaiEl s-5g
MONTREAL--Mr. Charles Bsrko-
witz, who owns the largest depart.
mental store in Havana, Cuba is at
the Ritz-Carlton. He has been on a
tour Of the world.
, His wanderings led him through
England. France, Germany and Bel
GUM. He went to Roumanfa, but he
did not 90 into that land. IT was the
one, too, where he saw the Light ~
day for the first time, and where
scores of his boyhood playmates and
relatives still lived. - .
When he was only sixteen years Of
age he had quilted that county to
seek his fortune in the United States.
There were many spots almost sacred
to him in the land of his birth, but
he visited them not He looked the
landscape over from the outer side Of
the border line. -.@ -
Long before his father had told him
that a living man was better than a
dead hero. When he came to the
borders of Roumania he remembered
that his three years of military SER
vice had never been served. The pass
port that Uncle Sam had signed for
him, for he Is now citizen Of the
United States, distinctly said that the
republic would not get him out Of
any trouble that migth arise should
he enter Roumanias while his military
career was incomplete. T. = w. =
So the world traveller stood on the
outside of the territory of Roumapia
and sent word to his friends within
to come to, the lines IL they wished
to see him once more. g 80
Il took no chances" he laughed, "of
spending three years carrying a gun. !"
Bad Times In Austria. e.. ?
There is tight money everywhere in
Europe, according to Mr.. Berkowitz.
IL was in Austria that conditions were
the most startling. There saw wo.
men working on the railway track.
handling ties, and all sorts of things.
The people told me that this condi-
ton had arisen because one half of
the men In the nation were in the
army and the other half had gone to
America The banks there were offer.
ing four and a half per cent on the de.
posits Of their customers. There Is no
chance for any one there now. My
ulcC6 IL a BTduudt0 IEOHi 0u6 VI IEe
best schools in that country, but am
going to bring her to America, so she
can have chance to do something
Everybody blames the Bulgarian
war for the state of affairs. One big
Partisan firm told me that they had
fifty million francs invested In Rou.
mania, all of which was tied up tight,
~ for the present time. Other com.
panies are In just as tight q corner
Onward Cuba. so 4. s, ".
Mr.. Birkowitz landed in Havana
two months after Spain had relir-
quished control of the, island. Since
then, he said, the progress of the
country had been marvellous. Havana
was a most beautiful city-only ex.
celled in the world by Berlin. Bust.
ness was good at the present time, al
though there was the same financial
stringency there as in the 4 United
States and Canada. The coming of
railways had opened up vast areas,
and was making market for the
Cuban people There was still, how.
ever, great opportunity for soma
one to develop the lumber trade. The
tobacco and sugar Industries were
prosperous, but the lumber business
was tagging -. I
After spending a couple of days in
this city, Mr.. Berkowitz will hurry to
Havana, as he was absent from his
business for about FIVE months.
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