The Washington herald., 1913-03-27

VoShBnt, uS. y Couft Oo8ip Synoi0SI
Mr.. Neil Primrose, son and heir Of the
Earl Of Rosebery. was the best man a
the wedding Of his cousin. James d.
Rothschild, son Of Baron Edmond de
Rothschtld. Of Paris. and Miss Dorothy
Pinto. daughter of Mr.. Eugene Pinto. OF
Carlton-Gardens. London. at the Central
Synagogue, Great Portland Street. In that
city. Owing to the limited space within
that Jewish temple, the number OF
bridesmaidS was limited to six. Among
them were Miss Enid Howland and Miss
Peggy Behrens.
| The bride is a beauty OF the classic
Greek style and only seventeen years OF
age. Time was when the injunction OF
the dying founder OF the house of Roths-
child not to marry outside the family IN
order I" keep the fortune intact was
ooeyed to the letter. but since the great
fnanciers were ennobled their daughters
found husbands among the greatest in all
European countries. Small wonder. for
their dowries were and are OF fabulous
proportions.
century ago Jew, known as
Amschel Moses. was a small tradesman
| in the ghetto Of Frankfort. To distin-
guish his dwelling. which was also his
pioIe vi pusihess, ne pldceu over MS uooF
distinguishing sign. In his case this
was a red shield in German. "Roths-
child" hence in the course OF time the
house of Rothschild.'' The son OF
Amschel Moses was called Maier Am
schell, and SO. when through their sign
the family attained a surname, the son
was known as Maer Amschel Roths-
child.
The first OF this name. the son Of
the Jewish peddler. first attracted at
tention by his knowledge of numismatics.
science In which he had been self
taught. Declining to become a rabbi.
he began his career as a inancier in a
very small way. His skill IVES brought
TO the notice Of Landgrave. OF Hanau
later William I OF HesseD. who en-
ployed him TO negotiate bills Of exchange
received from London in payment OF SOL
dier supplies to the English king.
From these beginnings Maier Amschel
Rothschild became a power in the finan-
cial world OF Europe. while he still re-
manned a dweller in his small house in
the narrow street Of Frankfort. When
he died, in September 1872. the wealth OF
the family already had become pro-
verbal. AS he felt death approaching.
he called about him his five sons and
eNhorted them TO work in unison and to
discuss and carry out in common all their
affairs. He charged them never TO aban-
ron the religion OF their fathers, and to
ask advice of their mother SO long as
she lived. In order to preserve the fam
lily unity in coming generations. he ad-
vised them to make marriages within
the family.
Some OF the sons were already at the
head of banking houses in other cities,
and after the death OF their father five
houses We're established in Ave European
financial centers. The eldest. Anse!m. re-
mained at the head OF the original house
in Frankfort. Solomon founded the house
in Vienna. Nathan that in London. Karl
that Of Naples, and James that Of Paris.
In compliance with their fathers injunc-
ton. these houses established and have
continued to the present day a system Of
unity OF operation that has proved the
greatest factor in their marvellous sue
cess.
From small beginnings. by mastery
nagement and unQuestioned honesty.
this house has grown until 1t has become
the greatest financial power in the world.
with an acknowledged foundation OF four
hundred million pounds sterling or two
billion dollars.
The house OF Rothschild has been for
many years the chief fduciary agent Of
the chief source from which other
European states have obtained loans. il
has been a maxim OF the house II there
is question Of a loan. let II be to a
state" The wisdom Of this system is
shown in the fact that they have not
been content with the mere interest on
tie capital advanced. but they have en-
gagged in very extensive speculations with
the bonds issued for the loan. BY this
means they have become a financial
power of the first magnitude.
The romantic story OF the rise Of the
house of Rothschild is most interesting.
but there are also delightful anecdotes
which center about the members of the
house. particularly about Nathan Roths-
child. the founder of the London branch.
Some of these have been told before.
hut the picturesqueness OF them prevents
them from being hackneyed. 1t is a Won
&, rful story of remarkable family
career: and not the least remarkable
feature of their career Is the absence or
any popular feeling in Europe similar
to the anita agonism which is felt in this
country toward our great financial lead |
ers The fact that certain of these have
been a great power in critical periods
does not deliver them from criticism !
when these crises are past. The Roths- !
childs would appear to occupy a lofty |
pinacle OF respect in Europe, a violent |
contrast TO the contempt so often pub |
licly expressed concerning some of the |
great names in American finance.
One OF the best stories told about |
Nathan Rothschild. founder of the Lon !
don firm is that one day the Bank Of
England refused to accept from him ,
some drafts in payment which he had /
received from his brother in Frankfort. |
on the ground that 1t cashed its own |
notes but not those OF private individ- |
uals. Now. It Is a well known fact !
that Rothschild in the financial crisis |
of 1926 had actually saved the Bank OF |
England from bankruptcy when he most |
accepted its promissory notes
IN exchange for gold for which the mer-
Street. Quite naturally he
'elt indignant at such treatment but he
look a heavy revenge.
By Rothschild's orders his agents
secured as many Bank Of
England notes as they possibly could,
and one fine morning when the bank
opened, Nathan Rothschild appeared.
ook a five-pound note from his fat purse
and with freezing politeness' demand
ID gold for 1t. 1t was handed over with
equal politeness." the teller restraining
his astonishment that the great financier
should waste his time in such trifles.
Rothschild with scrupulous care exam
ned each gold piece and dropped 1t into
bag. He then produced another and
mother and yet another flve-pound note
md repeated the transaction. This he
continued until the closing hour, he him.
'elf operating at one window while nine
# bis clerks were busy doing the same
\ In This in oil |