New-York tribune., 1919-05-31
What Manner of
Men
IN THE financial district. on the
steps of . building located at the

"a intersection of Broad and Wall
streets, a small white marble build
ing, emblematic of solidity, a build
ing known in parlance as 'the house
on the corner" and second only in
world wide fame to the Stock Ex-
change across the street - on the
st-ns Of this building, facing toward
the street, was a man gazing into
vacancy. He was well known man.
He was one of those men whom the
financial reporter sets down as a
useful sort Of person to know. He
was Prominent Banker. And Wall
Street had come habitually to think
of him as q prominent banker, as
aman who had always been promi-
nent banker, and as a man whose
thoughts were always upon the deep,
strange and intricate subject of
banking.
Now, it came to pass that Wall
Street reporter, destitute of news
and bound on no definite errand,
happened by and caught sight of the
banker while absorbed in his reverie.
The Wall Street reporter instinc-
lively counted it a piece of rare good
luck; for here were two facts of
prima facie significance, namely,
that the banker was coming out of
Iorgan's and that he was meditat-
ing. The signs pointed to news. SO
the Wall Street reporter approached
the banker and indicated his Curl
f osity as to what the banker was
! thinking.
you will probably be surprised
to know" answered the banker. Il
have just been at a conference in
there with half a dozen Of the big
gest men in the Street, and I was
just thinking how l would have felt
! if could have foreseen this moment
: when I was small town boy. To
Z think that | should one day enter
the Office of J. P. Morgan & Co.,
that I should confer with a group
of the most prominent bankers
here, that my opinion should be
consulted by J. P Morgan, that
he should say, I think that is the
way this thing should be done, and
that ! should answer, No, Mr.. Nor
gan, / think this is the way And
. that MI. Morgan and all the others
agreed with me. OF course, they
said, that is the way to do it, And
was thinking how would have
felt as a small town boy had l known
! that one day would put over an
: idea of mine on the greatest bankers
in New York
And the Wall Street reporter
i started thinking. These prominent
7 bankers were after all not primarily
: prominent bankers, but primarily
human beings. They have other in
terests besides those of Wall Street !;
s they lave wives and children; they
have feelings and emotions, and,
Z most amazing of all, ideals.
Sometimes one of these men, in
I private conversation will begin
talking about the great social prob
lens of the day and will reveal a
sympathy with labor and with pow
I erty and broad vision of his idea
Of future society that would astound
some Of the critics of Wall Street.
: Wall Street is popularity thought of
/ by the radicals as the home Of
! Bourbonism and reaction.
The Wall Street man is not in
: frequently man of wide and diverse
interests. Otto Kahn is a notable
S instance. He is interested not only
In practical" banking and in rail-
road financing, but in economic
theory, in literature, in art, in music.
And he is not the kind of rich man,
SO frequently ridiculed, who is in
z terested in these things publicly and
s for display. They are his daily love
and concern. Go into his Office; you
s VIII see on his desk, where you would
expect to find nothing but business
{. letters, opera librettos. The tele-
phone rings; you think it some
weighty financial matter upon which
you lntrude, and it is nothing but
some one that Mr.. Kahn is inviting
s to his box party an evening that
neek.
The Wall Street man is commonly
thought of as a demon for work.
The picture is of one who works
feseriahly, rushing everywhere, neg
iecting his friends and his family
In his absorption and the desire to
accumulate, until ne becomes broken,
gray thin, pale, unable to digest the
oaintles that his purse commands,
or even what the common man calls
square meal The exaggerated
picture probably draws it's inspira-
& lion from popular fction and from
popular conceptions Of a certain