Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-12
TWENTY MILLION DOLLAR
FLYER IN LINEN STOCK
Man Races From California to
London to Buy 40,OOO,OOO
Yards.
KNOWN AS HUMAN DYNAMO
Leonard j. Martin Asserts That
He Is Fascinated by the Posi-
blliticS of His Great Undcr-
taking.
,By Universal scrvicc1

tBy Universal Scrvicc)
LONDON. August il.-"There is going
to be no prottcerinE so far as ! am
concerned" was tho. statement made
by Leonard j. Martin. the man who
the government :or 10000 200.
y good deal OF interest naturally CEN
tcrs in the man who cornered a large
portion of the worlds supply Of linen
by buying all the aircraft equipment
section of the government disposal
board had OH hand. Naturally. too,
the world has Il lively interest in what
he means 10 do with II.
4 Human Dynamo.
MIR. Martin is a human dynamo. with
whom action is practically coincident
Win des:sion Hs p%nEsd d n,o one of
deals withou, detailed knowledge Of
the. goods he was purchasing. =.
MIR. Martin frankly. without any first
hand Knowledge OF the linen business.
my Line is agrsmd'nra maehnery
in the world in that trade. But that
concern runs itself now. and I have
come into this line mainly because 1
had nothing else to do.
Resting I'm California.
II was in California for two months
holiday when saw the possibilities
Of this deal and returned to jump into
"
body else. simply by Offering 4 higher
price than anybody else would pay
The, negotiations took only, few
OF the size Of the deal.
II am fascinated by the possibilities
of this thing. have never seen
proposition with so much scope IN the
markets of the world
There are no stocks Of linen any
where; and very little raw material
linen have shown themselves pig
headed
stuff TO make ii we'll worth while to
run big propaganda.
why. if | spend "A quarter Of mil
lion dollars in placing The stun on tho
parison with the probable turnover.
"No ProGtcerinE.'
There is going to be no .proftcer-
ing "a far as ! am concerned.
81 see that IL is already suggested
handed the whole stock over to ono
man. but look at the other side OF the
iii may surprise the public to- know
that the bulk OF this linen was manu-
featured after the arnistice was
signed. The Belfast manuf.cturers
declined to allow the government to
back down from their contract,
What they wanted 10 do was TO
buy II all for is. (25 cents yard.
figures about 2s.)
They had previously declared that
it was no good for commercial pur-
poses and had advised the government
10 burn it.
Three Years Normal supply.
The purchase represents three
years normal supply Of this class of
linen. For Two years the linen mills
have been making nothing but this
stuff.
II, is absurd to say that it is no
good for commercial use For mems
tt,,f. .-..nI
~ in warm climates, IL iS both lighter
and better looking than that usually
used.
For handkerchicfs it is 100 per cent
more durable than the linen handker-
chiefs.
. The linen had to be Of the highest
purposc-thc covering OF airpiane
wings-for which il was intended rhey
nad tn get strength and light weight
in combination. and that could only he
done with the best material.
Tn" Belfast manufacturers have
hcen waiting till the government would
accept their prices.
Easily Taxable.
AS the government has instead sold
dollar that the Treasury will see To- il
5nat | pay out all right for All the
can check me rs an Individual more
readily than they could check a corr
b'ne Of manufacturing:
- Suouiu make Ll.OUO.ON tS5.UnU
100 profit there will be 5000 10
go back TO the Treasury in EXCESS
nronts ana another 1850, 900 in super
I raSo TO oo6 mat The government will gain
Asain TINS STUFF has been on offer
since January but only 5000 worth had
Dee 1ern ,t nouS fi by The general public I'M
bales. sdFu
;, 1T costs 800 a day to finance such
mIiI Tne goveTnment has to raise four
cen, TO carry This stock
;, DOES the government want H.,
sllnen or Gees ii wan. money to pav
Tor the war '1'
Government Mcthod Costly
me government method of retail
,hS - t'c'rtr the NEST conv"n!en, nay
expensive depots and a costly, STAFF
Wnen government officials get an
"i me linen they tell her they cannot
SEND samples. and present "a form:da
PIE document for her To I'LL ur ana
make tender.
OF ten the form goes into the waste.
naper basket, and there's an end to
linen in eiEhty-yard lengths from -
nNT.hment "ihcc would eat up ali the
DO you propose to give the p,,b,i,
"a. opporlunity OF buying the linen,
"'''' rom N"u?' he vas .,aked
! 80, Makes no Pledge.
:; cannot pledge myself TO the puh.
n me- ~ an any way" said Mr.. Martin
brnm,ptlE. 1T would be necessary 10
prIhs together big staff TO deal win
iEn "a business. and cannot under.
shall be forming my organization
soon, and ill then my plans for disi
Pos srhR or the linen are nebulons.
:. ne men IS at present unblcached
~ II IL necessary to meet the require
ments or he trade. shall have some
ot "icarhed. but Of course that de.
| prhuS on Tie purpose for which il il
intended, whether. for example. il iS
mhhtcd Tor dresses in England for
mn clothing IN South America for
embroidery or damask
HUNGARY APPOINTS KARoLYI
Former Premier, Who Esenped From,
country In R0wboni,
.s.fs