New-York tribune., 1921-09-12
Purchase Confirmed
BY Charles III. Sabin
Munsey Also Rereals More De.
tails Of a Huge Financial
Deal With austrian Family


Deal With AUSTRIAN Family
The report from Paris that an Amer
lean syndicate mad taken over the hold
ings of the Austrian Archduke Freder-
ick and his son, the Archduke Albrecht,
WAS confirmed here last night.
Charles H. Sabin. president of the
Guaranty Trust Company of New York,
who was reached at his country place
At Southampton, l.. L.. admitted that the
negotiations had been carried on, but
referred inquirers to j. Leonard Re-
plogle, the steel man, who is associated
with the American group. Mr.. Replogle
was out OF the city, and up to late
hour could not be reached.
Frank A. Munsey. publisher of "The
New York Herald" who recently re
turned from abroad, and who also is
IN the group, was interviewed by tele-
phone at Elizabethtown, N. Y. Mr..
Munsey said that he believed the Paris
dispatch to be substantially correct.
although he had not personally read it.
Additional Details Given
Mr.. Munsey revealed additional de-
tails OF the huge international trans
action between aristocrats of Ameri-
can finance and former royalty of Eu-
rope. He declared that trust COM
pany had been formed in Geneva,
Switzerland, for the exclusive purpose
of taking over the properties of the
Archduke Frederick, and that the arch
duke retained large interest in the
new company, in which Mr.. Sabin, Mr..
Replogle and Mr.. Munsey represented
the managing syndicate. Mr. Munsey
explained that he and his associates
had financial interest in the trust
company.
In reply to question as to the pro-
gram of the managing syndicate, in re-
spect to business ventures, Mr.. Munsey
replied that he and his associates had
not got that far yet.
The financial and business world will
await with unusual interest an an
nouncement of the plans of the syndi-
cate which turned the largest deal in
Europe in which Americans were inter
ested since the war. In 1919 Eugene
Scheider, head of the Creusot steel
works, cf France, and the most i'm
portant ironmaster in his country. ac-
quired large steel holdings and munition
works in Austria. In recent months
Huge SHINES, German capitalist, has
gained possession of various important
industrial properties Throughout the old
Hapsburg empire.
May Develop Mineral Lands
The presence of Mr.. Replogle in the
American group led to the assumption
that exploitation of mineral lands was
contemplated. Mr. Replogle is regarded
% one Of the ablest practical steel
men in this country.
Mr. Sabin, whose connections extend
into various industrial and banking
corporations, is closely associated with
tho Morgan group in the financial dis
trict.
Mr.. Munsey, though primarily a
newspaper and magazine publisher, has
wide financial interests in other lines.
A dispatch to "The New York
Herald" from its Paris correspondent,
"Prior to the war, Archduke Fred
erick was generally regarded as one
of the richest land and Industrial own
tributed throughout Austria Hungary,
Cxecho.. ..Slovakia, Jugo-Slavia, Poland,
Rumanfa and Italy. They included the
world renowned steel works and mines
at Teschen, which is now partly in
Poland; vast working forest lands,
amounting to hundreds of thousands
OF acres, scattered over several coun-
tries. and numerous other industries,
including dairies which supply milk
ana butter to Vienna, sugar plantations
and factories, palaces, apartment
houses and other private properties in
Vienna and elsewhere, historic castles
IN various parts of the continent and
the great Albertina Museum in Vienna.
which ia said to contain more valuable
art treasures of it's kind than any in
the world, there being nearly 100000
objects in the collection.
Transfer in 1919
An arrangement was made in Oc-
tober, 1919, whereby the archduke
transferred his various properties and
interests, except those In New Hun
gary, to q corporation organized in
Switzerland to take over their ad-
Ininistration. Mr.. Fielder was to form
q syndicate in America to acquire sub
stantial interests in the new company.
He obtained the necessary capital and
interested some Of the most prominent
men In America In the enterprise.
The American syndicate will pro-
ceed to enforce its rights against sew
oral governments which are withhold
ing possession Of estates from the Swiss
corporation. The syndicate is par
ticuiarly anxious to get prompt re-
turn Of the Teschen works, and vari
ots lands and other industries, so as
20 resume their operation and intro
duce American methods"
Prominent in Banking World
Mr.. Sabin has been president of the
Guaranty Trust Company since Janu-
ary, 1915, and since that time has been
one of the most prominent figures in
The financial and banking world. He
IS interested in large number of rail
road and industrial corporations as =
member of the board of directors, in
Guiding the international Mercantile
Marine, the Inspiration Consolidated
Copper Copany, the Midvale Steel and
ordnance Company, the st. Louis-San
francisco Railroad Company, the Sea-
board Air Line Railway, the Texas &
Pacific Railroad and Intercontinental
Rubber Company. Mr.. Sabin was one
Of the organizers Of the Cuba Cane
sugar Company and was prominent in
the formation of the Midvale Steel and
ordnance Company, of which William
q. Corey is chairman
Mr.. Replogle, who is president of the
Vanadium Corporation OF America at
tanned prominence during the war wher
he was appointed by President Wilson
director OF steel supply for the Wa,
Industrial Board Of the Council of Ma
tional Defense. In this capacity hi
had charge of allocatine to war use tn.
steel mills of the country. In addition
to being ON the roster Of number Of
prominent clubs he is q member of thu