The New York herald., 1921-08-14

merely SuUer MN 70 prove tchdt ne
can do. DR.. Rathendu is described as
"a man of ideas" qualified to accom-
plish big things.
The fourth and last article of this
series toiH be published in "The Neao
York Herald" nert Sunday, August 21
IL aolI describe the organization of
German labor and the means By ,ohich
the Government and labor keep UitdI
industries going eUen though the oper-
alton of the plants is not proftd bic to
the otC,ters.
Special Correspondence to THE New YORK
HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Berlin, Aug. 1.
VIII DIR. Walter Rathenau take Wig
orous hold of the reconstruction the
German people have agreed to carry
out, finding practical ways to do it,
while at the same time keeping Ger
man industry intact or will he lose
himself in vague formulas and fade
into the background with host of
other so-called experts who have pre-
tended to pull Germany through" in
the last two years?
This is the question German busi-
ness men are asking themselves at
the same time that they have given
DR.. Rathenau an assurance of their
confidence. They modify this, how
ever, by a condition-as long as he
keeps on the track
Only the Hansa- -Bund an organization
comprising middle sized business has de-
clared open hostility to DR.. Rathenau.
and this for reasons we will mention
later on. Big industry. including the
Siemens and SHINES interests. rivals and
hostile to the General Electric COM
pany, of which Rathensu is the load. has
declared itself ready to give DIR. Ratht-
nau a chance to organize the industrial
machinery OF Germany.
known as Mnn of ideas.
The mere fact that DR. Ra.h snau is
hotly attacked and defended would be
enough TO indicate that he is n ne "sonal-
ity. He Is a man Of ideas, tho father Of
the so-called ''p;an-lndustrial organiza-
ton" The same as Taylor. he Is an
enemy of waste motion. but is more ac-
tive in eliminating It between Industries,
making the country the Industrial unit.
than he Is in systematizing any particu-
lar factory
DIR. Rathenau does not cone for the
first time before the public | remember
calling upon him shortly after the armis-
tice and telling him that ths Re,gians
had accused him of suggesting plan for
the systematic despoliation of their in
dustry. DR.. Rathenau was very indig-
nant over the report. Pushing button
he summoned a secretary. who appeared
shortly after with a pile of books which
DR.. Rathenau had written. These are
all ! have written. and there Is not one
word in them which would indicate that
I ever have given grounds for such
rumor." DR.. Rathenau declared. Dr.
Rathenau ina gined that he was convinc-
ing me by cumulative evidence. II
weight could have done II t,is pile OF
books would have been amply suffi-
cient. Possibly he simply produced these
books to relieve his feelings At any
rate they indicated an accomplishment
along lines tending toward a more ra-
tional organization Of e,ono mic society
Played Big Part in War.
DR.. Rathenau has ideas and he has
dared to try them out In his own
works. however. he is restricted by his
board of directors. who suspect his the
cries as "newfangled." At the begin
ming Of the war he was put at the head
OF the War Industries Board His first
task was to offset the effects OF the
British blockade by organizing a ma
tional control of raw materials and
foodstuffs. Before the end OF the war
this bureau had become almost as i'm
portant a centre of German resistance
to the Tightening ring outside as the
general staff and almost as powerful
When the revolution came DIR. Rathenau
swan in a ferment of new ideas and
problems. He was prepared-for ample
compensation-to consider schemes for
turning over the ownership OF his own
industry TO the workers He went TO
Munich during the Boshevlk uprising
on the invitation OF one OF the Red
ministers to study naturalization of in
dustry there. He even went with plan
in his pocket. he tells me. But It was
one which they did not adopt he hastily
added when telling me Of his crusade
later.
The German revolution proved flash
in the pan. but DR. Rathenau did not
stop thinking and devising new indus
trial methods. The movement for ma
tionalization OF coal mines for the fol-
loving two years gave him a welcome
opening. 1t had become the slogan Of
the labor parties and for a time seemed
the only way to reesta blish social peace
In Germany.
His naturalization Scheme.
The Government appointed n board TO
study various naturalization schemes
DR.. Rathenau was one of the members
took a leadership In the negotiations
and finally proposed compromise he
tween the full socialization demanded
by the workers and the untouched pri-
vate ownership supported BY the SHINES
industrial group In DIR. Rathenau's
scheme. after some fifteen years Of
progressive indennifcation. the owner
ship would pass to the nation. Such a
programme would eliminate profits and
kill private initiative, hostile owners re-
piled. at the same time branding DR..
Rathenau as a fantastic radical. But
they needed only to look at the General
Electric Company TO be reassured that
Or. Rathenau is still very able to dis
tinguish between his theory and actual