Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-11-21
suggest power that a French Official is

Il ~ u - =
suggest power that French official is
reported to have kept Zaharoff's check
for half n million francs lying care
lessly on his desk for several months
under the delusion that it had been
paid in by harmless crank Yet the
suspected lunatic could command the
ear Of Clemenceau, BRAND, Poincaire,
Millerand, Lloyd George, whoever hap
pencd to be president, premier or
prime minister.
Zaharoff's banking connections in
Paris, London and other cities are of
the highest in the world of finance.
Nevertheless his name has been figured
so prominently In international bank
ing as those of less significant men. No
doubt he was a very rich man before
the World Wars but his profits from
munitions multiplied his wealth. He is
a large stockholder in numerous
steamship lines. He owns grain ele-
vators and theaters in various parts of
the world. He controls newspapers in
many cities, according to the Beaver
brook article. In the Persian petrol
cum fields two years ago he was the
energizing power of an Anglo-Persian
syndicate that challenged competition
with Standard Oil and the Dutch Shell
Oil group. This fails to exhaust his
commercial and industrial activities,
which are as diversified and important
colossus, Hugo Shines
Sir Basil was frst publicly interject-
ed into British politics last July, in the
course Of the discussion on trafficking
in honors, when a question was raised
in parliament as to why this alien fl
nancier had received knighthood and
been nominated to two of the most
coveted orders of chivalry in the be-
stowal of the sovereign. A statement
had been thrown out intmating that
he had helped Great Britain with a
loan in the war, and the government
was called on to explain why, if this
was true, the reason had not been
mentioned when the decorations were
bestowed.
Now, as a sequel to the Beaverbrook
revelations, there is a demand in The
Spectator, a weekly of the highest
character, that The Coalition govern
ment should clear themselves of the
that Sir Basil. influenced
them, more properly the prime minis
ter, in the Near East policies.
Mr.. Lloyd Georges retirement before
parliament meets presumably side
tracks the prospect of a debate on the
subject. But there is so much bitter
feeling, and so much smothered talk
which has at last come out into the
open, that it is not likely the subject
will cease to be.pa topic of political dis
cussion.
For moro than year the, undercur-
rent of political gossip in the London
clubs has alleged that Sir Basil was
applying his powers to correcting what
he conceived to be the mistaken policy
of Great Britain in the Near East UP
to the spring of last year. This Cor
rection" has caused Lloyd George to
vcer from anti Greek to pro-Greek.
to Lord BeaverbroOk he
spent hundreds Of thousands Of
pounds, which means millions Of dol
lars, in putting Vcnizclos in power and
the Hellenic dream of con-
quest in Asia Minor AS ans example
of his nOn-political financing there is
cited his mastery procedure in avert
ing a panic on the Paris Bourse at the
of the war, whereby he earn
ed the gratitude of the French gov
crnment. He has tried to mold politics
in Upper Silesia as well as in the
and Asia Minor, siding at the
same time with or against France,
with or against England, as conform
ed to his plans in different theaters of
and action.
Sir Basil's philanthropies, benefac-
tions and charities are fabulous. He
has founded chairs of aviation and
French and English literature in Eng
lsh and French universities. France
has made him an officer of the Legion
of Honor. England has knighted him
and decorated him with the Grand
Cross of the Order Of the Bath and the
Grand Cross of the Order Of the British
Empire. oxford has conferred on him
her highest honorary degree, that Of d.
c. l.. He has donated enormous sums
to public purposes, including a 100000
radio station at Venice and suitable
mansions for the Greek legations in
different European capitals. He en-
dowcd a chair Of modern Greek in
Cambridge University. With all this
power and Importance the public would
scarcely recognize a portrait of the
slender, spare Mystery Man."
When Quarrel Becomes Policy
Tn ono of his many rncent SDencbeS Mr.