Evening star., 1922-06-24
RATHENAU IS SHOT
TO DEATH IN AUTO;
ASSASSINS ESCAPE
CONTINUED from First Page.)

(Continued from First Page.)
failing in an attempt to oppose a
combination with the Siemens-
Schubert Company.
Toured African Colonies.
Aside from business obligations. he
accompanied DR.. Denburg. then sec
retary of state for the colonies. on
tour Of the German possessions In
Africa. He later represented German
concessionaires in mine exploitation
in Morocco. Banking next engaged
his energies and he became the head
of one of the leading German hnan
cial houses. He became chairman OF
the administrative council OF the
A. E. G. and soon made a name Tor
himself throughout the empire as a
commercial magnate:
At the outbreak Of the world war,
while immersed in the development
of big business on g. TREMENDOUS
scale. he was offered the office OF
minister of raw materials His work
in tat capacity obtained extraordi-
nary results. Upon the success of his
work depended not only the economic
life of the interior of Germany, but
also the maintenance OF the far-
flung German armies. His organiza- a.
tion almost nullified the allies block
ade 1t was not until after the war
that the actual food privatton amictec
the people. The exactions an: and com
appealed to him and he was glad to
plunge into the activities Of the A.
E G. after peace had been declared.
He dropped his chosen work without
murmer, however. He was offered
the portfolio of minister Of recon-
StruCtiOn.
Dortfolio Eliminated.
He held this post for several
months, but when the cabinet was
reformed in October. 1921. his port
folio was eliminated. Although not
member of the cabinet. he repre-
sented the German government sub
sequently In various economic con-
ferences with the allies. He was ap-
pointed foreign minister on January
81. taking the post that Chancellor
Wirth had been temporarily dlling
following the retirement of DR.. Wal
ter Simons.
The accomplishment for which DIR.
Rathenau came into greatest prom
inence while minister Of reconstruc-
tion was the agreement which he
negotiated with Louis Loucheur,
French minister Of liberated regions
at Wiesbaden last October. under
which Germany has been paying q
part OF her reparations to France In
goods instead of money.
AS foreign minister DR.. Rathenau
was leading figure among the Ger
man delegates at the Genoa confer
ence. DR.. Rathenau's prominence al
complished outside the conference
than in it. The Genoa body had been
in session only few days when the
startling announcement came, on
April IT, that as German foreign min
lister he had signed at Rapallo a
Russia.
Reacts Like Bombshell.
News of the signing Of this pact
which has gone down In history as
the treaty of Rapallo. broke like q
bombshell among the Genoa confereei
up the conference.
The treaty, which was general
agreement of amity and commerce
between the two nations. giving full
recognition to the soviet regime
drew out a strong protest from the
allied representatives and resulted
ultimately in the exclusion Of the
German delegates from the further
conferences with the Russians al
Genoa, on the ground that as Ger
many had already made her agree.
ment with Russia independently OF
the allies there was no longer any
reason for her participation in the
talks with the Russians. DR.. Rath-
enau, in the German reply to the al
lied protest, warmly defended the
signing of the treaty.
He declared the negotiations for II
had begun long before. and the fact
that 1t had been signed right under the
noses of the allies during the confer.
ence had no particular significance.
Busy with Reparatfons.
Since the close Of the Genoa confer
engaged in considering German repara-
tions questions, meanwhile taking fre.
ouent occasion to defend before Ger.
man official bodies and public meet.
ipgs his course In signing the Rapall1
pact.
20, 1857. His earlier active life was
confined almost exclusively to bust.
ness, the exigencieS Of the war alone
calling him into politics. His after.
the-war call to head the work Of Ger.
man reconstruction met with a mixed
reception in Germany, as he had giveI
evidence of liberal economic ideas
which had displeased some OF Ger.
mauy's business elements. His abil.
ties in the way of practical applica-
tion Of business principles to govern
ment, however. were widely recognized