The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-20
ARMAMENT RULER.
ILL At PALA7| A[
HOME IN LONDON
Career Of Greek Wonder Man
Has Long Been Puzzle To
Correspondents
HAS FABULOUS WEALTH
Receives Honors From Lead
ing Monarchs Of All For
eiun Nations

LONDON, May 19-The mystery OF
Si;. Basil Zaharoff, the Greek multi
millionaire, the man who is credited
with pulling the strings behind half
a dozen European governments, has
been solved. Sir Basil is suffering
from lockjaw.
4 large section of the European
public. and particularly would-be In
reviewers, had long suspected this
ailment on the part of the Greek
wonder-man. For not only is Sir
Basil the worlds greatest man of
mystery: he has always been the
champion man of silence Not until
now, however, has the explanation
been admitted by the encourage OF
Zaharoff himself.
Sir Basil Zaharoff, with all the
customary mysticism that has made
him the subject of romance, arrived
in London the other day. He came
from Paris. Your correspondent hot
footed it to the Carlton and seized Sir
Basils secretary man who lives in
= mysterious atmosphere almost as
impenetrable as that of his master.
Never Grants interview.
The correspondent told the secre-
Il
an interview with the great man
himself.
What" came the arehed- eyebrow
Terrified exclamation from the secre-
tary. An interview with Sir Basil
My dear man, you know it's never
done.
Besides, Sir Basil is Ill. His physi-
clans have advised him to see no one
II might be dangerous. He is recu-
neutrality-suspicious. in TACT from
d serious attack of lockjaw.'
And there you. are. The secretary
was serious and solemn. He was not
joking. There was no interview. But
the secret had been wrung from the
secretary of the only living sphinx
Sir Bash Zaharoff does not, or can
not. talk. So nobody knows anything
about his business. Therefore, every
body is all the more bent on knowing
something about his business. Thai
makes Zaharoff the man of mystery
y simple formula, after all
only Passing Ailmenf.
Doctors may say that Sir BasiPs
iockjaw is only a passing ailment
But European correspondents know
that it is persistently chronic. Tina,
explains why only the scantiest frag-
E1ents of information are available
on the following high spots of the
Greek mystery mans career:
His birth in Constantinople, the sor
of a Russian father and Greek
mother.
His adventurous early life in
that bit of politically volcanic geo.
graphy known as the Balkans.
His rise to fabulous wealth in the
international finance and to a dom.
inant position in the political in
trigue of every European chancery
Basil Zaharoff today is a citizen Of
the world. For his mysterious labors
he was knighted by King George
and decorated by practically every
government in Europe. Beginning
as pupil in the Krupps arsenals al
Essen. he rose to the position OF
Europes armament king. He could
win wars. That gave him incalcul-
able political influence.
Represents Vickers.
He became the foreign represen-
tative of Nickers, the great British
arms manufacturers. When the World
war broke out, Zaharoff, operating al
usual behind the scenes, practically
controlled the worlds distribution OF
ornaments.
Wealth poured into his pockets
overflowed, and found it's way to
every corner of Europe. Zaharofi
controls banks, manufacturing en-
terprises, shipyards, hotels, NUM-
tons factories and gambling cas-
mos, including Monte Carlo.
He maintains a private palace in
Paris, a magnificent westent APP
partment in London and, like O
Henrys cosmopolite, probably has
slippers waiting for him in a tea
house in Shanghai.
Zaharoff played at least once
and lost. That was when he backed
Nenizelos' dream of a Greek asiatio
empire. Zaharoff continued backing
the Greeks when Constantine pur-
sued the dream. The Turks pushed
the Greeks and their imperial no.
tons into the sea. That was a blow
that weighed heavily with Zaharoff
Although, seventy years old, Sill
Basil walks with light springy
stride due it is said. to the cal
isthenics he performs every mornins
before s o'clock. He has grey hair
penetrating grey eyes and, as has