Americus times-recorder., 1923-05-01
PEN PEN PICTURE Of REAL
RULER OF OLD GERMAN
EMPIRE IN EUROPE
Thyssen, Indust ial Baron Of
Rhine And Ruhr till An
Unvanquished King
HEADS POWERFUL PARTY
Self.Made Man, Thyssen Helped
Carve Career of Modern
Germany Under Kaiser
By MILTON BRONNER

LONDON, May 1.-When revo-
luton ragged in Germany and a big
"Ex'' was placed in front Of the
name Of every German kaiser. king.
prince and grand duke, there was a
little, old, gray, grim man down in
the Rhineland who still remained a
king-King August Thyssen.
In spite Of the fact that French
armies hold the Ruhr and the Rhine
land and have erected a customs
barrier, Thyssen is still king. He
IS king of one of the vastest indus
trial enterprises in the world and he
IS king of one of the most important
political parties not only of the old
but also. of the new Germany.
Ihyssen is one of the makers of
modern Germany He is one of a
half dozen men, all of whom lived in
the Ruhr and the Rhineland, who
saw the possibilities in Rhineland,
and Ruhr coal and iron. Like old
Krupp of Essen and old SHINES,
father of Hugo the Great at Muhl-
helm, Thyssen by dint of work and
business genius created one of the
giant fortunes of the new Germany.
Today he lords it over about 10000
men, many of whom differ with him
in politics and religion but who will
stick tight to him in the present
struggle against France.
When was in Essen some months
ago, both workingmen and bosses
told me proudly that Wilhelm never
liked to come to the Ruhr because
the people there didn't take any
stock in his pompous airs and bonn
bastic speeches. The plain people
didn't applaud him and the great in
dustrialists didn't fawn on him for
decorations and titles. In fact, they
refused that kind of "honors. Thys-
sen could have had his chest covered
with pretty fancy ribbons and odd
pieces Of gold and platinum bestowed
by the hand Of his loving kaiser, but
he couldn't see it with a spyglass.
The Thyssens, Krupps, SHINES
and their ilk felt that the kaiser
might seek to represent Germany,
but they were Germany These men
did not take gladly to aristocracy.
They were all self-made and proud of
it.
The democracy of Thyssen is re-
flected by the attitude taken by the
Centre Party after the revolution.
The Centre party is the great Catho-
lie party of Germany. Next to the
Socialists, it is the strongest in the
Reich The greatest layman in it is
Thyssen.
1t is Thyssen who has always filled
the party exchequer when money
was needed. When the German re-
public started to stand on its own
wobbly feet, there were many who
thought the Centre party would
unite WIN tue atiSIOCldClO anu Hl'it
archist parties Of the right to push it
over Not bit Of it. Thyssen de-
creed it was to unite with the Social
lists in supporting free institutions
The little man who wields so much
rower in Germany is 81 years old
and one of the hardest workers in
the country. Like SHINES, he gets
up with the lark. Like SHINES, ne
Like SHINES his office in the Ruhr
is a dingy stuffy little place fur
nished with the plainest of furniture
is at worF early. debating letters
"a table, a few chairs and maybe
man or two on the walls.
Like SHINES, he wears cheap
clothes, preferably black, and they
often are sadly in need of pressing
His meals are simple and his life
4 simple. In fact, it can be summed
mn IN four. letters-WORK.