Evening star., 1924-11-10
FLO W E r S
For the Living
Bernard NJ. Baruch
BY ARTHUR KROCK

When Baruch had made a great
deal of money in Wall street, playing
| it's game on the level and outwitting
most Of those who were playing it on
the level and otherwise, he turned
back to the abstract passion of his
life, and that is public service.
Paragraphs like that above are
| usually to be found under quarter
page cuts of leading citizens in ad-
vertising space paid for by the lead
ing citizens themselves. They are
usually secretly autobiographical.
But this time the stuff happens to be
true. There is no man ! ever knew
who has worked harder or more in
telligently to square the worlds eco
nomic circle than B. M Baruch.)
The abstract passion of his life.
l say abstract" because the definite
things he wanted to do when he set
out in life he accomplished cotem-
poraneously with his money making.
One was to provide his wife and chill
dren with the advantages Of life.
The other was to do the same thing
for his parents. He was a little over
80 when he achieved both, and one of
the fruits of this Accomplishment
was the splendid public service to
New York City of DR.. Simon Baruch,
released by his sons grateful bounty
from the cares of private medical
practice and free to devote the re-
mainder of his long life to sanitation
for the masses. Thus, indirectly, at
the beginning of b. M Baruchs ca
.eer his success went into public
service.
By 1911 Baruch was one of the
first men in Wall street. His per-
sonal equation completed, he turned
his fine mind to abstract economics.
By birth a South Carolinian, and the
son of a Confederate soldier, his pref
erence for the Democratic party was
inborn. At this time Woodrow Will
son began to illumine the political
scene, and to his aid Baruch turned
In the belief that Wilson's ideals,
pursued through Democratic prin-
cipleS, would help to establish that
economic balance in the earnings of
all classes of toilers which is his
goal. Throughout the earlier years
of the Wilson administration Baruch
was the Presidents admiring sup
porter. But their personal rela-
tions-later to grow deeply init
mate-then were formal.
During the immediate pre-war days
Baruch's counsel, when sought by
| Wilson, proved always so wise, dis
interested and penetrating that he
was asked to mobilize the industry
Of the Nation for and during the war
on DeHdlI Oh the Government. InlS
service Baruch rendered as chairman
of the War Industries Board, sever
ing all his business and financial
connections to do brilliant, flaw
less, spotless task He was to the
army of workers in America what
Pershing was to the army Of soldiers
in France. He was Wilson's chief
economic adviser during the peace
conference. and the tentative sum he
IN,
became the capital sum basis of the
Dawes report in 1924.
Postwar problems brought agri-
cultural depression, and Baruch turn
ed his energies--voluntari released
from money making-to bear on the
farmers condition. The result was
the spread of the cooperative mar
keting movement which he was the
first important man to initiate in this
country and from which have come
the farm bloc, higher agricultural
prices and the political independence
of farm workers.
This is only the briefest sketch of
what Baruch has done in a broad gen.
eral way for the masses of human
ity. His personal interventions are
countless. He is always worrying his
prosperous friends trying to find jobs
for young unknowns. He is less
than SIS years old. very tall, very
handsome, as slender as when he was
South Carolina boy, soft in speech,
gracious in manner, with prodigies
already performed. If there is any
world wide problem loose that has
economics and human nature mixed
up with it, the free service of one of
the best living reorganizers can be
procured. For no matter how often
Baruch vows that the human race,
being ungrateful, he intends to play
for the rest of his life, he can always
be entrapped by something large and
useful. The League of Nations, the
American farmer, the memory of
Woodrow Wilson, the plight of
friend, a gallant piece of horse-fesh,
a good grouse season in Scotland, the
world economic situation-any of
these a trumpet to Baruch any
where, any time.
Copyright, 1924