Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-11

mes shared control OF the iron ana
coal industry of Germany with his
friend August Thyssen and Q few
others. and occupied q dominating
position in the entire inland naviga-
ton Of that country. He also direct
ed several big ocean shipping con-
Germs, owned most Of the potash de-
posits Of Central Europe, and in 1870
was reported to have purchased 50
newspapers, as well as several paper
mills and pulp factories.
Before the war Frau Bertha Krupp
was said to possess the largest per-
.sonal fortune in Germany. She paid
taxes on property worth nearly $780,
100000 gold marks. At that time
Shines fortunes was estimated at
sc, 900, 900 marks, which. according to
competent calculations, increased
during the war and the revolution to
more than 1.000,000,000 marks.
Although SHINES proved himself to
be perhaps the greatest industrial or
ganizer Germany ever produced. he
was never graduated, so to speak,
from the working class. He had the
appearance and bearing Of worker.
and could go about in the clothes OF
q foreman or a miner without at
tracing attention. He was once de-
scribed as like a piece OF coal wan
dering about among his own coal
mines.
His external appearance was de-
void Of pose, and he seemed heavy
and solid. His massive head was set
upon q stocky trunk. His black hatd
was cropped close. his face was pale
and expansive; his nose was decided
ly hooked, his eyes heavily underlin-
ed, and his beard as black as coal. A
German newspaper became popular
over night by calling him the "As-
syrian King"
Novelties and toys were passion
with SHINES. He would be captiva-
ted in the street by the sight of a
peddler's pack, and IL he discovered
q new kind of fountain pen or safety
razor among the mans wares, his
excitement was almost boundless.
SHINES, like most men Of action,
was a person of few words when
asked to discuss his financial affairs,
and then he was verbose to degree
that tried the patience of his audi
tors. His egotism was no less pro-
nounced than his juvenility and his
love of toys.
The magnate himself took no de-
light in food, had no ear for music.
never read books, saw nothing inter-
esting in nature, and seldom was seen
at the theater, although he number
ed several of them among his pos
sessions.
"My business" he would say, $50
entirely occupies my mind that there
is no room for anything else"
He owned his first evening suit in
1917, and was persuaded to purchase
it by Albert Balm, creator Of the
Hamburg American Line. Before
that he always appeared at dinners
and banquets in what he termed his
working clothes. He was seldom ask
ed to speak in public. for he invai
ably drifted into a TRADE against the
aristocracy which he hated with all
the fire of his complex nature.
Yet SHINES himself did not start
with nothing. He belonged to an en-
inent Jewish family long in COM
merce, and received substantial aid
from his father after completing his
studies in technical school. He was
born Feb. -, 1870, and from earliest
boyhood was trained in the principles
of commerce and trade.
When the World War broke over
Europe, SHINES was transacting some
business in Custein. He read Aus
trials ultimatum to Serbia and in
stantly recognized it as war. He hur-
ried to his Muelheim home, spent IA
hours in the telephone cell of his pri-
vate apartment. and when he emery
ED all his enterprises were on a war
basis.
Politically, SHINES was an idol Of
the German Peoples Party, formerly
the National Liberals, which he was
said to have financed after the revo-
luton. During the Inter-Allied dis
cussions on the Germany indemnity
at Spa in the summer of 1920, Stin-
nes' defiant stand as National Lib
eral was blamed for the failure to
come to immediate terms. 1t was at
this conference when taken to task
for his arrogant attitude, that he
electrified the assembly with the
statement:
II have not come here for the pur-
pose of being polite
In the years that followed, how
ever, he became more pacific, and
urged the German people to adopt n
policy of work and production, which
he declared was the only salvation
for the war-tOrn nation.
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