The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-16
WHERE HISTORY MEETS HUSTLE
New Orleans Blend Of Quaint And Old With Progress sive New
B. 0. Q. FoHpEs

IN THE SOUTH, Feb. 15.-=Did you ear, of the comment of the Ha-Ha lnglishman when. introduced to an merican? The American politely said: I'm very pleased to meet you" The Ppish Englishman replied. very em- hatically, "Naturally." One taunt kten thrown at America and Americans H visitors from csher countries is, You have no tradition, no atmosphere, Kerything is vulgarly modern"
 We'll, have just been visiting an lmerican place that has both traditions Ind atmosphere, and where everything
 not vulgarly modern, New Orleans. The metropolis of the south is . de- |ghtful blend of the quaint old and the progressive new. It is both Latin and
 merican. Here history and hustle are Pund side by side. Streets of oriental, arrowness meander Into the wildcat Erect of any city In the land, teeming Fith electric-driven street cars and lorseless carriages.
 Giant, grissled, moss hung trees. hun be modern factory, with it's whir of hagical machinery-the largest sugar efining factory In the world, for ex- nnple, or any branch of that ubiquitous harve1 of the twentieth century, the lord Motor company, or the finest rib- on of dock warehouses in America run ling along the banks of the Mississippi file after mile.
 The inimitabJe James M. Barrie, in he of his fascinating plays, declares bat there Is one thing that which if woman has, she need have nothing fse, and which if she has not, it mat frs little what else she may have:
 Charm. N
 This priceless quality New Orleans
 Were not supposed to confine these Rnning comments-and thIy certainly re written on the run-to prosafc mat prs of finance and agriculture and in- hstry and commerce and economies, I tould go on and on enthusiastically bout the other phases, the gracious, tinning. old-worid, historic phases of kis Spanish-French-Ame shrine, fhere there still finger people of an der civilization than our people, who kve not become wholly commercialized nd who believe and never forget, in Pmmon with the ancient Chinese race, bat tomorrow is also a day."
 But we must hasten to things more hsinssay.
 Ny first visits-being Scot-were
 the Repositories of the city's money Ethe banks. No city of equaf size that
 know of has bank buildings or bank eposits eqnalins those of the south's Ergest city. The Hibernia bank build- tg almost rivals the Woolworth build
 In New York. So far does 1t tower fto the sky that the United States gov fnment prevailed on the owners to ermit transforming its top into light puse for the guidance of sea-folk sew ral score miles distant. And the Whit ey-Central banks main floor, I under land. Is the largest banking floor in Imerica.
 And what about deposits? The Canal |ommercial Trust Ss Savings bank has 10000, 900 resources with fully $65, ,000,-
 70 deposits. The Whitney Central Dc only national bank in New. Orleans,
 is significant to note, has nearly ESQ., Rus000 resources with more than $60 ,000,- 70 deposits. The Hibernia, Se5, ,000, ,e00 faources and S52, 2,500, ,0o0 deposits. Then Yen more remarkable, the Marine Bank far-old youngster, has built up more fan $30.ooo, ,00O resources, an achieve lent probably without parallel in bank ifg history. thanks to the efforts of its Pungish president. L. M. Pool.
 f% so1SO NCAicCl Ou tue IaCJ that only he national bank remains in the larg- ft city of the south. What does this lean concerning the future of our ns- $onai banking system? Does it sug- Rst that the drift--the rush, one might ky--away from the national fold will P on. all over the country? New York hs witnessed the same trend, as wit fss the transformation of the powerful wing National bank into a state. fn- ftution. Here Is a problem demand lg serious thought at Washington. there the itch for regulation has too Eten threatened strangulation.
 IThe bankers of New Orleans, dis Pver, stand high in the esteem of the fixens, a condition not universal kroughout the land, as you doubtless Iell know.
 Livery year since 1900, New Orleans hs picked out and honored the citizen Tho has rendered the most valuable hd merftortous service to the city dur tE the previous year. Last year this pveted distinction was awarded R. s. Eecht, president of the Hibernia bank. tMr. Hecht's career is a typical Amer
 an business romance. Arriving from Avarta when a youth, and having Iit-
 p knowledge of our language, he found
 humble job in Chicago, studied Fodigiously and worked with tremen- pus diligence. His record attracted ftention and he was called to New Fleans. From a minor position he kse rapidly and was made president Ihiie still in his thirties-he is not yet ht of his thirties. .I.' tWhat man has dona man cau flo