The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-14
THE BIRMINGHAM AGE IIERAID
Publisher, Hotelman And Louer Of Toys,
SHINES Boosted He Could Buy Anything,
Brooking No Dispute Ouer Size OF Fortune
German ! Industrialist
Bought First Dress
Clothes In 1917

whose death last Thursday set financial
Germany into whirl of conjecture and
confusion, was spoken of in Continental
Europe as the man who owned every
thing in sight, and from the peculiar
pleasure he found in copfiding the size
of his fortune to all whe- would listen,
the details of his vest industrial enter
prises, and the extent of his mining,
shipping and newspaper holdings were
never left very much in doubt.
In addition to owning outright a
score Of more of the largest hotels in
Berlin. Hamburg mad Bremen, SHINES
shared control of the iron and coal
industry of Germany with his friend,
August Thyssen and few others. and
occupied a dominating position in the
entire inland navigation of that coun-
try. He also directed several big ocean
shipping concerns, owned most OF the
potash deposits of Central Europe, and
In 1920 was reported to have purchased
90 newspapers, as well as several paper
mills and pulp factories.
Before the war Frau Bertha Krupp
was said to possess the largest per
sona1 fortune in Germany. She paid
taxes ON property worth nearly 300,-
600. 900 gold marks. At that times Stin-
mes fortune was estimated at 10000, 900
marks, which, according to competent
calculations, increased during the war
and the revolution to more than 1,000,-
COCO marks.
"a Piece OF CoaP'
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 q worker, and could
go about in the clothes of foreman or
a miner without attracting attention.
He was once described as like a piece
OF coal wandering about among his
own coal mines.
His external appearance was devoid
of pose, and he seemed heavy and
stocky trunk. His black hair was
cropped close. his face was pale and
expansive his nose was decidedly
hooked, his eyes heavily underlined,
and his beard as black az coal. A
German newspaper became popular over
night BY calling him the "Assyrian
King"
Novelties and toys were passion with
06AA0os A4G WOuku DC C6pIINatCu Al
the street by the sight of a peddier's
OF fountain pen or safety razor among
almost boundless.
Pronounced Egotist
SHINES, like most men OF action, was
a person Of few words except when
asked to discuss his financial affairs,
n nd fhA1a hA So
that tried the patience Of his auditors.
His egotism was NO less less pro
pronounced than his juvenility and his
love Of toys.
He once stated to a French inter
viewer that he was the richest man
in the world; :" that he owned all Ger
many, and expected in time to possess
Austria and perhaps Hungary.
They can't get along without me"
he remarked with tragic gravity, then
reflectively, neither can England"
He delighted In producing a huge
hankroll, inviting inspection Of it's size,
then restoring it to his pocket with
the proud revelation "Ail mine" When
he passed a newspaper office he would
remark that it was all his. When he
walked into a big hotel he would pro-
claim that it all belonged to him
A genial character, SHINES displayed
irascibility only when the size of his
fortune was disputed. he had one
clinehing argument. He would take
doubters to one of his hotels and feast
them royalty.
Eat what you like" he would say,
The place in all mine"
No Time For Fun
The magnate himself took no delight
in food, had no ear for music, never
read books, saw nothing interesting in
nature, aud seldom was seen at the
theatre, although he numbered several
of them among his possessions.
MY business" he would say, so en-
tirely 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
Hamhburg-American line. Before that
he always appeared at dinners and
banquets in what he termed his work
ing clothes. He was seldom asked to
speak in public, for he invariably
drifted into a TRADE against the aris-
tocracy, which he hated with all the
fire of his complex nature.
His 0ny heroes were men who started
with nothing and amassed fortunes.
Look at those high-browS," he
would say. What did they ever do for
Germany! They lost the war for us,
yet see the airs they give themselves.
/ could buy them all up and never miss
the money" This was a favorite ex-
tract from the heart of his socialistic
beliefs.
Yet SHINES himself did not start
with nothing. He belonged to an emf
nent Jewish family long in commerce,
and received substantial aid from his
father after completing his studies in
technical school. He was born Feb
ruary IL, 1870, and from earliest boy
hood was trained in the principles Of
commerce and trade.
When the World war broke over
Europe, SHINES was transacting some
business in Gustein. He read Austria's
ultimatum to Serbia and instantly rec
ognized it as war. He hurried to his
Muelheim home, spent IA hours in the
telephone cell of his private apart
ment, and WREN he emerged all his
enterprises were on a war basis.
Idol OF Peoples Party
Politically, SHINES was an idol of
the German peoples party, formerly
the National Liberals, which he was
said to have financed after the revolu-
ton. During the Interallied discussions
on the German indemnity at Spa in the
summer of 1920, SHINES defiant stand
as a national liberal 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:
Il have not come here for the pur-