Evening star., 1925-08-20

Blum seems to have great many
friends in this country" he observed
He appears to spend half his time
going back and forth"
His present visit seems to have
been to some purpose" Grant declared
a little bitterly.
I'm what reSpect?"
Grant was, for a moment, taken
aback
You know about Mr.. Cornelius
Blunn's purchase, SIR" he ventured.
I've heard nothing" was the some
what impatient reply.
Il am sure l beg your pardon, sir,
1t would have been my first item of
news, but l never imagined that Cor
don Marsham would have acted with
out giving you notice"
What's Gordon Marsham got to do
with it?"
Just this much sir" Grant pointed
out He has sold the New York to
Cornelius Blum. 4 man named Pot
finger is the new editor. Stoneham S
article which should have appeared
this morning, welcoming the invitation
from the Pact, was torn into small
pieces"
Grants host was more perturbed
than he had been during the whole of
the morning.
"Marsham's action" he declared, is
absolutely unbelievable. He knows
perfectly well that the New York has
become almost the mouthpiece of the
Government. 1t was practically Il
subsidized journal. To dispose of it
secretly, just now, to a German-Amer-
lean, without even advising us, is an
amazing proceeding. You are sure
that you are not misinformed, Mr..
Slattery?"
Absolutely certain" was the conf
dent reply. The discourtesy to you,
sir can only be explained by Mr.
Marsham's breakdown in health"
1t is very serious event." was
| the grave acknowledgment. THE
New York was the one great Ameri-
can paper-a paper which, when
things really mattered, brushed aside
minor issues and preached the gospel
of real things. One of the editors
used to be here every week. l always
treated him with the utmost conf
dence."
Have you ever met Cornelius
Blum. sir?" Grant inquired.
Once only. A genial, simple fellow
he seemed, for such a master of in
dustry. l could scarcely believe that
l was talking to the owner of so many
| gigantic commercial undertakings
He is outwardly the most simple
and good-natured and inwardly the
most inScrutable person L ever came
across" Grant confided. There is a
rumor about him that he carries
wherever he goes, night and dav.
locked and padlocked in a little casket
of gold, letter written by his father
on his deathbed."
How romantic" one of the women
murmured.
Has any one any idea as to its
contents?" some one else asked
Grant shook his head.
Il was once told he said, that If
one could read that letter one could
read the riddle of Blunn's life. l have
formed my own idea about it,
"A secret" his hostess inquired.
Not amongst US" Grant replied.
I believe that it is an injunction
from Blum senior-who died, they
say, of a broken heart, some years
after the signing of the Peace of Yer
sallles-to his son to devote his life
toward avenging Germany's humilia-
ton. Personally, l believe that that
is the motive before Blum day and
night. | believe that with that end
in view he is deliberately working to
upset the peace of the world"
Grants pronouncement was re-
celVed, as he had expected, with dis.
favor. His host merely smiled The
Senator from the West, who had been
waiting impatiently for an opportunity
to join in the conversation, cleared his
throat and leaned a little forward.
Sir, he said, Il guess every man in
this country is free to express his
opinions. Those may be yours, but
Id like just to tell you how the people
down in my State look upon such talk
They say that trouble is made by
talking about it, that most of the
wars Of the world have come about
| through newspaper discussion in ad.
vance and mischevous people going
about putting belligerent thoughts into
the minds of peaceful people If /
heard you, sir, make such a statement
as you have just made on a public
platform, l should conceive it to be
my duty to use every gift of oratory
with which [ have been endowed to
| demonstrate to your audience the fu-
tility, the absurdity and the immoral
| under this roof, sir, L say no more
than this. War and the desire for
| war is dead among the civilized ma
| tions of the world. We are every one
| of us graphing hard with social and
economic problems of far greater con-
sequence. The Whimper of a person
! like Cornelius Blum, for all his mil
| lions, is less than the voice crying in
| the wilderness, when one considers
| the majesty and colossal power of the
chief nation against whom that voice
| is raiSed,'
| Grant inclined his head courteously