New Britain herald., 1928-07-05

l Lowenstein's body. Fishing boats were dragging the channel with nets but without result.
 | Alfred Lowenstein was reputed to be the richest man in Europe. his wealth being estimated at only less than that of Henry Ford or the Rockefellers He controlled steam ship lines. was one Of the chief shareholders in the Belgian railway system. owned manganese iron mines in Silesia. steel furnaces in the north of Spain, coal properties 1 in the Saar basin and in the Ruhr, and immense rubber plantations in 1 the Congo.
 Born 1Ss.. { He was born in 1877, his father | being d small Jewish banker in | Brussels His immense fortune was built up by clever speculation. It 1 took him 5u years to become the richest man in England. During the war he was engaged in London connection with the provisioning of the Belgian army.
 l Two years ago he was virtually unknown in the United States. but he achieved the limelight almost | overnight when he offered to lend Belgium $50. 100000 free of interest for period of two years, so as to enable the country to stabilize the franc. shortly after this he offer cd to lend France a similar amount at interest of only Der cent
 uscd "Hunches." Captain Lowenstein said he had 1 built up his fortune by sound busi- ncss launches" on industrial trends. As young man he staked every thing on the future importance of l artificial silk, hydro electric power and methods of mass production. | When he visited the United States with his wife last April he travelled | ina 10 passenger plane. He brought his personal pilot from abroad to l fly the craft. At Philadelphia he tried to slip away from photogra- phers as he alighted from his plane and walked directly between two of the propellers, one of the whirling blades knocking his hat from his | head
 On one of his trips from this country to Canada certain customs regularitles were not compiled with and his plane was temporarily seiz- ed. Everything was satisfactorily explained, however, and the plane was returned to him.
 Spent Money.
 Captain LoNenstein always spent | prodigiously. On his American tour he had four secretaries, two typists. chauffeur, q private detective. d masseur, an airplne pilot and two automobiles. His radio bill on the liner Ilde De France on which he came to America totalled S3,5oo.
 Owned s Villas.
 He was said to own eight villas in Bhrritz alone. He owned an es- tate in Leicestershire. England and kept string of horses there. He had a castle in Brussels and house In London. To make sure that he had the best of instruction in sports he kept retinue of boxing instruc- tors, billiard experts. tennis players, golf and fencing professionals on his payroll
 Captain Lowenstein was great admlrer of American business meth. ods and said while in the United States that he had always made us, of them.
 T like American energy. ana American efficiency" he said. "I'n many ways my point Of view is sim liar to that Of the American bushes. man; that is why like to deal witt nm and feel at home in hi. country.'
 Recently III
 Lowenstein lad been showins signs of ill health lately because O. lis unceasing activity. It was be- lleved that the rejection of his offel to the French and Belgian govern. ments to loan them a vast sum tt stabilize their currency was a erea, disappointment to him.
 The plane was in charee Of pilo drew of the Imperial airways who has flown it since Lowenstein pur chased it at Croydon several week. ago. The machine is an elaboratel, equipped monoplane and has thre, Lynx engines. It Is fitted with ex penslve appliances and bas a seatin, capacity Of six passengers in luxu rlously upholstered arm chairs-tx, pairs back to back and two singl seats.
 The door out of which the finan cier fell is secured by bolts on tn inside and patent handle lock.
 Practically every other day he ha flown across to Belgium in tn machine.
 Berlin July UP)-Stock Q companies in which Captain Alfre' LoWenstein was interested brok sharply on the Berlin Bourse today
 Rumors that Lowenstein had com mitted suicide In his fall from hi cross-channel airplane caused hold CTS of shares in his companies {, dump their holdings
 Sympathetic bearsl tendencie marked dealings in the entire mar kat
 By noon shares on the Bourse hac