Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
AUSTRIAN PREMIER
INDUSTRIAL LEADER
Gave Up Military Career to
= Follow Father as
Manufacturer.
Special niAnstch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
VIENNA. May 25--Modern methods
of production, naturalization and eff
cheney played great role in the life
Streeruwitz Unlike his predecessor,
Mgr, Ignaz Se1pel. papal prelate, who
was a professor of theology before he
entered the arena OF public life, the
present prime minister of the Austrian
Republic has never led the quiet life
Of a scholar. He is a man OF practical
experience, and long before he ap-
peared on the political stage he was
an industrial leader and successful
organizer.
Ernst Streeruwitz was born on Sep
TENDER %. 1874, the son of textile
manufacturer and Deputy to the old
Austrian Parliament, Georg Adolf Ritter
Won Streeruwitz, at Mics, in Engerland,
which now belongs to Czechoslovakta.
Chose Military Career.
Like many sons. of the wealthy patri-
ciate of the monarchy, he chose mill
tary career. and after having passed
through the military academy OF Wiener
Neustadt obtained an officers commits
sion in a smart cavalry regiment. But
military life did not seem TO agree long
with his independent character.
After four Years of active service he
left the army and resumed his studies
at the technical college and the Uni
verSity of Vienna to become textile
manufacturer like his father. He was
intrusted with the management OF
various textile factories, and when war
broke out he reioined his former regi-
ment and went to the front. But his
Superiors thought that he could do more
important work than fighting, and soon
called him back to Vienna to carry out
difficult organizing tasks
After the armiStice he resumed his
former profession and again held lead
ing positions in the commercial world.
He became vice president of the Cham
her Of Commerce in Vienna, head OF
the employers association of the Neither
austrian textile industry and Of the
organization of Austrian cotton printers,
member OF the committee for ration
alization and vice president OF the In
dustrial Club. There are few CONNER
cial and industrial corporations in this
country In which his name does not
figure.
Worked is Hours Day.
Mr.. SterruwitZ. never believed in the
eight-hour day for himself, although
he advocated 1t for hts workers. Six
teen hours of work and eight hours Of
sleep, with now and then an hour or
two'se aside for recreation enabled him
to do constructive work wherever he was
placed.
In 1923 Mr.. streeruwitz was elected
to Parliament on the Christian social
list. The biggest political party OF Aus
tria had invited him to join its ranks
because it wanted a man with so much
practical experience in economic mat
tiers to help solve the complicated in
dustrial and financial problems OF the
reconstructed period.
M, .Streeruwitz soon became MEM
Der of all the more important parlia-
nentary committees. In 1924 he was
appointed curator of the Netheraus-
trian Land Mortgage Bank, which was
then in a precarious state, and ne sue
cessfully reorganized the agricultural
credit system on sound basis and de-
veloped the bank into powerful instl-
tuition.
Supervised Bank Liquidation.
When as q result of, the imitation era
the Central Bank In Vienna broke down
NJ Streeruwitz, was among the govern
ment delegates who supervised the
liquidation. One of his greatest achieve
n1ents is the economic reorganization OF
Burgenland, q former Hungarian prov
ince. which was handed over to Austria
in the peace treaty of Trianon.
Mr.. Streeruwitz has never ben much
interested in the petty quarrels of daily
party strife, as all his energy has been
absorbed by questions of economy. AS
the Austrian Republic is again to make
delicate decisions of an economic ma
ture, the choice of the new chancellor
can be termed as particularly lucky
one; for there are few persons in the
public life Of this country who are as
competent economists as he. The most
serious task awaiting Mr.. Streeruwitz Is
the reform OF the house rent restriction
law, the last remnant of public inter-
ference with private property, inherited
from the war times, -.s
Mr.. Strerruwitz is married to the
daughter of an industrialist and is tbs
father IF foffr children