Evening star., 1931-12-13


what he christened "Squandar-
i Il mania" and for the merging of
the most virile political ele-
ments into an anti-Socialist national
| government pledged to tariffs and re-
trenchment IN England, Harold Sydney
Harmsworth, first Viscount Rothermere,
millionaire, Fascist, die-hard, controller
of the biggest engine Of publicity in the
| island, rests on his oars. He can say,
Il told you So" For the moment he is
content, but he is a born fighter and he
probably won't be for long.
| 1t is an odd fact that in spite of the
| personal opinions which his newspapers,
| with their immense circulations, their
huge opinion-making power, project
| continually, Lord Rothermere remains
to the British public vague, shadowy
| personality, the most obscure and
elusive of all the celebrated personages
whose influences impinge upon the ma
ttonal and imperial life
He is generally counted one of the
two richest men in England, the other
being the thrice Wedded Duke of West
minister. But there is difference be-
tween the two. The duke owes his vast
wealth to an astute ancestor who be-
came possessed of property which to-
day constitutes an immense tract of
the most valuable land in London. On
the other hand Lord Rotherrnere owes
his In about equal parts to his own
! abilities and 10 the good fortune which
gave him Northcliffe for an elder
| brother
But if you have an idea that North
cnHe explains Rothermere, dismiss it.
NO TWO men could be more dissinilar
in temperament and in cerebral oro-
| cPSSPS NOTfhHllffn lYae
nalist, and looked it. But to see Roth
| ermere sitting at his desk, massive
quick eyed, Unconditional always with
ms nuge dominating face and his faint
nauntlng resemblance to a Chinese idol
! you would not take him for news
paper man at all. And for once annear-
ances would not be deceptive.
Is Bad Newspaper Man.
He is a very bad newspaper man
He has no fair for journalism Wben
he interferes editorially with his naners
which is characterization is NOR,
likely to fall than to rise, That is no
cause he tries to hammer his ou,p eoo
| nomlc or political notions into a.
| public's head; and that is a nrocasr
which the thick-headed public rese,,fs
he Is, In TACT, a big business man 90
nnancler Of genius who has h,, +ha
chance of blood relationship pot ~ rtie
| the newspaper game. o." AI'o
aaVlhg accumulated a mighty fortune
ana great holdings in manV en+ernrinas
IN England, France, Canada and tbo
| United States, he has reached ~, til tile
sppt s tenenslVe stage when sitting astride
that fortune and those interests Teeis
aoout as sweet and easy as bestridino
buckipg broncho. wow 4oiiig
Like the millionaire newspaner-o,,,,,
ing maenate Hugenberg in Germo,1I,
ano nKe the Socialist -nurtured EaeaiSyt,
eoltor Mussolini in Italy. Rotherroaro 11nss
sees no nope for the ills of r,oJar,l ,iisle q;
mocracy except through the 49, Se-
surgical operation of autocracv Ths
strong hand at home and in o,,o,sone ne
possessions! Law, order. authoritU S1as ass
tne plg stick. And if any one nro+ onto o.tI
punch him on the nose. P-0'eS'S
Editors Have Hard Time
But again, there is a difference ~
tween Rothermere and the foreirn pos os-
cists whose political doctrinas 1so Vs.
strongly approves. He is first ana foa he
most man of business. He ie eo,aGis- aVi
any aggrandizement of Britain "lils'
pTe. Indeed, he would cut her ro,,,,saii ein-
mentS In MeSopotamia and palestiInL riliilV-
TOO costly. Also, his own b,isinssI as
nnancial interests are so urisaS9, an9
and interwoven that his den,a,,Sp eao a
the restoration Of British nrastias os Ior