Evening star., 1932-03-21

Interlocking interests on large scale
under the control of Ivar Kreuger, the
Swedish match king" are viewed by
Americans as showing evidences of his
early experiences in this country, COM
bined with a tremendous ability and
vision in business. His ambitious
methods are rated as outstanding
among those of European financiers,
and he is recognized as the individual
financial monarch in an age of great
corporate development. Suicide is laid
to the strain Of directing during a
world depression enterprises involving
not only great corporations and busi-
ness houses, but nations and govern
ments.
He made his name a household
word in every land" remarks the
Springfield (Mass) Republican, al
though the making and selling of
matches was but small part of his
activities. 1t was, however, not only
the basis of his enormous fortune, but
the starting poM4 for his vast loans to
many governments, which made him the
most conspicuous figure, at times, in
the realm of international finance" :"
The Republican adds that "in some
ways, his career seems American rather
than European, and not least so is the
extent to which his personality, of
which little is known. was submerged
in his business affairs"
Like Sir Thomas Upton" states the
Houston Chronicle. ''he acquired COM
prehensive knowledge of this Nation s
selling methods and organization facili-
ties, knowledge which paid him in divi-
dends when he returned to his native
Scandinavia. Describing him as a man
of mystery. with the reticence Of his
race" the Chronicle concludes: Kings
delighted to do him honor. Decorations
of a dozen countries blazed upon his
chest He remained aloof, silent, un-
communicative. He was So when he
died, in the prime of life, retaining the
vigor inherited from the vikings. The
world can only guess that the millions
which he had amassed had grown bur-
densome, the cares which had been
heaped upon his shoulders too heavy.
1t is pitiful finish for Ivar Kreuger."
"He was the young European individ-
ual reaSserting himself in an age Of COM
bines and collective enterprises and as
serting himself through these very
things" declares the Baltimore Sun,
with this speculation as to the circum-
stances of his failure: Perhaps the
from him at last. Certainly it must
have had It's troubles in the last few
years. The elaborate financial devices
of Ivar Kreuger will require some time
to be traced out to see just where they
we're leading and what their conse-
quences will be. For him 1t all came
suddenly to an end with suicide. Ac-
counts agree that he was not a man
given to emotional displays and hysteri-
cal differences. Probably he acted in
the way he thought best, doing 1t
calmly and unromantically. Anyway. 1t
was the last of his mergers-taking on
the infinite He may we'll have been
the last of Europe's postwar breed of
great industrialists, playing the new
American game in an old setting"
Napoleon ended, lonely and pa
thetic figure, on St. Helena, with his
empire as completely vanished as
though the story of 1t had been writ
ten in water" states the Duluth Herald,
with the further comment: There
have been many others less notable.
There have been Napoleons Of finance
and industry. And Ivar Kreuger was
true Napoleon of industry and
finance. who built up worldwide en-
pire and who dealt with governments
as an ordinary merchant might deal
with buyers of pork and potatoes. HIS
thousands of stockholders now are
wondering what substance there was to
the empire he built. They are hoping
that 1t has more substance than any
of its predecessors. an of which van
ished with their builders"