The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-11
Liberal Viewpoint
ny DR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

TINE popular film on the House Of Roths-
child in which George Arliss now is APP
pearing. is not only an uncommonly good piece
OF acting but also possesses remarkable educa-
tional significance.
1t exposes the cid jealousy Of and savagery
against the Jews which has been revived IN
even more intense form under Herr Hitler
Moreover, it shows that money ruled during
past historic epoch as it does in our own day.
Professor Shotwell once remarked that the
wars against Napoleon were won in the textlL2
factories of Manchester and the iron mills of
Birmingham as we'll as on the battle fields Of
Russia, SPAIN Germany and Belgium.
This is a profoundly true and illuminating
remark but this film also emphasizes the very
effective role played by the financiers on the
Paris and London exchanges.
The film version of Rothschild history is in
reasonable accord with the actual historical facts
and is remarkably accurate for a movie scenario.
Those who are interested in the place of the
Rothschild family in modern history have at
their disposal the exceedingly interesting and
general reliable account of the genesis of this
remarkable financial family by Count Egon
Corti, THE Rise of the House of Rothschild"
THE House of Rothschild attained little
financial significance until the opening of
the nineteenth century. 1t was founded by
Mayer Rothschild Q743-181O lifelong resi-
dent of Frankfort.
During the Napoleonic wars the Rothschilds
raised what was then the colossal sum of more
than half of billion dollars, nearly half of
which went to England and less than quarter
of it to Napoleon.
The critical year in the establishment of the
international repute of the Rothschilds came in
1913 during the desperate struggle of the allies
to curb Napoleon. The financial aid given by the
RothschildS proved of critical significance to the
allies and conferred UOOn the great banking
house unprecedented prestige.
But lucky breaks of history were not all that
helped to make the House of Rothschild great.
The restraint and integrity of their financial
dealings was the outstanding element in the
growth of their reputation.
They had an iron-clad rule to act only in
concert-all matter were laid in full before all
partners and decided openly. They refused to
back dubious and highly speculative enterprises
and rested content with reasonable profits.
They never lent their aid or approval to wild
semi gambling activities such as characterized
the bubbles of the eighteenth century and the
organized security gambling of the twentieth
century in the United States. They endeavored
to establish reputation for fair dealing with
both competitors and clients, though never CIV
ing any hypocritical impression of being in bust
ness for charity.
A MOTHER outstanding trait was that of
punctuality in their financial operations.
The courier system of the Rothschilds provided
the fastest communication known before the
days of the telegraph.
The integrity and efficiency of the firm bore
fruit in 1848 when the concern was liable to
weather colossal losses.
Important though the House of Rothschild
may have been, its financial strength never ap-
preached family that of the great House of
Morgan in our own day. For sheer financial re-
al ot7d i13d11
trial empire controlled by the Rothschilds is
trivial compared to that under the dominion of
the Morgan firm Count Corti deals with paltry
figures stated in monetary and industrial terms
compared with those presented by Lewis Corey
in his House of Morgan"
1t is unfortunate that not as much can be
said for the relative financial ethics of the
Rothschilds and the great moguls of finance in
our land today.
If the latter had followed the ideals and
practices of the Rothschilds, we would have been
saved much of the disaster which has come to
us in the last quarter of century and has over
whelmed us like an avalanche since 1929. The
Rothchilds steered clear of the virus Insullism