Evening star., 1934-03-30
WORLD MOURNING
OTTO KAHN DEATH
International Banker and
Phi|anthropist SuCCumbs
in Office.
BY the Associated Press.


of Otto H. Kahn, ST, the international
banker, poured in today from all parts
of the world, artistic and musical
New York mourned the passing of
one of its greatest benefactors.
The actual scope of Mr.. Kahns
efforts went far beyond public knowl-
edge. His support of the Metropolitan
Opera Co., the Theater Guild, the
Philharmonic Symphony, and other
major organizations was well known,
but there are scores of obscure or
iittle-known artists in New York who
felt his helping hand in need.
Whenever he could, the banker pre-
ferred that no one should know of
his aid save the person benefited.
Someone discovered in 1880, for ex-
ample, that he had been donating
sums for many years to colored people
to encourage the development of their
racial art.
Mr.. Kahn had a well developed
artistic bent, which was encouraged
to the full by his education. In his
youth he learned to play both the
violin and the cello. At II he had
written two five-act tragedies in blank
verse.
Dies in Office.
Mr.. Kahn died yesterday afternoon
when he slumped in his chair, fell to
the floor of his private office in the
firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co, OF which
he had been a dominating partner
since leaving his native Germany for
the United States years ago. A clot
on the heart caused death.
Word that he had died spread over
Manhattan rapidly. But the banking
firm made no statement of it until
the stock market closed at pm,
fearful of a possible influence on
trading.
Though a bit weakened by age and
recent ailments. Kahn yesterday had
appeared in fair health.
In the firm of Kuhn, Loeb g. Co.,
Kahn was associated in control with
the Warburgs and the Schiffs.
Since the death several years ago
OF his close friend, Mortimer Schiff,
his visits to the banking house had
been less frequent.
In Wall Street circles 1t was said
Kahn's practical retirement came
with the lessening Of the influence Of
international banking and financial
operations in the days Of 1927 and
1923.
Life Was International
Like many Of these operations
some of which, like the Northern Pa
cafic Railroad corner" in 1901, car
ried him into battles with the house
of Morgan-Kahns manner of life
was international.
Too, his career was not that Of a
poor youth risen to riches. Luxury
had always been his.
The son of Bernard Kahn-a banker
of Mannheim who fled from Germany
to the United States for his partici-
then returned 10 years after-Kahn
was thoroughly educated in Germany,
then entered the banking house of
his father.
He went to London later to work
IN the English branch of the Deutsche
Bank, visited America in 1893 on
business trip, returned to New York
year later to join the firm Of Speyer
& Co., and in 1896 joined the Kuhn,
Loeb firm.
Held Early Influence.
From the start, his shreWd ability,
his quick grasp of details, his quiet
manner of operation was felt in the
Street
In 1901 he engineered, with the late
Edward H. Hartman, the famous
"corner" on Northern Pacific stock.
James ]. Hill and the Morgan in
terests were seeking to retain control.
Suddenly, Hartman and Kahn ap-
peared with the majority of the stock,
forced it up to 81 1000 a share and
made enormous profits.
The Kuhn, Loeb firm always main
tained a position of prominence IN
international banking. And Kahn
was one of the most frequent travellers
across the Atlantic.
Becomes Naturalized.
With the coming of the World War
and Americas entrance, Kahn became
. naturalized citizen in 1917. Friends
described Kahn's viewpoint as English,
rs opposed to German. Since leaving
Germany in his early years, .he had
preferred the English and American
ways to those of his native land.
Kahn personified the gentleman Of
leisure, the quiet banker. the patron
OF art and music.
A distinguished looking man. al
though small of stature, he was cor
rect to every detail. While others who
had boxes at the Metropolitan dis
aI 40 nc
held to his.
At the opera, as everywhere else,
he avoided crowds and the limelight.
He would enter the Metropolitan by
the business Office entrance, slip
through a passageway and enter his
box unnoticed.
His association with the Metropoli-
tan Opera was in a period of great
success.
He first joined its directorate In
1903. When Heinrich Conried left as
tmpreSario in 1907, succeeded by
Gatti-C -Casazza, Kahn became chair
man of the board.
Retirement Surprise.
His retirement from his post was a
surprise. 1t was known for some time
that he had been in dispute with
others on the directorate on new
building.
While he gave as his reason the in
crease of his business duties caused by
the death of Schiff, it was generally
interpreted that the old group that
dominated the opera before kahns
advent forced his retirement.
He as trustee of Rutgers Col
lege, g the Massachusetts Institute
and Carnegie Institute of Technology
He held decorations from the
French, British, Belgian, Spanish ana
Italian governments and was an hon.
orary member of Phi Beta Kappa
He took little part in national poll
tics. However. he was a member OF
the National Affairs Committee of the
National Republican Club.
Funeral arrangements have not