The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-03-10

NEW YORK, March lO. (Uf)'
Facts indicating that European
munitions manufacturers consti-
tute the most serious menace to
peace are cited in the March is
sue of the magazine Fortune,
whose editors spent several
months investigating available
data throughout the world.
Specifically, Fortune reports
evidence that the French anna
ment firm of Schneider-C reusot,
through it's Czecho-Slovakian sub
sidiary. Skoda, promoted the
rise of Hitler in Germany and
contributed money to Hitler's
campaign" and that "leading mu-
nitions-makers in France and
Germany united in their support
behind Hitler because they knew
him as the one man most capable
of stirring up a new outbreak of
international anarchy in Europe" "
"By a strange coincidence" the
magazine adds, the Paris news
papers controlled by French arm
ament manufacturer Immediately
"broke out into fevers of denun-
citation against the Hitler regime,
and called for fresh guarantees
! of security against the menace OF
re-arming Germany"
The same French firm of
Schneider-Creusot, Fortune con-
tinues. not only sold arms to
Hungary following the war, in di-
rect defiance of the Treaty of
Trianon. but then, when the Hun
garian government defaulted on
! its bill. was able to force the
French government to lend to
Hungary the money which Hun
gary used to pay Scheider-Creu-
sot for the arms deliv' y.
CONTROLLED BY FEW MEN
without a shadow of doubt,
Fortue says, "there is at this
moment in Europe a huge and
subversive force that lies behind
the arming and counterarming of
nations: there are mines, smelt-
ers, armament works, holding
companies and banks, entangled
| in an international embrace, yet
working inevitably for the destruc-
ton of such little International
ism as the world has achieved so
far. The control of these myriad
companies rests. finally, in not
MORO than a handful of men
whose power, in some ways,
reaches above the power of the
state itself"
In the listing of these men,
first place is assigned to 'the
misty and cloud-wreathed figure
| of Francois de Wendell" presi-
dent of the Comite DIES FORCES de
France, an association of 25O
Iron and steel manufacturers OF
whom over $50 are armament
makers. and whose principal bust.
mess is politics and propass nda.
In France this organization con
trolls the press; it has the ear OF
the foreign office; former Presi,
ldent Milleand has been its lega
defender; former President Dou'
inner was a director of one subsid'
Iiary; present President Albert Lee
brun is a former director of an
other; so is former Premier An
DIRE Tardieu, great leader of the
Right"
| Not only political power
FRANCOIS de Wendell is likewise g
Ipower in journalism throughout
France. "He owns" it is stated
"a majority interest in lie Jour
nal des Debats. is the head of the
group that in October. 1881, pur'
chased the semi-officiai newspa
per of the French government
| lie Temps, controls the Journee
Industrielle and is likewise
power in the management of Lee
Matin. L'Echo de Paris, and the
Agence Havas, the news-gather'
ing organization upon which the
provincial press of France very
largely depends"
VICKERS INTERESTS SPREAD
Fortunes survey considers not
only the armament situation in
France, but likewise the influence
of the firm of Vickers-Arm-
strongs in England, Krupp in Ger
many, Mitsui in the Far East and
several armament firms in the
United States - principally the
Bethlehem Steel company.
"The sun never sets upon Wick
ers," the article continues" 1t
has its factories in Rumania
where. for greater convenience,
Sir Herbert Lawrence, the chair
man of Vickers-Armstrongs, is a
director of the bank of Rumania