The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-11-27

orange tie. he has disconnected
many a big business man with his
cool blue eyes, imperturbable calm
and a way OF drawing out or trip
ping up his business opponent In
conversation. He likes 10 inter-
iect unexpected questions while
others are speaking, but he fire.
quently fails TO hear questions
which are put to him. His CO.
workers consider him a strict ex-
ecutive. He has never been a SOL
der, is no bureaucrat, and does
not like TO take orders. He is
plump. fair and slightly bald and
an enthusiastic tennis player.
In the opinion of some OF his
co-workers, Wohlthat could be
wealthy man II he devoted him
self 10 private business, but his
political ambition makes II un-
likely that he will ever entirely
quit government work 1t fire.
quently has been rumored that he
will assume the presidency OF the
Rhineish- Westphalian coal syn
dicate while retaining his present
duties.
Closed Huge oil Deal
Among his earliest government
activity was the purchase OF
strategic reserves OF raw materials
on the world market. When
Britain. shortly before the war,
bought up Norway's entire whale
oil production. Wohlthat took ad-
vantage of the resulting drop In
the price OF linseed and other
oilseeds to buy up huge quantities
clreaply.
From the first his main atten-
tion has been directed toward
southeastern Europe. Long before
the Third Reich turned It's atten-
lions southeastward he became a
mem Der of the harmless sounding
organization Central European
Commercial Council" which now
spreads it's influence into scores
OF industries and has Induced
many leading foreigners to CO.
operate with Germany.
Wohlthat's friendship, with the
heads Of this organization cast
revealing light upon his influence
on German affairs. They include
Baron Won Wilmowsky, Krupps
son-in-law; DR.. Max Ilgner, for
eign trade specialist for IG-Far-
ben. whose mysterious trips to
South America have attracted at
tention; and the late DR.. Max
Hahn, director of the council, who
died suddenly en- route to meet
ing in Belgrade.
Kehrl, Textile Director
Hans Kehrl. 40 years old, gem
eral advisor in the German Min
istry of Commerce, scion of
family of textile manufacturers, is
fast on his way to becoming tex
tile-dictator of Europe. it APP
pears.
A slender. olive-skinned man
with hooked nose and black mus
tache, he might easily be taken
for Jew. But hiserank as colonel
in Himmler's black-uniformed S S
Elite Guards is conclusive evil
| dence against 1t.
Already, as government officer
and stakeholder in his family's
| and many other textile enter
/ prises, he is dictator OF the Ger
man textile industry and yields
vast unpublished influence in all
European countries except. Britain.
Under his leadership German
/ quarters expect German produc-
tion of synthetic textiles to COM
pete seriously with wool and cot.
ton producers overseas after the
war.
At the same time he has or
gained "Wotirag." a company to
promote sheep-raising in the
! Balkans, and "Brebag". which is
to perform similar functions in
the cotton industry OF the Near
East. Both organizations are
linked with the Central Euro
pean Commercial Council"
Personal Finances Great
AS director on the boards of
all German synthetic textile fac
tories and a power In the arti-
fetal silk industry, he has person
ally financed a great deal of Ger.
man experiment along these lines.
He acquired patents for manufac-
turing "Lanital" textiles from
skinned milk and has used them
[ principally for the manufacture OF