FINANCE AND ROMANCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5293, 29 June 1928, Page 1

FINANCE AND ROMANCE.

THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD.

FOUNDER’S STRIKING CAREER,

The marvellous story of how a Jewish Money-changer, living, in the Frankfort ghetto, with one little back room for an office, became the founder of the most famous a.nd most powerful financial house in the world, is unfolded in fascinating ami picturesque detail by Count Corti in “ The Rise of the House of Rothschild.” a new book wlVch lias been translated from tlie German by Brian and Beatrix Lunik Count Corti emphasasis, the fact that tlie house of Rothschild “ did not throw open its archives” for his inspection. but three and a half years’ work among tlie archives of Berlin and Vienna, and elsewhere, brought to light a mass of material which enabled him to compile “ the story of the unseen, but. infinitely powerful influence! which permeated the whole of the nineteenth century.” It is claimed 1 by the count that the book is “inspired by an intense love of truth,” and there seems to be no reason to doubt the claim. The count is obviously fascinated by the Rothschild genius, and although he occasionally rubs in the fact that the Rothschilds did particularly well out of one or other of their shrewd deals, he pays, ample tribute to the astonishing foresight, the indomitable courage, andi the sagacious judgment that lifted the Rothschilds from the ghetto of Frankfort to the palaces of all the capitals of Europe. “The- object.” tlie count writes, “of the present work, which dea,ls with the period 1770-1830, is to trace the rise of the house of Rothschild from its small beginnings to the great position it attained, culminating in the year of its great crisis. “In a subsequent wbrk I shall continue my description af the development of the house down to modern times, showing the part it played in the destiny of Europe. I shall also bring out the intimate relationship that existed between the house of Rothschild and the great men of the period, such as Cavour, Napoleon lIL, , Disraeli, Bismarck, the Emperor Francis Joseph, and William 11., and I shall show how this wealthy family.

which had sprung from the Frankfort ghetto, became international Tories, and influenced the whole course of events in Europe.” The rise of the Rothschilds seems to have begun from the moment when, in 1755, little Meyer Amschel Rothsclr'ld was left an orphan at the age of twelve. He had helped his father in tlic little trade of changing, money. Little 'Meyer Amschel became interested in coins as coin’s-, and; when he went to Hanover and entered the firm of lOppenheim he'capie to know a Hanoverian general who collected coins. This general was connected with the ruling Prince of Hesse, and so began the Rothschild association with the seats of the mighty in Europe. The Prince also collected coins. Meyer Amschel plied him with them. Inch by inch, with infinite patience, and in. the face of endless suspicion, Rothschild established such confidence in the mind of the Prince and his chief adviser that eventually, when Napoleon crashed across Germany, it was Rothschlild who was on. trusted with the c ire and salvage of the Prince’s fortune. How' incredible it teemed, at that time, that a despised Jew from the Frankfort ghetto should l act as financial saviour to a German prince is well brought out. Meyer Amschel Roths,child married Gudula. the daughter of Wolf Solomon Schnapper, and they had five sons.; as well as daughters. The day came, when the world believed the legend that Meyer Amschel Rothschild, on his deathbed, “bequeathed Europe” to these five sons- Nathan, in London.; Amschel Meyer, in Frankfort ; James, in Paris; Solomon, in Venna ; and Carl, in Naples. Nathan was the greatest genius of the family. He was not the eldestson. but he became the most influential. By 1800 Meyer Amschel. the father, hadi become the tenth richest Jew in Frankfort. He rapidly outstripped a,ll the others. The vast extension of the fortunes of the house ,of Rothsclyld was, however, due. to the sons. Nathan was only 23 when he went to England with £20,000 and began as a merchant. Within a few years he was the chancellor’s unofficial financial adviser, and was handling the m'oney that went to. defeat Napoleon. The Rothschilds put up what seems to have been one of the most astonishing, bluffs in history. They hoodwinked Napoleon’s Finance Minister. Mollicii. and through him Napoleon, that it would be a good thing to drain England of gold. The British Government obliged by “smuggling,” gold into France. The Rothschilds paid it into banks'hi Paris and obtained bills ’on Spanish bankers. ‘which they forwarded to the Duke of Wellington. “Thus,.” it is said, “the cash sent from London actually only had to make the short journey from London to Paris and thence through the intricate network of business firms, who were mostly Jewish, it finally reached the English commander in Spain, through the heart of the enemy’s, country.” Thus the Rothschilds enabled Wellington to pay the British Army, which was fighting Napoleon, and thus the Rothschilds out-Napoleoned Napoleon. This is merely one of a bookful of alluring stories showing how the house of Rothschild became the uncle of al the Governments of Europe and lent millions like ha.lf-crow.ns. The mother of the sons, who pulled the strings all over Europe lived: to the end in the old street in Frankfort.