GERMANY’S SHIPPING KING IN DISGRACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1773, 8 January 1918, Page 4

GERMANY’S SHIPPING KING IN DISGRACE.

KAISER RESENTS HERR BALLIN’S CRITICISM.

Herr Albert Ballin, managing (Creator of the Hamburg-America J is ir. r ;:,-raee. As is well known, Germany's mercantile" Tirpitz was for many years one of the Kaiser’s most intimate personal friends. He Was also the unofficial adviser of his Majesty not only 'with regard to the pushing of Germany’s trade abroad, but also with reference to foreign affairs so closely linked with commerce. Countless were the telegrams which during the past few years have been addressed by Wijliam H. to “Mein Lieher Ballin” on such occasions as birthdays and launchings of the HamburgAmerica Company’s trade navy units. Visits of the Kaiser to Herr Ballin, who was always master of ceremonies on State occasions in that groat port, were frequent. KAISER’S VISIT TO HAMBURG. Now all that is changed, as the Kaiser has on two occasions recently shown deliberately to his former bosom friend. The lirst occasion was that of his Majesty’s visit a few weeks ago to Hamburg. A gentle, but none the less emphatic, hint was conveyed to the shipping king that his presence at the ceremonies in connection with the Kaiser’s visit would be distasteful to the AllHighest, and so Ballin stayed at home.

The second Royal snub was delivered on the occasion of Baffin's sixtieth birthday, not many days ago. It was the custom of the Kaiser to send a greeting of many happy returns to his faithful henchman, and a message of particular warmth would have been in place on such an auspicious day as that marking the conclusion of the merchant prince’s three score years. But no such message came to hand. In addition, an Imperial hint has evidently been given in Hamburg official circles to follow the Kaiser’s lead, and the result is that Ballin finds that he has been effectively sent to Coventry. The reason for this unpleasant banishment is the freedom with which Herr Ballin has of recent times expressed himself regarding Germany’s general policy. He was not a believer in the war before Germany plunged the world into the great struggle, but when it came ho fell into line, hoping it would be quickly over and profitable to Germany. He offered his services to the Government, and he and the company he directs did a great deal of war work in many directions. AGAINST U-BOAT WORK.

But the war dragged on, entailing heavy loss to the company, and several times ho criticised matters strongly to the Kaiser himself. On two matters he was particularly severe in his condemnation. As I reported some lime ago, (he German Government decided to make a loan to shipping companies on account of war losses. Ballin protested in straightforward terms that the amount was so small that it was practically useless. He held, too, it should not be a loan but a free gift, otherwise the companies would he saddled with a heavy interest charge after the war —at the very time they would be least able to bear it.

The Govt..ament took no notice of his views. Later he went several times to Berlin to see the Kaiser and Bethmann-Hollwcg and endeavoured to persuade them against the unrestricted submarine campaign. Here again his advice went unheeded, and the result wuis that America entered the war. That means the loss of a great portion of the Ham-burg-America Line’s fleet, and it is said that Baffin sent an angry letter to the Kaiser, which would make piquant reading for the world could i( ho published. Since then the Kaiser and Baffin have bean as si rangers to one another. Some little lime ago Herr Ballin paid a vi«jt to Holland. A gentleman who talked with I 'him on .-'Overal occasions tells me he had (he “appearance of a broken man,” and that lie often expressed himself very pessimistically as to, the outcome of the straggle. “I can't see how on earth, win or lose, we can pull through,” he declared during one of these conversations, the “we” meaning not his company, but Germany.