AtDTDA: Stupendica

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

          Published: November 11, 1918 
          The New York Times

          Ballin, Germany's Shipping King, Dies

          Was head of Hamburg-American Line and 
          Once One of Emperor's Close Friends

          In an intercepted letter written by Ballin to 
          Walter Rathenau in December 1917, Ballin said:

          "Our people have little or no knowledge of the 
          American Character. . . .'

http://tinyurl.com/2occcr

          Rathenau, Walter (d. 1922)
          163; German foreign minister who was assassinated; 
          "prophet and architect of cartelized state" 164; seance of, 
          163-65; during WWI "was ramrodding the whole economy" 
          284; dealt the Rapallo Treaty ("elaborate piece of 
          theatre" - 352) with Tchitcherine's father, 338; 581; 590; 
          616; See also Rapallo Treaty; [Sasuly's IG Farben]

          http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/gravity/alpha/r.html

          Walter Rathenau

          Was the coordinator of the German economy during WWI

          Son of the founder of the giant electric concern A.E.G. 
          (German Gen'l Elec Co) - he became chairman of the trust
          
          He created cartels one at a time. First iron and steel, then 
          metals, then chemicals and then leather and rubber.

          Steel's major producers already in cartels, so cartelization 
          was easy. Chemicals even easier because in 1916 the 
          complete IG was formed.

          Hermann Schmitz was one of his chief aides. Schmitz 
          succeeded Carl Bosch as president of IG and was still 
          the #1 man at end of WWII.
          
          Rathenau forced non-cartel industries to organize. 
          Supplies of raw materials rigidly controlled, prices 
          fixed, production quotas established.
          Designated particular plants for specific jobs.

          Envisioned a permanent completely cartelized State.

          Took responsible posts in the new Weimar Republic. 
          First, was Minister for Reconstruction, then Foreign 
          Minister. Became target for the terrorist gangs that 
          were forerunners of Hitler's Storm Troops -seen as 
          example of civilians who wouldn't let the German 
          army win WWI and was assassinated.

http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/gravity/extra/farben.html#rathenau

And be sure to scroll to the top of the page, just so you can 
get the connection, it's one of the linchpins of Gravity's Rainbow.


          The Mauretania (31,938 grt, 790 ft. long), sister of the 
          Lusitania, was the world's largest liner when built in 1907.
          She became legendary for holding the Blue Riband as 
          the fastest liner for 20 years.
          With the depression and after the merger of Cunard and 
          White Star Lines she became redundant and was broken 
          up in 1935.

http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/cun20i.htm

http://tinyurl.com/24r8np

http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/wall_street/chapter_02.htm