LOVE DON'T COME EASY

ITS A GAME OF GIVE AND TAKE

On the 12th March 1901, Andrew Carnegie, one of the world's foremost industrialists, offered the city of New York $5.2 million for the construction of sixty-five branch libraries. The Scottish immigrant's fortune eventually would establish many more libraries and charitable foundations. He had recently sold the Carnegie Steel Company to another of the American Barons, J.P. Morgan. Carnegie, apparently, pocketed some $250 million as his share and promptly retired. At a rough estimate, that sum of money would be the equivalent today of about $6.25 billion. Apparently, his net worth in 2007 dollars was $298.3 billion, most of which he gave away for education, scientific research and many other causes. In keeping with yesterdays comments about southern states, one of Carnegie's libraries graces the city of Montgomery, Alabama

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From 1901 to the end of of life in 1919 he spent his time giving away his money establishing universities and libraries

After the Spanish American War, he offered to donate $20 to the Philippines so they could buy their independence. He was a frequent contributor to periodical on labour issues and published an essay entitled "The Gospel of Wealth" in 1889. In it he described the responsibility of philanthropy by the new and self-made rich. His central thesis was the peril of allowing large sums of money to be passed into the hands of persons or organisations ill-equipped mentally or emotionally to cope with them. The wealthy entrepreneur must assume the responsibility of distributing his fortune in a way that it will be put to good use, and not wasted on frivolous expenditure. He had risen to power by his own hand and refused to worship wealth. It was just that, money gave him power. He was careful how he used it.

In contrast to giving, the 12th March 1938 was a prime example of taking. On this day 73 years ago what became know as the Anschluss happened. German forces crossed the frontier between Germany and Austria merging that country with Germany.

The Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, was desperate to maintain independence and tried to hold a referendum on the issue of annexation and expected a vote in favour of autonomy; however, a well-planned coup d'etat by the Austrian Nazi Party in Vienna took place the day before on the 11th March, prior to the referendum which was cancelled. They transferred power to Germany, and Wehrmacht troops entered Austria to enforce the annexation. A plebiscite was held within the following month asking people to ratify what had already happened. The party claimed to have received 99.73% of the vote in favour. Although the Allies were supposed to have been committed to upholding the terms of the Treaties of Versailles (28-6-1919) and St Germain-en-Laye (10-9-1919) which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, their reaction was only verbal and moderate. After that, Germany targeted Czechoslovakia leading to the Munich Agreement in September 1938 giving them the Sudetendland and by March 1939, the whole country, to the despair of its own government.

To paraphrase Andrew Garnegie...the peril of allowing power to be passed into the hands of persons or organisations ill-equipped mentally or emotionally to cope with them.