Tsars

Emil Lederer, a sturdy Bohemian who became a U. S. citizen and has been in the shipping business 40 years, had reason to be proud last week. For the North Atlantic Passenger Conference, to which all North Atlantic lines belong, decided that Mr. Lederer is the man to smooth shipping's troubled waters, made him their "tsar." With power to go through members' books to see that tariffs are being adhered to, he will rule the Conference with the same undisputed power that its captains have at sea. While the choice must be ratified at the Conference's meeting abroad next week, shippingmen felt there was little doubt that it will go through, less doubt that Wilhelm Cuno, onetime Chancellor of Germany and head of Hamburg-American Line, will grant Mr. Lederer leave of absence from his post as head of the passenger department.

In the "Hapag" offices at No. 39 Broadway Mr. Lederer has a street-level office, walls hung with pictures of famous liners which have flown the blue, white and yellow "Hapag" flag. He speaks with an accent which becomes marked when he gets excited. This is apt to be frequent and employes dread "E. L.'s" wrath although they know it is always justified. Legend is the story that one day he overheard a prominent Manhattan lady arguing about rates. After listening awhile he rushed up and bellowed: "Veil, do you want to buy the ship?" Startled, she mended her behavior, booked a suite.

Close upon well-dressed Mr. Lederer's election to tsardom, 165 fire insurance companies announced they had selected Paul L. Haid, 44, to be supreme arbiter over their underwriting of 75% of the U. S. business. Industries from corsets to axe-handles have their "institutes," to settle disputes. But more & more tycoons are coming to believe that an absolute "tsar" is the only good solution. Rubber companies recently sought George Taylor Bishop as their ruler (TIME, April 18). Oil has often been on the verge of appointing one. The prime examples of U. S. business tsars are cinema's Will H. Hays, baseball's Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

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