Chicago Yankee

Harry Gordon Selfridge, who learned department store merchandising in Chicago under the late Marshall Fisld (1835-1906) and who greatly resembles Marshall Field in his business acumen, has owned since 1909 the largest department store in London. He also owns the chain of Selfridge Provincial Stores Ltd., the sale of whose shares was being advertised in the U. S. last week. Last week he expected to buy out William Whiteley's the " Universal Provider," London's oldest department store (TIME, April 11). But when Whiteley shareholders grew excited at the sales meeting, he held his hand. They called him "Chicago Yankee," "astute American," "Bamboozler." He meanwhile smiled at them wickedly through his bifocal eyeglasses, for he held sufficient Whiteley votes to order the sale, did he care to keep the minority irritated--and thus harm his store trade. By and by he will invite groups of two and three minority shareholders to his office, will pour them tea and, if their moods become cheery, will lend them a diamond with which to scratch their names on the huge plate glass window at his desk. Honored thus they will, as have other name-scratchers on Mr. Selfridge's window, acquiesce to his insistence.