The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-11-18
eERMANY's IRON TREASURES.
vast stores OF Army Rations ana Money In
Readiness for War.

Readiness for War.
In the fortress of Spandau there IA
stored the celebrated emergency fund
OF the German empire--the so-called
IRON treasure, millions of silver pieces,
most OF them minted with the head OF
Napoleon Ill Derived from that co.
lossal indemnity which victorious Ger.
many imposed upon humbled France
IN the hope of permanently crippling
the hereditary foe, the payment OF
winch and recuperation OF its loss Ia
the financial wonder of the world, this
hoard OF coined money Ia kept for the
contingency of war. This treasure In
sacred. There is no crisis through
winch the German empire NAV pass.
save that of foreign war, which makes
this vast sum available. The Germans
are very fond of the word Iron" in
sss senee OF rude firmness, of harsh en-
'uranco' OF severe Senacity. They
nave applied 1t to their greatest his.
torical characteristic iron chancellor
| 10 ms policy of absolute inflexibilitv
ana 10 their most-prized reward-the
| iron cross-of which there is but one
oegrec' and which can be earned only
ny actual bravery on the field. They
nave used the word to designate the
treasure ut Spandau, and thev have
also adopted it to characterize an insti-
tution IN their minute and comprehen-
siVe scheme of military organization.
10 which they attach great Importance.
Wheh The German army is transferred
from huge reserve of precautionary
power into massive instrument nj
aggressive force, its units, the individ.
ual soldiers, are put into absolutely
new uniforms. The purposes of this
step are numerous. II makes the opera-
tion OF mobilization more simnle and
systematic, and with the contingency
OF prolonged warfare Il makes the con.
tlnuance OF military operations more
economical. There Is a sentimental
issue involved-the personal pride nj
The soldier Is stimulated and his zeal in
service increased.
In equipment aud accountermcnt
similar system is followed. Tho re-
suit Is that the soldier starts out in the
condition practically that he should be
theoretically. His equipment Is
heaVy one, but the knowledge that
every pound of weight he carries reprs.
sents something useful 70 his occupa-
tion and his comfort and convenience
while engaged in lightens his load.
lie realizes that he Is provided for
every emergency. In his knapsack
are his clothes and his store Of
cartridges. Each one of his pockets
mas particular purpose. The lining OF
the one on the left OF his t,,nic Is med
'caliy prepared, TO be used when neces.
slty arises as an antiseptic bandape.
IN MS haversack lis his loaf of bread
the staff Of life--and the tso-called
iron ration" This Is the Institution
t'5 s''e e',~1.----F-------- H. i.-------I -
his sustenance when deprived of nll
other resources OF mess, commissariat |
and forage. There is huge factory in
Mayence devoted to the packing Of |
these iron rations." In small bags,
in a preserved and compressed shape,
these rations consist of coffee, rice,
hard tack and tobacco, in quantity SUI.
ficient to provide for three days use.
The cavalry receives in addition |
similarly prepared rations for it's
horses, consisting Of hay and oats suf.
ficient for five days. These ratiops are
TO serve only IN Eases OF extreme neces-
sity. They are sacred whenever the
trooper is provided by the eommissary
department with the necessary food, or
when he con provide II by fe9hisition |
or forge. Tho iron ration" can not be !
touched except by command of SUI
perior officer. In the preparation OF
these rations chemical science has been
at work, and 1t is believed in the arti-
cles provided tho greatest amount OF
nutrition has been secured in the most |
compressed and endurable shape. In
the grand maneuvers which annually
take pluce in Germany, and in which
the soldiers are exposed to every con-
tingency save that of an enemy's death
dealing powers, the "iron rations" are
carried, and their purpose made clear
10 the men.-St. Louis Dispatch,