The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-18
oERMANY's IRON TREASURES.

1 oERMANv's IRON TREASURES
Vast stores OF Army Ratlons and Money IL
Readiness for War.
In the fortress of Spandau there /,
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 Gripping
the hereditary foe, the payment OF
| which and recuperation of its loss is
the financial wonder of the world, this
hoard OF coined money is kept for tho
contingency of war. This treasure is
sacred. There is no crisis through
! which the German empire may pass,
save that of foreign war, which makes
| this vast sum available The Germans
are very fond of the word ''iron'' in
its sense of rude drmness, of harsh en-
durance, of severe tenacity. They
| have applied it to their greatest his
torical character-the iron chancellor.
to his policy of absolute inflexibility
and to their most-prized reward-the
iron cross-of which there is but ono
degree, and which can be earned only
by actual bravery on the field. They
have used the word to designate the
treasure at Spandau, and they have
also adopted it to characterize an insti-
tuition in their minute and comprehen-
sive scheme of military organization,
to which they attach great importance
When the German army is transferred
from huge reserve of precautionary
power into a massive instrument of
aggressive force, its units, the individ-
ual soldiers, are put into absolutely
new uniforms The purposes of this
step are numerous 1t makes the opera
ton of mobilization more simple and
systematic, and with the contingency
of prolonged warfare it makes the con-
tinuance of military operations more
economical. There is sentimental
issue involved-the personal pride of
the soldier is stimulated and his-zeal in
service increased.
In equipment and ACCOMPLISHMENT
similar system is followed. The re-
suit is that the soldier starts out in the
condition practically that he should be
Theoretically: His equipment is q
heavy one. but the knowledge that
every pound of weight he carries repre-
sents something useful to his occupa-
ton and his comfort and convenience
while engaged in lightens his load.
He realizes that he is provided for
arc his clothes and his store of
cartridges. Each one of his pockets
has particular purpose. The lining of
the one on the left of his tuuic is med
icauy prepared, to be used when neccs-
sity arises as an antiseptic bandage.
In his haversack lis his loaf of bread
the staff of life-and the tso-called |
iron ration" This is the institution |
to which reference has been made. 1t |
is the reserve fund of the soldiers food.
his sustenance when deprived of all |
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 suf.
hcient to provide for three DAYS use. I
The cavalry receives in addition
similarly prepared rations for its
1orses, consisting of hay and oats SUI.
icient for five days. These rations are
% serve only in cases of extreme neces-
'lty They are sacred whenever the |
rooper is provided by the eommissary
department. with the necessary food, or
when he can provide it by requisition
'r forge. The ''iron atom can not be |
except by command of a SUI |
'erior officer. In the preparation of |
hese rations chemical science has been |
It work, and it is believed in the arti-
les provided the greatest amount of
nutrition has been secured in the most |
compressed and endura BILE shape. In
he grand maneuverS which annually
AXE place in Germany, and in which
he soldiers are exposed to every con-
urgency save that of an enemy's death
ealing powers, the s'iron rations' are |
arried, and their purpose made clear
o the men.-St. Louis Post-Dispatcl |