The Washington bee., 1893-11-18
GERMANY's IRON TREASURES.



i'm R aGiineSs for war.
In the fortress of Spandau there is
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 III Derived from that colos-
sal indemnity which victorious Ger
many imposed upon humbled France
in the hope of permanently crippling
the hereditary foe, the payment OF
which and recuperation of it's loss is
the financial wonder of the world, this
hoard of coined money is kept for the
contingency of war. This treasure is
sacred. According to the st. Louis
t-Dispatch 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 tirmneSs, Of harsh en-
durance. of severe tenacity. They
have applied it to their greatest hlStOr-
zeal characteristic iron chancellOr-tO
his policy of absolute infeXibillty and
to their moSt-prized reWard-the IRON
cross-of which there is but one degree,
and which can be earned only by ac-
tual bravery On the field. They have
used the word to designate the treas
ure at Spandau and they have also
adopted it to characterize an 1nStltu-
ton in their minute and comprehensive
scheme of military organization to
which they attach great Importance.
When the German army is transform
ed from huge reserve of precautiOn-
ary power into massive instrument
of aggressive force, it's units, the indi-
vidual soldiers, are put into absolutely
new uniforms. The purposes of this
step are numerous. 1t makes the Oper-
alton 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 a sentimental
issue involved-the personal pride Of
the soldier is stimulated and his zeal
in service increased.
In equipment and accouterment a
similar system is followed. The result
is that the soldier starts out in the
condition practically that he should
be theoretically. His equipment is q
every pound of weight he carries rep
resents something useful to his occu-
patton and his comfort and convenience
while engaged in it lightens his load.
He realizes that he is provided for
every emergency. In his knapsack are
his clothes and his store of cartridges.
Each one of his pockets has particu-
lar purpose. The lining Of the one on
the left of his tunic is medically pre-
pared, to be used when necessity arises
as an antiseptic bandage. In his hav-
ersack is his loaf of bread-the staff
of life-and the so-called Iron ration"
This is the institution to which refer
ence has been made. 1t is the reserve
fund of the soldiers food, his susie
nance when deprived of all other re-
sources of mess, commissariat and for
age. There is huge factory in May
ence 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 suffi-
cient to provide for three days USE
The cavalry receives in addition SINH
larly prepared rations for it's horses,
consisting of hay and oats sufficient
for five days These rations are to
serve only in cases of extreme neceS-
sity. They are sacred whenever the
trooper is provided by the commissary
department with the necessary food,
or when he can procure it by requisi
ton Or forage. The Iron ration" can
not be touched except by command Of
a superior officer. In the preparation
of these rations chemical science has
been at work, and it is believed in the
articles provided the greatest amount
of nutrition has &been secured in the
most compressed and endurable shape
In the grand maneuvres which annual
ly take place in Germany, and in which
the soldiers are exposed to every con-
tingency save that Of an enemys
tons are carried, and their purpose
made clear to the men.