Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-17
BOXES OF NDS
Safely Delivered in London by Treasury
Agents
Interesting Res.tat of the Incident.
Attending the, Important and
DelicateI Mission.

The story of the delivery of the United
States bonds to the foreign purchasers is
interesting in Its detail of the Formally
and precaution necessary to safety.
The representatives of the Treasury De-
partment, Assistant Secretary Curtis, >Ch1ef
Clerk Logan Carlisle, L. o. Murray and
William Messervy. who sailed May ~ by
the City of Paris on this important mission,
have returned in safety and show now new
lines of care in their faces.
The precious documents, which were Is
sued to replenish the stock of gold In the
treasury.were carried to London in wooden
boxes lined with tin and securely sealed.
From Washington to New York they went
as postal matter. When they were taken
from the postal car they were carried into
the strong box of the steamer ana trans,
ported to London marked as the personal
baggage of Logan Carlisle.
There were 1890 bonds, of a par value
of ST., Isl, 100. OF this number 2S.S7I were
600 bonds, 4,1S6 were $500 bonds and SII
were 500 bonds. The total amounted to
just half of the entire issue to the Morgan
Belmont syndicate.
Guarded by Private Detectives.
The treasury representatives reached
Southampton June 8. There the twelve
boxes containing the bonds were placed in
a baggage van of railroad train, and,
guarded by two of .Rothschilds' private de-
tectives, were taken to London on the 9th.
The boxes were taken from the railroad
station to the Rothschilds banking house In
their private van carefully guarded by
their detectives. The work of counting,
signing and delivering the bonds begun on
June 4 Notwithstanding all OF the pre-
cautions taken to prevent any of the pre-
cious documents from being lost or stolen.
1t is a fact that they were all absolutely
worthless to any one who might have be-
1rv, oft 49,, tIa loss of o.,
one would have put the department to
great inconvenience. In the lower right
hand corner of each bond three blank
spaces We're reserved for the signatures of
natures are made by the Secretary's office
and one by the register of the treasury
One signature had already been attached
to the bonds before they left Washington.
but the absence of either of the others
rendered them invalid. The mission Of
Logan Carlisle and William Messervy was
to add their initials and practically perfect
the bonds. so it will be seen that, after all,
their mission to London was very i'm
portant one. The work of formally sign
ing and delivering the bonds took place in
a private room in the Rothschilds banking
house. About 1900 of the bonds were
signed each day. and it required twelve
working days to complete the task. AS each
bond was completed it was passed over to
Lord Rothschild, and when a days work
was ended he gave a receipt to Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Curtis for the
number that had been delivered. Mean
while the entire twelve boxes containing
the bonds were secured In the safety vault
in the Rothschilds bank
Confidence Mutually Characteristic.
On June 20 Lord. Rothschild took the
treasury agents to the Ascot races on his
coach, and they enjoyed drive of eleven
miles through Windsor Park. Leopold
Rothschild, ore Of the factors in the bank
ing firm. is a great sporting character and
owns a string of horses.
The treasury officials say that the trans
action was marked by the greatest show
Of confidence on both sides. 1t Is fact,
given unothcially, that the Rothschilds had
paid in nearly all the money before the
bonds were delivered, even before they
were perfected and rendered valid by the
necessary signatures. In fact, for months
before the delivery, fthe entire amount of
money has beenr.atl the disposal of the
treasury officialsso which is another COM
pliment to the strong confidence felt abroad
in the ability and Willingness of Uncle Sam
to meet all his, obligations.
Lord Rothschild, the head of the great
est banking firm in the world, Is described
as man about sixty years of. age, with
gray hair and gray beard. who is plain,
easy worker, not under great nervous
strain, as might be imagined. and takes
lively interest in all sporting matters.
Leopold, one of the members of the firm,
is very Industrious and works in the bank
every night until IL O'Clock. The Roths-
childs have been very properly termed the
worlds bankers. They hold in their vaults
as collateral securities of nearly every
civilized nation In the world.