Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-26
UNCLE SANS MONEY
TASK OF HANDLING TT NOT AN
EASY ONE.
Thousands of Persons Pass Through
oil @seEF
the Big Vaults ARnually-The
Precautions Taken.

..Handling Uncle Sam cash is in itself no
easy task. but handling the vast number of
people who desire to VIEW that portion OF it
stored in the treasure vaults In Washing
ton is not by any means the least of the
troubles of the treasurer said Mr.. Ellis H.
Roberts, treasurer of the United States,
day or so ago. -
No one can visit the Underground storage
vaults without a permit from Mr.. Roberts,
and the treasurer holds that every citizen
has an interest in the money and il he gets
any satisfaction in looking at it or examin-
ing the vaults in which 1t is kept. he Is en-
titled to. that, satisfaction. Consequently
none is turned from his Office without the
necessary permit, unless there is Some spe-
cial reason for Withholding II. = ~. ,t-
The welcome given visitors, together with
the sordid delight Americans take in seeing
vast stores of money, makes the treasury
one of the best show houses In Washing ton.
Were an admission charged to- the silver
vaults the revenues Of the government
would be appreciably increased. a:ss s..
Sightseers come from all over the world
One day when 1t was particularly gloomy
and dsa greeable on the outside, that
there was not much doing in the tourist
line Treasurer Roberts took the trouble to
keep track of his callers. Exactly 100 per-
sons entered his Office. They represented
thirty-five states, seven foreign countries
and nearly forty different nationaIties. The
foreigners came from Great Britain
Franco. China. India. Germany, Africa and
Australia.
'ss Visit Made Impressive.
Matters are so arranged that the visit will
impress itself upon the minds of the strang
ers. There is a corps of well-drilled guides
maintained, who, after Mr.. Roberts has
passed on the permit, sees that the stranger
l.y
the purpose. This is for the purpose of
assisting the government little later on in
case a silver or gold certificate is missed.
They first go to the vault in which the
money is kept which is used in the current
business of the treasury. After the neces-
sary signing and countersigning of the per-
nit they are admitted. The cashier in
charge hands around small frame which
incloses two well-worn 10000 bills and one
of 5000.
There" he says triumphantly, you've
had $4,000 in your hand
Bigger things come later on in the trip,
when they are permitted to handle millions
in gold bonds in the national bank division,
or to look at the doors behind which are
stored tons of precious gold and silver
which have been stamped into coin Be
cause of the electrical appliances they can
not see the bags of coin. Any attempt to
move the magnetized doors. the guide i'm
pressively relates, would result In calling
heavily armed guards, who are constantly
kept at the treasury tie protect the money.
People Not Money Mad
"1f we were as money mad as some for
eigners would make out" observed
Treasurer Roberts, visitors at the depart
ment would not conduct themselves as well
as they do. Many thousand persons have
gone through the vaults during my term of
office. but, so far ash know, not one has
made an attempt to get Hold of any of the
money. OF course. We keep a close watch
on them. but if the American people were
insane on the question: of money this would
De good place to note interesting symp-
TOMS We like money but we are not so
crazy about 1t as our foreign friends pro-
Tess to believe. AT least. the presence of the
cause of alleged madness, does, not seem to
aggravate the disease"