Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-10
KA|SER'S WAR CHEST
Has Thirty Millions in Gold at
Instant Disposal.
TOWER VAULT IS GUARDED
Part of Indemnity Paid by France
After War Of 1871.
BISMARCK PLACED IT THERE
"Iron Chancellor" Regarded Loss OF
Interest on Money as an Insurance
Against Germany's Foes.
BISMARCK PLACED IT THERE
BY WILLIAM =. CIRTIS

-.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Greatly as the kaiser favors the restor
alton of ancient castles and. fOrtresses
for sentimental and historical reasons, he
has shown equal energy in tearing down
useless Notifications and city walls which
have interfered with growing CONNER
cial and manufacturing centers like
Cologne, Posen, Metz, Onzig, Graudenz
and other places and prevented their
healthy expansion. In all. Of the cities
named he has had obsolete defenses re-
moved and the land occupied by them
converted into parks, boulevards, bust
ness streets and other useful purposes
for the convenience and welfare Of the
citizens.
In Cologne, Metz and other cities the
example set by the Emperor Francis
Joseph in Vienna has been followed, and
the foundation Of the girdles OF stone
that obstructed commerce and restricted
growth have been converted into boule-
wards. or ring strasses, as they are call
ed, and ornamented with monuments,
statues and public buildings. The forts
and walls were no longer needed for the
protection of the city, while the space
they occupied has been utilized to great
advantage. This program has been car
rled out In connection with the construc-
ton OF modern Notifications on scientific
INES, appropriate to the progress of mill
tary engineering and modern defenses
Thirty Millions In Tower.
At Spandau, 4 purely military town of
about 10000 inhabitants, thirty-two miles
from Berlin, this policy has been Illus
trated IN conspicuous and significant
10
has been made in favor Of a venerable
castle called Julius Thurm" Julius
Tower), erected in 1319 as a part of a
citadel, which was intended to defend
the approach to the Prussian capital It
Is the Oldest, and Is believed to have been
the first stronghold Of the Hohenzollern
family in northern Germany. This
tower not only remains, but has been
restored, although the Notifications
around 1t have been removed. The
hidden somewhere within its massive
walls containing $50, 600 600 in gold coin.
1ealousey guarded by sentries within and
sentries without.
iron chests, 100000 marks in each chest,
ana the coin is in bags each containing
l.Wo marks in crowns and double crowns
f1ach OF the chests is sealed with three
seals, ana the vault in which it is stored
Is divided into three chambers. having a
different seal for each chamber These
seals are inspected three times daily by
three different officials at different hours
ana agents from the ministry of war at
Berlin make monthly and quarterly in
Spection.
This acknowledgements, as it is called,
IS part OF the indemnity paid by France
to Germany in 1871 as the price of peace.
and 1T has ever since been preserved in
coin in the Julius Tower. 1t is the war
chest or the German government-an
emergency fund which is considered suffi-
cient to meet all the immediate require
! ments of the army in case Germany
should be involved in hostilities until a
loan could be made.
If this $3O.0OO,OO0 had been put out at
interest forty years ago it would have
doubled itself or more: but every effort
and argument in support of such a plan
has been rejected by three emperors in
succession and by the military authorities
of the empire. The minister of finance
has nothing whatever to do with it. The
money belongs to the army and is con-
sidered one of the strongest defenses of
the nation. No other government has any
amount of available cash for military
| purposes. and therefore Germany is the
only nation that can go to war without
first consulting the money lenders 1t is
often said that the peace of Europe is in
the hands of bankers. but that remark
does not apply to Germany.
Bismarck the Founder.
iiHhSc IlSHldICh Is the autnOr and in
ventor OF the notwithstanding, and put
| this money away Immediately upon re-
ceiving it from France. He considered it
not only a practical military advantage,
but great moral support for the people
OF Germany, as well as the army, and he
considered the loss of the interest. which
at D per cent would amount to 81 800 600
year, simply as an insurance premium
to keep the backbone of Germany stiff
&I,41
of a great and sudden crisis
Bismarck made speech in the
relchStag on the subject once when
somebody was trying to invest this
dead capital where it would yield
revenue. in which he declared that the
political aspect Of the treasure from
the point of view Of other nations was
| as effective measure of peace as
could be created. Other nations, he ex-
planned, were without the advantage
that Germany enjoyed in having the
war chest-hence it would be necessary
for them to dicker with the money
| lenders before they could put their
| armies in the field. With such an en-
how powerful. would hesitate before
attacking neighbor which. like Ger
| many, was always prepared. He ex-
planned at length the advantages
| gained by the government that can
bring it's forces quickest to the front;
| even few days has been often of the
greatest Importance in war. The staff
of the German army could buy for
cash whatever was needed to provision,
clothe. arm and equip a million men.
| without being compelled to delay even
| long enough to sell bond, and the
economy of paying cash for horses,
| cattle, -four. bacon. forage. clothing,
shoes and other merchandise required
for an army, he said, must be recog-
| nized by business men in every walk
of life. No time need be wasted in get
| ting authority from the reichstag; it
would be unnecessary to call that body
| together; the thirty millions OF war
| treasure was available instantly upon
| the order Of the emperor, who is the
COMMUNICATIVE chief.
Gold Makes for Peace.
In this speech and on other occasions