The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-12

him near Liege. The box was opened ano at once communicated by the of- ficer In charge of the soldiers at the station. He told Sir Philips relation that when the war was over he might come ito claim the pretty trinkets." To have made any fuss about the mat ter would have cost the bearer of the jewels his life and he continued his journey without them
 Lord Rothschild informed the gov ernment in every case when he had taken charge of any property for a German but. there is undoubtedly a good deal of German property that has been consigned to the care of wealthy Germans in England who are under suspicion of being spies and 1t is' probable that ere long some of it etaon shrdlu cmfwyp shrdlul cmfwyp may be confiscated.
 Private German property sent to Eng land for protection would, of course, not in the ordinary way be confiscated though international lawyers differ re sardng the right of government to con fiscate such property, but there is nc doubt at all that all the property found in the possession of an alien spy could and would be confiscated. As matter of fact. one German in London who had recently come to England as agent for an important financial house In Berlin endeavored to induce several Enblish bankers to take charge of quantity of valuable jewery and various script sent him by friends in Germany, but they all refused. The agent is now a prisoner at Olympia where German suspects are be- ing confined and the government has seized all the property fin question
 Though good deal of valuable per sonal property has come to England from the continent to be safeguarded until the war Is over some of it has undoubtedly been sent as pledges of security for loans and this is certainly the case in regard to some of the property consigned to the care of Lord Rothschild.
 There have been many instances of peo- pie in a large way of business both in France and Germany to whom the war meant ruin unless they could obtain im- mediate loans and there was no other way to obtain the needful except by the negotiation of such securities as jewels In plain words, the Rothschilds are act ing the part of pawnbrokers as their an cestors did in the Napoleonic wars anc as they have done since from that timt and 1t is probable they have advanced at least million of money in this wa, since or some little time before the out. break of war.
 No doubt at the end of the war some of the property that has been sent te England will remain there unclaimed to the benefit of those who are now talk ing care of it.
 Among the treasures at Windsor castle are many objects of are which were sent to George III during the French revolu- tion to take care of which were suose- quently never claimed by the owners who perished in tho revolution. The French has reliefs by Dijons presented | last spring by the King to the French government were among these and were. l it may be said, among the least valuable I of such treasures that came into the pos session of the English regning house at l the time of the French revolution.
 | How much of the treasures lately con signed to Buckingham palace will re- main there 1t Is difficult to say, but it is almost certain that some of 1t, at any