Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-09-27
HOARD IMMENSE
SUMS Of GOLD
People Of Europe Have Unguess.
able Quantity of Coin and
Bullion Buried.

European authorities Inquired tna1
when the Balkan war began and there
was dread among the common people
Of Europe that a general war might
result, nearly $3.50, 900, 900 in gold was
boarded in three countries in sums
ranging from a gold piece CT two up
to tens of thousands of dollars. Aus
tria-Hungary was credited with hiding
away $150,00O 900, Germany s65,OOO,'
900 and France $4,000 900.
This was money which had been
traced into those countries just before
the Balkan hostilities began and after
war started. In addition to this vast
sum there was IN unguessable guam
tity of gold already buried in the
ground.
Russia is believed to have tens OF
thousands OF hoarders Of money. 1t Is
utterly impossible to guess at the
amount Of gold which the people OF
Russia have put into the ground or
into the cellars of their homes. The
sign of wealth would mean the COM
ing of the tax collector, and among
the men who look poor are owners OF
immense weight in gold.
Vast sums of gold and silver coin
have gone into Russia, which seldom
let's go of 1t. The great imperial war
chest has behind it, If the signs mean
anything, other sums in little war
chests-gold which the government
might draw out If it offered lands for
sale, or bonds the people would trust
or opportunities in commerce hereto
fore denied them.
England has its hidden boards, no
one knows how large or how many,
but there is concealed in England
nothing like the amount that is hidden
in continental Europe, where foreign
armies have only to cross a surveyed
boundary line o. a little creek to raid
their enemies. Turkey, whose people
have been ]terrorized for ages, has
more lost boards than the world will
ever know about, because there the
boarding has gone on for ages, during
which armies have swung up and
down the denuded lands, tearing down
cities and destroying everything that
could give comfort or s~ustenance to
an enemy.
Spain has millions of dollars in gold,
silver, pearls and gems buried and
lost in a thousand ancient castles,
monasteries and other public build
'ings. In the heyday Of her glory
Spain imported countless millions Of
gold and silver from the Americas
and faithless officials made away with
great sums in bullion, hiding It away
and many of them never recovered
II.
India is the bottomless pit Of the
worlds gold. In one year India i'm
ported $500, 000, 900, and there has
never been a time, apparently, when
India was not importing gold, silver
and precious jewels. In the temples
Of India there are said to be $780,.
600, 900 in precious metal and precious
stones.
If the boards of Europe could be
tanned-if the hidden treasures of Ell.
ropean cities should be tapped by in.
vading armies-the possibilities of
loot in jewels and precious metals are
beyond compute. But all the loot pos
sible would not compensate for tho
hundreds Of thousands Of ounce OF
gold which must be paid each day for
army s%ustenance and equipment. In
olden times wars paid for themselves,
reckoning from the viewpoint of the
victors. Wars we're then for loot.
The war chests Of Europe are sup.
posed to contain about $4,000, 600, 1000
in gold coin and bullion. What posi-
bilities of loot this indicates is in
some measure understandable when
one considers that this means about
so, 900 tons Of yellow metal--and no
mention is made Of the bushels Of dia-
monds, rubies. pearls and gems also
in peril.
f-