Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-14
WAR CHESTS Of
EUROPE HEAVY
With GOLD Coin
UnguesSabIe Amounts Believed
to Be Buried in Ground May
Be Uncovered for Battles


was dread among the common people
of Europe that a general war might re
suit, nearly $350,000,000 in gold was
boarded in three countries in sums
ranging from gold piece or two up t.
tens of thousands of dollars. Austria
Hungary was credited with hiding
away $l50,0O0,000, Germany $4,000,
600 and France $l3o,0O0,0o0.
This was money which had beer
traced into those countries just before
the Balkan hostilities began and after
war started. In addition to this vast
sum there was an unguessable quaint
ty of gold already buried in the
ground. FL.
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 coming
of the tax collector, and among the
men who look poor are owners of
countless weight in gold.
Vast sums of gold and silver coin
have gone into Russia, which seldom
let's 60 of it. The great imperial war
chest has behind it, if the signs mean
anything, other sums in little war
ehests-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 con-
tinental Europe, where foreign armies
have only to cross a surveyed boundary
line or little creek to raid their enc
mics. 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 de-
stroying everything that could give
comfort or sustenanee to an enemy.
Spain has millions of dollars in gold,
silver, pearls and gems buried and lost
in a thousand ancient castles, monas.
teries and other public buildings. In
the heyday of her glory Spain import
ed countless millions of gold and sill.
yer from the Americas and faithless
officials made away with great sums in
bullion, hiding it away-and many OF
them never recovered it.
India is the bottomless pit of the
world IS gold. In one year India i'm.
ported 5000, 100000, and there has nev.
er been time, apparently, when India
was not importing gold, silver and pre-
cious jewels. In the temples of India
there are said to be $1,S00,000,000 in
precious metal and precious stones.
India has more fine pearls than all the
rest of the world put together. They
have even gold cannons therc--can.
mons that weigh $50 pounds each.
The tourist sees some of this gold; if
e visitor should attend function Civ,
en- by one Of the princes of India he
would see jewels whose value he could
not estimate. Afghan, Mogul, Tartar,
raiding through India, found millions
upon millions, but the troops did not
End it all. In the ground, in places
where none could find or would suspect,
is the vast wealth which the natives Of
India bury, and keep buried.
The Ameer of Bokhara, Russian
vassal in Central Asia, is said to have
been accommodating hoard amounting
to $S,000,00O year, and this is kept
ia a great vault where Russia might
possibly find resource in case of need.
In Egypt and along the north shore Of
Africa the Barbary Coast people have
heir boards estimated by the millions.
The lost treasure of the Incas is esti.
mated at $600,O00,O00 in gold.
No one is able to guess the amount
If gold that has peen looted in the
history of the world by raiding armies.
When the wars of old were waged bill
ions of treasure changed hands from
he vanquished to the vietors. The
;reasure was commonly the public
funds. Men known TO have wealth
we're held for ransom, enslaved, tor
,ured, cut to pieces pit by bit in the
fort TO compel tine revelation of hid
ng places: =. ~ -.
In the ruins of Carthage is vault
hat holds the treasure of the Eandal