Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-21


w HEN the Prussian military autocracy is
w crushed. what will the German people
have on hand to repair the dastardly work
or their government and armies in Belgium,
Northern France. Serbia and Roumania?
What have they now after three years Of
exhaustion that this war can neither destroy
nor conceal?
At the beginning Of 1917 the German war
budget had passed we'll beyond 6O,0OO,OOO-
600 OF marks The empire had then spent
nearly one-fourth Of the $50 200. 900 of
national wealth that 1t possessed at the be-
ginning Of the war. Practically all this
enormous sum Of money has been furnished
by the German people themselves out OF their
earnings for the last forty-fve years. So
If this money is lost. the German people
themselves will lose 1t. 1t represents Ger
man sacrifice and exhaustion, German sweat
and blood. Parallel with this gigantic ex-
penditure OF money has gone correspond
ing eXha ustion Of man power, productive
capacity and raw material. Germany beaten
Is Germany bankrupt.
Nevertheless Germany will have left,
though the war may go on three years moro,
much to repair the devastation that she has
wrought among her neighbors. and the en-
tente allies will find these sinews of repara-
ton when they open the vaults OF the Reichs-
bank and the war chest at the fortress of
Spandau. In blockading Germany. England
has blockaded German gold in the sum OF
nearly S2.000,000.000.
In the first months of the war, Herr Helf-
ferich, the imperial Minister OF Finance,
shouted from the housetop: Look how gold
is piling up in the vaults OF the Reichsbank!
Germany has all the gold she needs to win
the war. and she can keep It. She is self
sustaining"
The most strenuous efforts a government
ever made to draw into it's clutches the
hoo fnI
Most exorbitant premiums were offered by
the banks for gold in exchange for paper
money. and peasants were prodded with the
bayonet to empty their stockings. The en-
pire put its gold on exhibition with a flourish
of trumpets to the world.
Prussianism had we'll learned the value
of it's gold exhibit In the strong box at
Spandau to stimulate the war spirit of the
people, The government and newspapers
had never tired of telling every German child
for generation the story Of how that mighty
war chest had been filled with gold from the
indemnity OF five millards of francs wrung
from beaten France in 1871. The vaults OF
tho Reichsbank filled with yellow metal in
August and September, 1914. was the ma
tion's response to the epic OF yellow metal
at Spandau. On November 80, 1916, the
amount Of gold had increased to $1,967,425,-
600, which was $30,244.000 over the previous
year.
All that gold awaits the day Of Judgment
and reparation in Europe BY the right Of
destiny it belongs to robbed and outraged
France. mangled and bleeding Belgium. con-
quercd and PROSTATE Serbia and wounded
and betrayed Roumania. The responsible
personal heads OF any German government
that Hampers with makes way with that
treasure will come off in the great day Of
reckoning. and tho Kaiser the crown prince
Bethmann-Hollweg and Hindenburg are we'll
aware of this fact. That gold is invioate
and it will certainly be the one thing left
after this war OF Germany to repair frac-
ton Of the great injury she has done to the
world.