The sun., 1919-09-14
asury Vaults
Anticipated but
Not Wanting in
Protection-Offi-
Gals More Con
cerned Over Lack
of Room Than
Questioned Safety

~ URDENED as he isswith much
* OF the wealth OF the world, as
- wealth is commonly reckoned
in cash and securities, Uncle Sans
sock has become too short.
The nations strong box, loaded with
cash to meet the war needs OF this
country and nearly all of the Allies, has
become filed to bursting. The Treas
ury vaults, one of the show places in
Washington, have begun to bulge.
But with all of this wealth, or much
4 Of II, lodged in the Treasury in Wash
ington and in his keeping Secretary Of
the Treasury Carter Glass and John
Burke, Treasurer, are unable, because
Of technicality Of appropriation. to
spend a paltry million and a half to
protect, in a modern vault structure
the billions on billions now scattered,
in sixteen vaults and FIVE strong rooms
all in the Treasury Building, and ALL
80 full that the bulk of securities and
currency cannot be handled.
Not an InsurabIe Risk.
The Treasury vaults are popularity
regarded as impregnable, and they are
because of the protection that can be
given them, but IL the ancient struc-
4 lures were in any private institution,
. any bank, the institution would not be
regarded as a good insurance risk
Uncle Sam, of course, needs and can
4 hold no insurance, but If he could there
is probably not a company in the world
that would grant 1t.
These conditions have prompted
Treasury officials to appeal to
Congress for an appropriation for
a new and modern vault structure.
The old one, or old ones, all ante
date the civil war by a great many
years. Were they in any struc-
ture other than the United States
Treasury they would be exceedingly
unsafe. Though officials will not pub
licly admit 1t, some Of the places where
the nations wealth is stored could be
as easily blown as the most Anticipated
country post Office safe. That is, II
they could be reached. Even a second
rate yegg would laugh at the Job could
he reach any one of the strong rooms.
To reach them. however. is another
matter. Every one is fully protected
electrically. No one unknown and
without a pass can enter the Treasury
Building. There is a strong and we'll
armed watch force on duty always,
and the Treasury guardroom resembles
an armory In addition, there are cleo
trical connections everywhere, which
the moment they are touched bring a
special armed guard with rifles, and
practically the entire metropolitan
police force of Washington. as well as
the military police to the Treasury.
With the alarm system set a step
near a vulnerable door, the lightest
kind of blow on a wall, or a touch
on any combination would bring armed
guards running and have the build
ing surrounded In not much over sthe
proverbial three shakes of the we'll
known sheep appendage.
Would Abolish Human Equation.
AS a result. Treasury officials are
possibly more concerned over the lack
Of space in the old vaults for the
money, lords and securities that must
be stored than they are over safety.
But they feel that the Treasury vault
should be modern and the safest place
in the world under any circumstance,
possible or apparently impossible, such
as sudden secession of every guard
and all of the police to the Bolsheviks
or other terrible tribe. In fact, Of
hcials would rather leave absolutely
nothing to the human equation, either
collective or individual.
Details Of construction, location and
condition Of the old vaults have al
I ways been regarded as a State secret.