San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-04
ALL FOR GOLD

An but few bars of $4,000 600
worth of gold lost when German sub
mersible sunk the Lauretania off the
coast of Ireland have been recovered
according to an announcement made IN
London recently. Deep sea divers have
been at work for many weary months
Drawing the perils of the oceans depths
as we'll as fatigue and other hardships
to bring again to the surface, this treas
ure. There are about thirty bars OF
the precious stuff still in the wreck and
the divers hope to bring all of them up
in the course of a few more weeks. Sew
eral millions in silver also have been
recovered in this manner.
The men engaged in recovery work
in the wreck report that they are con-
SANITY compelled to use their knives to
ward off dog fish and other deep sea
fish that menace them and in addition,
they must Chamber around through the
rotting hull of the big boat in constant
peril of disabling accidents or of being
cut off from help from above. For this
they receive thirty-second part of all
treasure they take out. They are well
paid but the work is not easy.
1t was in 1918 that a torpedo from
the submarine sent the gold to the bot
tom and for nearly four years it re-
manned at the oceans bed undisturbed.
Work of salvaging it has been under
way about one year.
Originally this gold was secured
through the utmost hardship by miners
who delved deep in the recesses of the
earth for it with picks and shovels.
After it was mined, it served as treas
ury basis for the issuance of gold notes
and certificates of various governments
for which in turn, men worked and bar
tered and schemed as men always have
done where money was involved. It
perhaps would be deeply interesting
were we able to follow the varied paths
taken by much of the worlds gold from
the time it is brought to light in the
earth until it again is lost in the course
of the ages.
Frequently it is curse but often it
is blessing, too. 1t works harm and it
works good. The gold sent to the bot
tom by the submarine for instance was
on an errand of mercy in that it was
designed to cut short the world war and
to provide food and raiment and COM
forts for soldiers and the allied peoples.
So once again with infinite pains and
amidst hardships and dangers, it is being
brought from the depths to again take
its place in the limited amount OF gold
that serves the world for its chief me
dunn of commercial exchange Gold in
itself means nothing. 1t is no more than
any metal and the earth is full of metals.
But because of its scarcity, because OF
its enduring qualities and to its uni
versally recognized position through ages
in that role, gold is the most sought for
most fought for and most treasured OF
all the things in the world.
Infinitely many millions of dollars
more in property were destroyed thar
all the gold in the world during the wal
but centuries will be required to replace
property loss. Such gold however, a:
was permanently lost only served tc
make the gold that was left more val
liable and scarcer. No one probably eve
will know the full amount of gold tina
was lest at sea during the great militar,
upheaval but despite all that. men still
continue to strive for more gold ant