Evening star., 1937-01-24
GovernmentSharpshooter
Safeguard u. S. Billions
Surreptitious Entrance to Either Treasury or
Bureau of Engraving Has Never Been
Managed by Nations Underworld.

currency impression plates are kept
are honeycombed with electric wires.
1t would be impossible for the smallest
drill used by gangster cracksmen to
penetrate any of these walls even so
far as one-half an inch in any direc-
tion without striking an electric wire
and setting off an alarm.
The die vault at the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing for example,
features the construction of build
ing within a building. The inner
structure is encircled by moatlike
passage with steel-grilled walkway |
underlaid by a series of rejecting |
mirrors. Similar mirrors are mounted |
permanently at all the corners of the
passageway. Thus it is possible for a |
guard standing just inside the steel |
door about 2 feet thick to look
around the outside of the entire die
vault as well as over its top. 1t is
humanity impossible for any stowaway
to conceal himself against such regu-
lar inspection. There is no need of |
looking underneath the big vault. |
That, in fact, is impossible because
its base consists of solid concrete |
impregnated with electric signal wires
which extends down to bed rock.
A IL the dies used in the plate
printing of greenbacks, yellow
backs and the multiplicity of Govern
ment securities are stored in the die |
&c nj nd
even for an official of the Bureau |
of Engraving and Printing to procure |
one of these dies for use when it is
needed. Painstakingly accurate check |
is kept constantly on its whereabouts |
and use during the interval when it !
Is loaned for service from its strong
hold storage. Electric cable for light
ing the die vault and supplying power
with which to operate the ventilating
fans is extended into that sanctorum
each morning when the vault is
opened.
The mammoth door of that vault,
weighing many tons, is so delicately
engineered that you can rock it to
and fro by the simple movement of
one little finger. The opening of that
vault door is so carefully regulated
and guarded that it is beyond the
power of man to gain entrance except
by official means. All of which is
mentioned merely to impress on the
average reader the sheer futility of
any attempt to gain secret entrance
to either this or other vaults where
the valuables of the United States
Government are stored.
When currency deliveries are made,
for illustration, from the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing to the Treas
ury, the incoming truck is unlocked
by Government men after it rolls up
to the unloading platform subsequent
to the closing of the heavy steel gates
which bar the entrance of intruders
into the courtyard. Under escort of
the armed guards the portable steel
safes are lowered to special elevators
which convey the treasure to secret |
tunnels that lead to concealed vaults, |
every whit as impregnable as the die
vault previously described in brief.
The opening of these various vault |
doors is extremely intricate and tres
pass defying. Some of the outer doors
can be opened by the use of sequence
of three keys, each in the possession |
of a different custodian. These keys |
must be used in proper order to be
effective. The respective door can
be opened only when all three key |
men are on hand and follow the prop |
er sequence. The vaults themselves |
are guarded by mighty and massive |
doors of steel controlled by mechani-
cal brains, complicated time locks. !
No person unfamiliar with the sys- |
tenn and operation of these doors could
move them.
Banks which return money to the |
Treasury Department for redemption
follow definite procedure in order to |
frustrate all attempts Of the criminal
underworld to steal and utilize worn
currency for illegal purposes. Among
other things the bankers cut the cur
rency lengthwise into equal parts.
These parts are then perforated by |
special machine markers provided for |
that purpose. When the mutiliated |
money is dispatched to Washington |
from the sending bank the shipment |
is so arranged that but one-half of |
each dilapidated greenback is in tran
sit at time Hence if any robber
steals some of the redemption cur
rency, his loot is useless as he is un-
able to At the different pieces to-
gether properly in jigg-saw puzzle
style. Once local robber stole $780,
600 in redemption currency, but few
minutes later discarded it in an alley,
1t was valuelesS; he had risked his
life for a worthless baubble.
United States Secret Service, the
so-called "T-men," has practically
fixed matters so that your Uncle Sam,
now the richest person-even though
mythical-eXtant, is in the main i'm
mune from robbers, underworld rack.
eteers and other gangland rascality.
Uncle Sam is today the record pos
SCISSOR 70 gold, with holdings of many
billions of that precious metal. This
country is also the champion user of
silver currency.
Because our country has refrained
from the issuance of a great supply
of printing press money to facilitate
reduction Of the large national debt
and thus far foreStalled the minority
trend toward imitation, our annual is
suance of essential paper currency
represents stupenduous aggregate
valuation.
That colossal wealth in paper cur
rency, silver and gold Is moved,
handled and stored safely in Uncle
Sans custody and ownership. Some
times as occurred during the financial
crash, eight years ago. as much as
one billion dollars is shipped monthly
from Washington to countrywide
banks, some fourfold more than ordi-
nary. The mony safety system, how
ever, Is 50 elastic that it Is capacitated
to expand and cover such exigencies.
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